The Good The Bad - From 001 To 017 Album Review

Vikings, Bacon and Lego, a well known trio hailing from Denmark. The Good The Bad; Adam, Manoj (Ex-Raveonettes) and Johan, a less well known Danish threesome who "would like to share The New School Surf & Flamenco with you." "From 001 To 017" is the Copenhagen groups all instrumental debut, a full length follow up to last years EP, "From 001-004". They certainly know how to name a track so as not to have any language barriers these chaps eh?

At 17 tracks, 32mins, 32secs, the likes of David Gilmour would hardly have found the time to pick up a plectrum before most of these numbers have begun and ended. This is short, sharp, intense blasts of SoCal Surf Pop. Inspired to write because he couldn't play covers, and "An intense energy, like sex" Adam, the groups guitarist has taken much of his influence from "The 60's" and "Spaghetti Westerns".

The guitar drum and bass line up of The Good The Bad deliver some blistering tunes at breakneck speed. In the mix along the way you get The Sid Presley Experience, lots of The Shadows, Misirlou by Dick Dale, Golden Nuggets, Telestar and even Coogan's Bluff. You get lots of reverb, fuzz and wah wah in an antique, analogue style. There are TV theme tunes, twisting mini skirts, Batman and Austin Powers. The cover art's pretty................uhmm, groovy too, although I'm not sure whether it'll head up the review.

The album is a little self indulgent, could do with the odd vocal here and there, although Adam would disagree as he couldn't find anyone to stand behind the drums, and does falter in places. Generally though it is what it is, a machine gun paced throw back with a naivety and energy that hardly give you time to draw breathe before it's all over and done with. What next is the question? I don't think they'd get away with album number 2 in the same vein, there needs to be some enhancement or slight change in direction. Arguably the tracks that work best are those with the added keyboards.

The Killers chose them for their after show party, and they are a "Must see live, not should see, must see." Wayne Kramer of MC5 said they were this years best band at SXSW. Lets just hope they're not a one trick pony and there is more in store from The Good The Bad.

Andrew Lockwood.