ARTIST: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club         

TITLE: Take Them On, On Your Own

YEAR RELEASED: 2003

CHART ACTION: #47 US, #3 UK

SINGLES: Stop (#19 UK), We’re All in Love (#45 UK)

OTHER SONGS YOU MAY KNOW: Not here, maybe over there.

LINEUP: Robert Turner, Nick Jago, Peter Hayes

WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT: BRMC avoids the sophomore slump with a solid album that shows more diversity in sound and motifs.

 SOME WORDS, PHRASES AND CLAUSES ABOUT THIS RECORD: There’s a fire and a snarl to this, the second album by the US born and UK loved (at the time) Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. The sound is by parts more hard rock, yet more sonically adventurous, and also more in your face about subjects and riffs.

The trio coalesces as a true unit here, with everyone contributing to the overall shape of the song and the dynamic tension involved. It’s really a good step for the band to not just repeat the formula than won them UK fans and accolades.

Others in the critic-sphere didn’t appreciate this record as much, but to my ears, this is a worthy followup.

NOTES & MINUTIAE: The title track was a B-side, not on the album.

IS THERE A DELUXE VERSION: Japan, of course.

 GRADE A-: They showed some growth and consistency here

ARTIST: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club 

TITLE:  B. M. R. C.

YEAR RELEASED: 2001

CHART ACTION: #25 UK

SINGLES: Red Eyes and Tears, Rifles, Whatever Happened to My Rock and Roll (#46 UK, #7 UK Indie), Love Burns (#37 UK), Sperad Your Love (#27 UK)

OTHER SONGS YOU MAY KNOW: Nah

LINEUP: Peter Hayes, Robert Levon Been, Nick Jago

WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT: West Coast (LA – San Francisco) rock trio finds success in the UK with their debut album.

 SOME WORDS, PHRASES AND CLAUSES ABOUT THIS RECORD: Wags in the UK deemed this record “garage revivial”, though I didn’t realize garage bands used the production effects BMRC does, or delve in the moody minor-key world often. Sure, there are elements of garage rock here, but there’s so much more.

Case in point, the song “Awake” does have the garage guitars, but only during the chorus. It’s driven by a menacing keyboard riff and  the guitars are used as part of a climactic noise at the end of each verse

It is a blending of all kinds of rock from the past, coupled with a tasteful use of modern sounds, that made this album sound great in 2001, and it still sounds pretty good today. While some of the songs do linger on a bit long, many of the tunes sound radio-friendly yet uncompromising. The UK reception was warranted, and some in-the-know people started to pay attention as well.

NOTES & MINUTAE: Originally they were called the Elements, but there was another band using that name, so they chose Black Rebel Motorcycle Club as a tribute to Brando. Plus, it sounds bad-ass and fits their visual scheme.

IS THERE A DELUXE VERSION:  Yes, a couple three running around with Japanese cuts and B-sides.

GRADE: A-: A darn good debut and for those who like rock that honors their roots yet updates the sound.