From the Freezer

Album Review

The Revillos are one of the great lost acts of the new wave era. They only released one great album and a handful of singles that sadly never found much of a U.S. audience. From the Freezer collects all kinds of rarities from the Revillos' vaults. Starting with some of their first recordings and ending up with three live tracks from their 1994 reunion shows, the 20-song collection covers a lot of ground and only one of the tracks, "1982 - Make a Wish," the very rare B-side of their 1981 Christmas single, has ever seen the light of day before. Included are early demos of "Motorbike Beat," "No Such Luck," and "Where's the Boy for Me?"; very lo-fi rehearsal takes of "Manhunt" and "Everybody Tango"; alternate takes of "Juke Box Sound" and "Voodoo" from the Rev Up LP; and "Sputnik Kiss" and "You Were Meant for Me" from the Attack! LP as well as unreleased tracks "Superville," "The Last One to Know," "Call Me the Cat," an early version of "Jack the Ripper," and "The Vampire Strikes." Along with the three live songs from 1994 (versions of "Motorbike Beat," "Snatzomobile," and "Mind Bending Cutie Doll" that found the band sounding as fun as ever), there are two live tracks recorded in 1982: a wild romp through "Boys" and a frenzied "Wipeout." This disc is like a special delivery from the heavens for Revillos fans: The track selection is amazing, the sound quality (apart from the rehearsals) is top notch, and the liner notes and photos are a gas. Everything about this collection is done right. You need to do right by yourself and seek it out.