Share 12 DAYS TO PARIS - Huxton Creepers (Grown Up Wrong)
Two albums and and EP and they were gone. Melbourne's Huxton Creepers lasted much longer than 12 days and they left a mark. Here's the proof, spread generously over two CDs.Many will say the follow-up album ("So This Is Paris") was stronger - and they may be right, I'd lost interest by then - but "12 Days" is their defining work and it was released in the face of stiff competition. This was 1986. The Creepers were power popwrit large - and there was a helluva lot of it around with Sunnyboys still kicking around and the Hoodoo Gurus on the way up. Overseas, a whole world of pop-via-the-garage bands were pumping out quality music. There was almost hope for the future of radio.
Back in Oz, the Creepers had made an impact with "The Murderess" 45 (Rob Younger's production credit didn't hurt in Sydney.) Although the 1986 debut album didn't match the grit of their sweaty live shows, there was more than enough character in Rob Craw's tough 'n' tender vocal to win the day. Guitarist Paul Thomas could play damn well, too. The engine room was as good as any around and Arch Law was (is still) a tremendous hard hitter.
Looking back, the Gurus comparisons were constant and, in part, valid as Thomas' tone does sometimes match the sounds that Brad Shepherd was laying down at the time. For all the similarities, there were differences, nbot the least of which was the Rickenbacker presence that paralleled the Flamin' Groovies. Sometimes the old Sydney-Melbourne rivalry reared its head in critiques but you'd be happy enough to be hearing a record like this come out of a contemporary rock and roll band. Plus, they wrote the best song about stalking ("My Cherie Amour") this side of the oh-so-lame Police.
The Creepers had some other real gems."I Will Persuade" for one, and it literally jumps out from the first disc. Ditto "Autumn Leaves", as hooky as hell and almost as hot, stands up against any other guitar pop you could name.
It's a no holds barred re-issue, spread over two CDs with a generous amount of demo material and live tracks. If you found the production on "12 Days..." too polite with a bit much of that '80s drum sound, you'll take to the rougher feel of the songs as they were originally committed to tape.
You may well gravitate to the demo versions of the album songs. They do saw much rawer, and occasionally better, than the final mixes. The live "Shake Some Action" is a tightly-wound contrast to the version the Hitmen play. An extended "Ramble Tamble" (also live) throws a light on the wry/sly humour that was a hallmark of Creepers gigs.
A righteous re-issue, really done right. - The Barman
1/2
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