tracks on LP: I Can’t Pretend / We’re Living In Violent Times / Don’t Let Go / Codeine / This Ain’t My Time / I Saw My Death In A Dream Last Night / Somewhere Outside / Summer Fun / His Last Summer / Somebody / Campus Tramp / On The Strip / California Lament / (I Wish It Could Be) 1965 Again
Record label: Zonophone ZONO 103
Producer: Pat Moran and John David
at Rockfield Studios
Released: 13/02/81
Purchased: 1985
The Barracudas | Drop Out With The Barracudas | Zonophone | 1981 | This represents a change in tack for Britain’s only surfin’ combo. Gone are the stripy T-shirts, the white jeans and the surf boards. In its place is the less frothy reality that they’ve constructed by corrupting the not so pure genres of psychedelia, garage punk, folk-rock protest and gritty rock ‘n’ roll.
The Flamin’ Groovies, Byrds, Standells, Seeds and other good, bad and plain ugly legends from that period are all subjected to the Barracudas brand of grand larceny to good effect.
The Barracudas have a level of affection, respect and freshness, excitement and an overwhelming sense of mischief to their source of material that never allows them to stray over the boundaries into the pedantic. Their attitude of studied incompetence also helps them and makes them almost impossible to hate.
Hearing this album you can tell that the boys will hope that the album gets panned by the critics and will get discovered as a forgotten classic in 10 years time. But it’s silly to forgo the pleasure of this vinyl so buy two copies, one to play now and one for your time capsule for the far distant future when the world finally catches up and allows the Barracudas their rightful 15 minutes of fame. ***** (Record Mirror, 07/03/81)
Like a one-band nostalgia society, The Barracudas regard it as their duty to heave the ’60s around in a sack with them. Two variations are on view here: they masquerade as Californian surf punks on the first side and then come over all hard bitten and decadent a la Stones on the flip.
Each and every track tips its hat to some forgotten oldie or other. While this may warm the heart of the old vinyl bore (like myself), it’s unlikely to capture many contemporary imaginations. (5 out of 10) (Smash Hits, March 1981)
Leave a Reply