- Label: 'Think Like A Key Music'
- Genre: 'Rock'
- Release Date: '25.7.25.'- Catalogue No: 'TLAK 1215'
Our Rating:
This is a re-issue of On The Frontier, originally released in 1973 by Shoot who were the next band that Jim McCarty formed after playing in and songwriting for The Yardbirds and Renaissance, this also includes two songs from the band's appearance on John Peel's Sounds Of The Seventies Christmas show in 1972. Naming yourself after the most popular football magazine of the era would have guaranteed, that if I'd picked up this album in Woolworths in 1973 as an 8 year old kid, then begged dad to let me buy it, I would have expected the songs to be about football, how wrong I would have been, but some of those thoughts maybe infused here. How gutted would any kid who asked for the new Shoot album for Christmas in 1973 have been if gran bought this for them, but I'm happy to hear this album in the 2020's. Shoot were Jim McCarty, B.J.Cole, Bill Russell, Craig Collinge, John Tout, Bob Birtles, Lyn Dobson, Graham Preskitt, Dave Green, Produced at Abbey Road by Ian McKlintock.
The album opens with The Neon Life it has hazy guitars, multi-tracked vocals, really cooking along like your cruising the streets late at night, in search of adventure, the sax slows you down, you have to stop to hear its message, the piano and guitar chasing you up Shaftsbury avenue to look at the Neon Light like a smacked out Dilly boy.
Ships And Sails is searching for another chance to shine, you may have to journey far, for that chance to be the next Alessi Brothers but with a New Seekers vibe, down in the second division with Brighton and that donkey in goal, Living Blind was obviously about footie referees missing another offside, the guitar runs down the left wing waiting, lifting one in for the sax to head in only to be cymballed offside, to the massed cries of your Living Blind he was onside.
On The Frontier must have been about that frontier between Leeds fans just a few yards from the baying Chelsea fans, it's all gonna explode, all that keeps them apart is this easy going rock chant, On The Frontier Now, but when the singing stops the revolution will come, they'll be kicking each other in the head again with a Chopper Harris style niggling guitar solo.
The Boogie comes with an intro that claims it is the worst song in the world, BJ Cole's weaving through the defence, this chugs along like a mid-table scuffler on a rainy Tuesday, with a collection for the boys going round the terraces, a laid-back groove with some Charlie George flair.
Midnight Train back from Liverpool sounding all sad that Emlyn Hughes and Kevin Keegan made us look foolish, we've got all reflective and tear stained at how poor we played Osgood should be shot for that miss, these hicks sound like they might be tractor boys.
Head Under Water was something I spent most of 1973 fearing, avoiding being the kid with his head under water in the toilet while it was being flushed, this instrumental may give that kid bad flashbacks. Sepia Sister your super laid back, acoustic imprecations hoping you'll be his, if he flashes a Frank Mclintock grin at you.
Old Time Religion is it really an original, or a reboot of the classic gospel tune, sadly not a hymnal to the joy of keeping your league ladders up to date, but a very 70's piano hymnal that has been re-worked to feel like a standard.
Mean Customer bitching and moaning that it cost 85p to go and stand on the terraces, how foolish can you be, before you know it, you'll be paying £50 for a seat in the same place, the bongo stairs chant along with you, go get a life you mean Customer.
The first of the Sounds Of the Seventies bonus songs is Storms As Sorrows it's time to get rid of the manager again, Brian your times up, you gotta go, we'll boogie along with this funky guitar and beat making like Dave Sexton's hair is what makes him worth hiring as the new manager.
The Sounds of the Seventies version of Neon Life has more chug, getting fleeced in a spieler on Archer Street, before going in search of that Dilly boy once more, playing laid back guitar and offering to adjust his league ladders.
Find out more https://www.thinklikeakey.com/release/507562-shoot-on-the-frontier-2025-remaster https://thinklikeakey.bandcamp.com/album/on-the-frontier-2025-remaster
