The Cockney Rejects – Power Grab

I have followed the Cockney Rejects since the late 70’s and have been known on occasion to do an impromptu vocal performance on a couple of their punk classics as Jeff Turner left the stage to deal with some of the ‘sad lads’ in the crowd, notably in Bolton, UK in 1981. So, to be able to review Power Grab, their ninth studio album, is an absolute honour for me. And let me start this review as I mean to go on by saying, this is the greatest Cockney Rejects album to date! Here we have a record that has the lot, every trademark lick from Mick Geggus, and that solid driving bass from Vince Riordan along with those pounding drums from Joe Perry Sansome and the trademark Jeff Turner vocal and spirit.

Power Grab has everything that the Cockney Rejects have mustered in a cracking 43 year career (so far). Whether you love their terrace anthems of those early days or their heavier rock sound that we saw later on, you are going to love this album. From the opening track, We Were Never Bothered, we are off to a blistering start, this is a fan chanting classic a ’la Rejects style, before we hit Paper Tiger with that awesome punk / rock crossover the band do so well, think Oi meets Saxon. Then there’s Same Ol’ Same Ol, the bands recent hard hitting single.

The album is a much rockier affair as we get into Up For The Fight, one of my favourites on the album, and then it’s Stab In The Back (no not The Damned), another hard edged rock track, whereI love Mick’s guitar parts on this, not to mention the rock solid rhythm section. Get Your Shit Together is a terrace anthem where I thought they’d gone all Scottish as the track tails off with what sounded like bagpipes in a kind of ringing in the bells, Hogmanay kind of way, although I’m sure that’s nothing like what they intended but still, might as well get them on Jools Holland’s Hootenanny and liven things up a bit.

40 Years Undefeated is rocking, “That’s Why we’re 40 Years Undefeated” sings Jeff, a track that reminded me a bit of Twisted Sister (please don’t hit me guys). My Heart Ain’t In It has a great riff that could have come straight from Thin Lizzy’s Renegades album and is testament to the cracking guitarist that Mick Geggus is. The title track is another blistering rock style track that has hints of Iron Maiden before the lads cover The Stray Cats ‘Runaway Boys’ in their own inimitable style, I must say this track surprised me.

That Thing We Do continues with the line “I guess this music aint for you, like every other thing we do” and for me that sums up the Cockney Rejects, they write and release what they want with no compromises, like it or not, you’re getting it and on their terms. Mug (You’re A Long Time Dead) is a really heavy track that ducks and dives in the dark and seedy world of gangster life before we get to Cold Light Of Day, and it’s back to what we love about this band.

The album finishes off with a surprise song, the melodic Learning To Fly (There’s no pink inflatable pigs on this either), a song that shows a much, dare I say it, softer side to Cockney Rejects, one that also highlights Mick and Jeff’s song writing abilities that you can often miss if you focus on the short sharp punk style they started out on. And there you have it Pals, the greatest Cockney Rejects album, and if this turns out to be their final album then it’s a fitting farewell to a band that has battled through so much to give us so much musically.  Fingers crossed though that it isn’t.

Cockney Rejects will stop performing live as a touring band in 2023 with the odd festival exception, for me it has been an honour to have followed them throughout their career, thank you. I’d like to also dedicate this review to the memories of former Cockney Rejects bass player Tony ‘Van’ Frater, and my old mate and fellow Cockney Rejects fanatic Ratty Bolton, RIP my friend, forever a Reject.