Them Belfast Gypsies by The Belfast Gypsies (not Van Morrison's Them)
Gloria's Dream - Sounds like Gloria got intoxicated and ended up at some crazy frat party. It sounds like Gloria meets Animal House. It has the spirit of Sam the Sham & The Pharaohs' "Woolly Bully" mixed in with "Gloria" with a hint of Bo Diddley. Yeah it's a crazy cocktail but if you drink it you'll end up having a lot of fun.
The Crazy World Inside Me - Wtf is this? is my first response. Sounds like The Belfast Gypsies' attempt at a pop song. Ends up sounding like some kind of drunk improvised session in a garage. This is lo-fi pop magic.
Midnight Train - Wicked and dark. Crazy harmonica work. Bo Diddley strumming again. Bass is on point. Great song.
Aria of Fallen Angels - I know it's weird and.....why did they choose to cover a classical piece? But that is precisely why it is a good addition to the album. How many garage rock albums or even bands can say they covered a classical piece by J.S. Bach? ....? My point exactly.
It's All Over Now Baby Blue - I know that the Van Morrison/Them version is untouchable. Yes, I accept that this version is not as good, but that is not to say this isn't a great version anyway. It's surprisingly fast, has a great melodic solo in the middle and this singer continues to rival Van Morrison's vocals. I have to say that I almost like this version as much as Them's version.
People Let's Freak Out - I remember while listening to this my friend told me that he didn't like this song because of the phrase "let's freak out" He proclaimed his hatred for the phrase and said that it is corny when people say it. I half-heartedly agreed with his point. The phrase "let's freak out" is corny and is a generic sense of hippie emotion....but this song is fucking awesome. This song was also composed in the sixties when the term was popular so I think the Belfast Gypsies deserve some leeway. I don't care if "let's freak out" is a corny phrase, singer Jackie McAuley makes it sound cool and punk some how.
Boom Boom - How fucking awesome is this cover? Really fucking awesome I say. Best version I've ever heard. I know some dad rockers and classic rock fans will hate me for saying this but Jackie McAuley gives the vocals the most edgy punk grit I've ever heard for this song with all due respect to John Lee Hooker and Big Head Todd.
Last Will and Testament - Warning: piercing organ tones when blasted thru speakers as it should be. This is yet another classic cover. I consider this song "House of the Rising Sun" on steroids. Seriously not joking...this song needs to go up on your volume nob around minute 2:20.
Portland Town - This song is super repetitive, but that is precisely the point of it! It's so repetitively depressing that it's fucking genius. Anti-war? Anti-conformist? Anti- mediocrity? I don't know but it's fucking great.
Hey Gyp - Now I love Donavon and I like his famous version of this song, but this version has the muscle that Donavan's version lacks. I can actually smell the motor oil on this one. I can hear the chevy roaring and I can feel the cadillac's slow cruise.
Suicide Song - Was there any song that could top the depression of Portland Town? Oh yeah there is, it's this one. This song has a very similar narrative lyric structure to The Outsiders' (dutch band) "Prison Song" However this one is a bit more grim and definitely more drug induced.
Secret Police - Wtf!? At first this sounds like a follow up to where "Suicide Song" left off with the breaking down of the door, but then we enter a world of paranoia beyond my ear's understanding. I begin to question the band's sanity at this point. This sounds like Dylan's "Tombstone Blues" on some seriously bad drugs.
Extra Bonus Track:
Gorilla - Just a reminder that the Belfast Gypsies can do all that hip mod shit too.
So there you have it. An album with practically no bad songs. Till this day this is still one of my favorite garage rock albums ever.
