TURKISH DELIGHT - The Persian Rugs (EMI)
It's tempting to label this the surprise packet of 2003 but it's also wholly
inaccurate. There was never much doubt that the debut album for Sydney's Persian
Rugs would be a winner on all counts. Pedigree of the members apart, they've
brought
home the bacon live and their first-up EP, the catchy "Mr Tripper", reeked of
frugging and fun.
These 13 tracks are '60s punk knock-offs to be sure, and if you're looking for
their inspiration you'll find it buried in a pile of "Nuggets". I'm not going
to do a track-by-track guesstimate of which song sprang from where - that'd
spoil the fun. Those origins might be a point of criticism for some but if so,
two points need to be made. Firstly, will the first person to find something
that's absolutely new in rock 'n' roll please stand up now? Secondly, there's
enough of the individual players' unique style stamped on this disc to steer
it well clear of pastiche territory. OK?
"Turkish Delight" is packaged in a way that steers clear of prior history. In
fact, the only clue to the anteceedents of three-quarters of the band is in
the credits which show the recording's been licensed to a major label by "Hoodoo
Gurus Pty Ltd". Either approach is fine by me 'cos this is a disc that
stands on its own merits.
There's an underlying and abiding love of '60s punk that cuts through every
one of the 37 minutes of listening here that makes me think most Bar patrons
will love it back. Prominent Farfisa from singer Dave Faulkner (who penned all
but one tune himself) give a distinct Music Machine feel to proceedings. Indeed,
the (organ-less) guitar-driven opener, "15 Kinds of Fool", rocks with sufficient
energy to give "Talk Talk" (and just about everything else on that band's self-titled
album) a run for its money. I'd go so far as to say there's nary a dud on this
disc. Most of the way, Brad Shepherd's snarling fuzztone provides the foil to
Dave's Farfisa (the exception being "I Want Your Love" where it bounces off
surf guitar while Faulkner provides the appropriate warbling vocal).
"Cornered" is the best rumble in any jungle I've heard this year, all tom toms
and uncoiling fuzz set against Dave Faulkner's best vocal on the set. "1992"
is a trippy look forward from an early '70s psychedelic standpoint with oustanding,
vaguely Eastern Shepherd guitarwork and a baited pop hook. "Nickels and Dimes"
is pure killer pop dressed up in an organ melody. "Miss Manners" is a little
more, er, mannered in a quaintly mod pop way, but there's enough knee-jarring
rockers ("Stop It!", "Come Back Little Sheba") to keep the head shakers happy
too.
All in all, it's a little edgier and harder than the "Mr Tripper" EP but it's
not a Sonics-styled attack. The title tune even borders on bubblegum, with a
generous dollop of the Partridge Family on top.
Disarmingly non-pretentious. The Rugs have tackled things in a low-key way.
They might have no desire to climb too far up the industry tree, and that's
fine. It hasn't stopped them making one of the best rockin' gems to appear on
Australian racks this year. Most bands could learn a trick or three.
In the 1980s, the Hoodoo Gurus took feedback where straightlaced Aussie radio
programmers feared to let it tread. Wish it would be true that the Rugs could
do the same thing in 2003. Dig it! - The
Barman
1/2
MR
TRIPPER - Persian Rugs (SOS/Shock)
Debut mini-album by a band who might be the last line-up of the Hoodoo Gurus
in '60s punk mode, - though you'd never know it by the low key cover and credit-less
packaging. This is, of course, a ruse to encourage unsuspecting critics to judge
these five tunes on their own merits. This is fair enough as they more than
hold up.
The Persian Rugs are the Band Formerly Known as The Moops, before a veteran
US cabaret act beating them to that Seinfeld-inspired moniker forced a change.
They're very much the brainchild of Gurus leader Dave Faulkner, who is without
doubt one of the most accomplished pop-rock songwriters of recent times.
The Gurus always had their roots planted firmly in the '60s but drew inspiration
from a much wider paddock. They share the same personnel (or did, until Rick
Grossman gave up live bass duties) as that band but this is where the similarities
end. Faulkner's keyboards dominate much of the material and the songs mostly
don't fit the three-minute verse-chorus-verse format.
Of course it hit me halfway through the third back-to-back listening to what,
for me, is the centrepiece, the VERY groovy "Here She Comes, just what's
happened here. Dave Faulkner has turned into the Fleshtones! Carnivalesque organ,
maraccas and a rock solid backbeat propel proceedings. Not that morphing into
one of the '80s acid punk revival scene's most innovative garage-soul acts is
a bad thing (and the 'Tones and Dave are on good terms.)
Such hilarious observations aside, these might be Faulkner-penned tunes but
they'd be shadows without a skilful and sympathetic band under them. Brad Shepherd's
fuzz guitar shimmers and uncoils on "Moochin' Around". Grossman and
drummer Mark Kingsmill sit right in the pocket, laying down nice, basic feels.
The Rugs sound anything but a part-time act (intuitive playing being a given,
considering the road miles these guys have chalked up.)
For the most part it's very cool, organ-flavoured garage pop, but "Goin'
Out in Style" sets off in another direction completely. This is just over
six minutes of serious acid rock, with a vaguely Eastern feel and a la The Doors
(but with better guitar playing and a more muscular engine room.) A raucuous
Shepherd interlude brings things to a peak nicely. Trippin'! - The
Barman