Album Review: 999 – Bish! Bash! Bosh!

  • Mark Cartwright posted
  • Reviews

999

Bish! Bash! Bosh! - Cleopatra Records

999 are not only one of the original Punk bands from the 70’s, but they are right up there with all the seminal bands that smashed onto the scene back then.

At last count this would be their 11th Studio album, and if you added up all the Singles, EP’s, Live Albums and Video’s, you would get around 63 releases.  Clearly a band that is never going away in a hurry.  

To this end Bish! Bash! Bosh! Was born, due for release on April 24th on Cleopatra Records, With the 2 original founding members Nick Cash (Guitar/Vocals) & Guy Days (Guitar) joined by 2 members that have also been with them for longer they care to remember  Arturo Bassick (also of the Lurkers) (Bass) and Stoo Meadows (also Conflict) (Drums).

In true 999 fashion, this album is filled with all the real life problems and social issue songs that have been the backbone of their sound for so long.  Being around for the past 40+ years, you might be forgiven for thinking, can they really be fresh and vital even now?  Yes they can. 

With a song like “Shoot” that’s bang up to date with its tales of the paranoid gun toting youth of today, played to the fast but purposeful sound that has always been so familiar to 999.

Then the first track to be released as a lead single, like “Crazy Tuesday World” which “The verses are actual quotes/words from people that hear voices in their head” describes Cash.

 Both are perfect examples of how still writing and playing songs is something they were born to do, fresh, snappy, relevant and filled with a style that only they can bring.

15 songs that don’t just rehash or hark back to past glory, they have all got a place in the future of a band, pushing the frontiers of how an (forgive me for saying) ageing punk rock band, might be perceived by the youth of today. 

How can you possibly not be impressed by this album, just imagine you have never heard of 999, that this is a debut album, that punk has just emerged from it’s slumber and these guys have picked up their instruments for the first time and penned such songs as “Psycho Man” with it’s catchy very sleek riffs that run over the top of a very dark story line, then what about “Monkey” or “Don’t Start A Fight” both pure dirty rock filled beauties that scream of dark seedy pubs filled with crowds of sweaty rockin bodies.  Easy to imagine!  

An album that after 13 years in waiting, puts 999 right back where they should be, at the top of the pile.

So fresh! So hot!  So Loud! So on it!

 

To Grab your copy of this long awaited album Check Out Cleopatra Records

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