VA - Time! Gentlemen! Pub Rock Rhythm 'n' Groove, Classic Cuts and Rarities 1974-1982 [2025] (3 x CDs)

PUB ROCK

VA - Time! Gentlemen! Pub Rock Rhythm 'n' Groove, Classic Cuts and Rarities 1974-1982 [2025] (3 x CDs)

Pub Rock wasn’t just another chapter in British rock history—it was a movement born out of frustration, rejecting the indulgence of stadium-sized rock in favor of something rawer, sweatier, and more immediate. The smoky backrooms of London pubs became the proving ground for bands that fused rock, R&B, and a touch of country swagger into something entirely their own. Time! Gentlemen! Pub Rock Rhythm 'n' Groove, Classic Cuts and Rarities 1974-1982 is a love letter to that era, a mammoth three-CD set that resurrects both the defining anthems and the forgotten gems of Pub Rock’s heyday.

The set embraces the rugged, blues-infused energy of Dr. Feelgood, the pub-circuit harmonies of Brinsley Schwarz, and the stripped-down soulfulness of Chilli Willi and the Red Hot Peppers. Yet what truly elevates this collection are its rarities—tracks that haven’t been heard in decades, some of them appearing on CD for the very first time. Roogalator’s “Cincinnati Fatback”, a groove-heavy number from their 1977 album, oozes funk-inflected rhythm, proving how Pub Rock flirted with a variety of sounds beyond traditional rock. Live Wire’s “Lone Car Cruising”, a demo from the Honky Tonk Demos, is a brilliant time capsule, giving a glimpse into the grassroots ethos of the genre.

There’s something wonderfully chaotic about The Wilko Johnson and Lew Lewis Band’s “Caravan Man”, originally appearing on an EP, with its raucous, punchy energy; exactly the kind of tune you’d expect to hear on a beer-soaked pub stage. Motor Boys Motor’s “Drive Friendly”, another long-lost single version, carries a swaggering intensity that set the stage for the harder-edged sounds of later punk rock. Chilli Willi’s “Jungle Song”, a demo, captures a moment of Pub Rock experimentation, reinforcing how this was never a genre defined by one sound, but rather an attitude: fierce, unfussy, and always ready for another round.

Tim Turan’s remastering breathes life into these tracks, allowing every riff and rhythm to land with the same force they did when they first rattled the walls of packed pubs. Simon Matthews’ accompanying booklet offers an insightful account of Pub Rock’s role in the British music scene, tracking its influence from grassroots grooves to punk’s explosive arrival.

For lovers of bluesy rock, rollicking R&B, and British soulfulness, Time! Gentlemen! isn’t just nostalgia it’s an invitation to rediscover an era that thrived on rebellion, rhythm, and the pure joy of live music. (B)

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Track lists

CD1

01 Stranglers - Go Buddy Go 3:57

02 Dr. Feelgood - Down at The (Other) Doctors 3:50

03 Frankie Miller - Be Good to Yourself 3:00

04 Steve Gibbons Band - Tulane 2:54

05 Roogalator - Cincinnati Fatback (Original Album Version) 5:58

06 No Dice - Why Sugar 3:49

07 Red Beans & Rice - That Driving Beat 2:36

08 Bogey Boys - Friday Night 4:06

09 Chromatics - I'm A Rep 2:34

10 Motors - Dancing The Night Away (7" Version) 3:14

11 Live Wire - Lone Car Cruising ('Honky Tonk Demos' Version) 5:44

12 Clancy - Steal Away 4:37

13 Graham Parker & The Rumour - Soul Shoes 3:13

14 Rory Gallagher - Juke Box Annie 3:16

15 Elvis Costello - Mystery Dance 1:37

16 Split Rivitt - Soul Limbo 2:23

17 Straight Eight - Will You Love Me 3:39

18 Starry Eyed and Laughing - Oh What? 3:03

19 Deke Leonard - Get Off The Line 3:05

20 Deaf School - Knock Knock Knocking 3:27

21 Kursaal Flyers - Pocket Money (Live at The Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, May 1977) 3:54

22 Nine Below Zero - Pack, Fair & Square (Live at The Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, December 1979) 2:34

23 Mick Farren - I Want A Drink 1:44

CD2

01 Pirates - Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee 2:55

02 Blues Band - Death Letter 3:04

03 Mickey Jupp - Switchboard Susan (E.P. Version) 4:01

04 Roll-Ups - Blackmail 2:55

05 Leyton Buzzards - I'm Hanging Around 2:47

06 Beggar - All Night (Live) 2:44

07 Jackie Lynton - Learning How to Rock 'n' Roll 3:36

08 Remus Down Boulevard - Only for You (Live) 4:12

09 Nasty Pop - Stage and Plays 2:52

10 Chilli Willi & The Red Hot Peppers - Jungle Song (Demo Version) 3:31

11 Meal Ticket - Day Job 4:24

12 Fabulous Poodles - See You Later Alligator 2:36

13 Dave Edmunds - Crawling From The Wreckage 2:54

14 Johnny G - All Aboard 3:44

15 Merton Parkas - In The Midnight Hour 2:24

16 Wilko Johnson - All Right (Original Album Version) 3:05

17 Bishops - Too Much Too Soon 2:29

18 Blast Furnace & The Heatwaves - Can't Stop The Boy 2:36

19 Eddie & The Hot Rods - Living Dangerously 3:35

20 Dogwatch - Ice Cream Man (Studio Version) 4:20

21 Inmates - Three Time Loser 2:37

22 Q-Tips - Please Don't Stay at Home 3:20

23 Whirlwind - Midnight Blue 3:27

24 Damned - New Rose 2:43

25 Splodgenessabounds - Two Pints of Lager & A Packet of Crisps Please 2:11

CD3

01 Nick Lowe - So it Goes 2:32

02 East Side Band - Blowing Away 2:59

03 Squeeze - Take Me, I'm Yours (Single Version) 2:48

04 Sore Throat - 7th Heaven 4:06

05 Philip Rambow - Don't Call Me Tonto 4:55

06 Tyla Gang - Suicide Jockey 3:04

07 Clover - Take Another Look 3:24

08 Kokomo - Lonely Town, Lonely Street 3:25

09 Sniff 'N' The Tears - The Thrill of it All 3:39

10 Ian Gomm - Hold On 2:58

11 Brinsley Schwarz - Cruel to Be Kind 2:43

12 Electric Bluebirds - Rockin' & Rollin' With Gran'maw 3:14

13 Brett Marvin & The Thunderbolts - Hurry Up Train 4:05

14 John Potter - When The Boogie Breaks 2:28

15 A Little Rooster - Ain't Proud 3:19

16 999 - Crazy 3:36

17 Motor Boys Motor - Drive Friendly (Original Single Version) 2:21

18 Records - Insomnia 3:02

19 Warm Jets - Big City Boys 3:19

20 Steve Hooker Band - How Did You Know? 2:28

21 Geraint Watkins & The Dominators - Casting My Spell 2:25

22 Wilko Johnson and Lew Lewis Band - Caravan Man (E.P. Version) 4:39

23 Joe Jackson - Sunday Papers 4:21

24 Rory McLeod - Farewell Welfare 3:15

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Music weaves itself into the fabric of our emotions, dances through the corridors of memory, and whispers to the soul of who we are. Sharing these stories deepens the connection, turning the experience into something timeless and profound.

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