Album Review: Deniz Tek – Take It To The Vertical (Reissue)

Deniz Tek, the founder member of Australia’s Radio Birdman, will be reissuing his debut solo full length “Take It To The Vertical” via Wild Honey Records on the 19th March. The album was originally released via Redeye Records and Polydor Records just shy of thirty years ago, a big question when reissues arrive is why? what does this bring to the party that the original version failed to deliver? “Take It To The Vertical” is finally getting it’s debut release on vinyl and through digital service providers, so it’s giving vinyl junkies their fix, and garage rock’s natural home is on vinyl, and it will be available universally as it’s now been out of print for a long time. To seal the deal there are extensive liner notes, never-seen-before photos and the almost obligatory previously unissued bonus track.

 

Originally recorded a lifetime ago at Sugar Hill Studios in Houston, Texas, alongside Deniz Tek the album features longtime Radio Birdman member Chris Masuak on guitar and keyboards and The Stooges‘ Scott Asheton on drums. Given there are two members of Radio Birdman and a Stooge involved in the recording you should have an idea where “Take It To The Vertical” is coming from, this is garage rock done by three people who, at the time this was recorded, were well established at the heart of the garage punk scene. Alongside the garage rock you get some not unexpected twists and turns, the bluesy ‘Steel Beach‘ and “Torpedo Woman‘, the rockabilly infused ‘Where Dreams Go‘ and ‘Me & Gene‘ and the Dylanesque ‘Ships In‘ reflect different facets of Deniz Tek‘s influences. “Take It To The Vertical” closes with the previously unreleased ‘Press On‘, a rock ‘n roll anthem about air combat that was recorded live in the studio during the album sessions.

 

Deniz Tek has a long history of working with the garage and proto punk bands that blasted out of Detroit in the 60’s, including members of The Stooges and MC5, with his latest album “Two To One” being a collaboration with James Williamson, the former guitarist of The Stooges. If you already love Radio Birdman there’s a good chance you will have this album in one format or another, whilst this is very much one for established fans there are still gems in here for any self respecting fan of the bands that paved the way for punks arrival. If reissues are your thing then there’s more to come from the vault as “Take It To The Vertical” is only half the story, Wild Honey Records also have a second reissue of Deniz Tek‘s solo work up their sleeves.

 

You can pre-order “Take It To The Vertical” here