The Poodles are back and here at the Rockpit we’re grateful to get a chance to listen to the album that’s due to hit the stores on January 18th next year. ‘Prisma’ may be a ‘covers’ album and the bands first outing since the ‘Devil in the Details’ release from 2015but as covers records go it’s up there with the very best.
One of the big draws, taking that the execution and performances are top notch as a given, is that the song selection is as wonderful as it is eclectic. It’s a brave album as far as song choices go which may divide some fans like me who find modern Pop music and especially processed digital DJ music pretty much an anathema
‘Crazy Horses’ that untouchable Osmond’s masterpiece is a great way to start out – I’ve heard a few attempts at this one over the years but few that capture the rawness of the original as well as The Poodles have done here. A nice hard rocking take on Hall and Oates ‘Maniac’ from the 80’s movie ‘Flashdance’ follows to deliver what you really want in a covers album – something a little different and unexpected which sounds col as hell.
There are only really two duds here and the first is the cover of the David Guetta song ‘Love is Gone’ and its a really simple reason – despite being beefed up by some searing guitar and a great drum track it’s honestly just not that good a song. There’s a slight improvement with second single ‘It’s No Good’ – a cover of the Depeche Mode song. It’s dark and brooding and vaguely sinister but like the Guetta cover it suffers from not actually being that strong a song, sure its interesting lyrically but that’s about it. I hope it’s not only me but I don’t at all understand this desire Rock bands have to force feed us Pop songs I’d much rather hear an album full of hidden rock gems than anything close to what comes next…
The second dud ‘Don’t You Worry Child’ by ‘House Supergroup’ Swedish House Mafia makes Reckless Love’s dabbles with Euro Pop (which I hated completely and utterly) look rather cultured in comparison and to put a creatively bereft cobbled-together electronic piece of vacuous fluff next to an immortal classic like ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’ almost beggars belief. Lyrically, creatively and musically Elton John even on his worst day would empty his bowels all over nonsense like that. Thankfully though it seems to be out of the system.
Blondie’s ‘Call Me’ gets an interesting treatment and strays a fair way from the original but you can’t hide that groove, it’s probably one of the best Blondie covers I’ve heard and as a huge fan that’s a big compliment. Similarly Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Go Your Own Way’ which here is treated rather faithfully kicks arse – surely one of the greatest rock songs ever written and done some real justice by the band.
Did I say two duds? ‘Set Fire to the Rain’ may be a cool title but it’s languid ‘heard it all before just far, far, far better‘ predictability is pretty offensive to these ears. Never having heard it before I just discovered it’s a song by Adele which to be honest doesn’t surprise me – the musical equivalent of painting by numbers or spray cheese.
The album closes with ‘Soldier of Fortune’ a wonderful cover of the Deep Purple classic which makes you wonder why the press release made a point of saying “The decision was made early to stay away from genres close to the band’s own, but other than that, any song could come into question for making the cut”.
Steve Marriott once said to a friend of mine ‘A good song is a good song no matter how you treat it.’ I agree it’s equally true that a shit song is a shit song no matter how well it’s sung or how cool the treatment. There are seven great songs on this ten track album and call me cynical but the three that flop all come from the past ten – 2007, 2011 and 2012…
I love The Poodles and a few dodgy song choices amongst some real class isn’t going to stop that. ‘Prisma’ is out in virtual and physical stores on January 26th 2018!