Soundtrack4Life: The Best Albums of 2017 - #10 A Big Bad Beautiful Noise - Godfathers (2017)

One of the things you will have noticed if you have been following this look back at some of The Best Albums of 2017 is that there is a real diversity of musical sound. This is because I long ago refused to be bound by any one musical genre and also the fact that I wanted to experience different textures and even find a reading on life that I had maybe never thought of before. So there has been everything from Pop, Country, Bluegrass, Gospel, Celtic Punk, Electronica, Blues Rock, Soul, Indie Rock, Classic Rock, New Wave, Post-Punk and Southern Rock thus far. 

As we have now reached the Top 10 I thought a little reminder just incase you haven't seen the previous posts outlining 20-11 would be in order before we begin. Click on the Links to see the particular post.

20 After Laughter - Paramore.

19 Not Dark Yet - Shelby Lynne & Allison Moorer.

18 Freedom Highway - Rhiannon Giddens.

17 11 Short Stories of Pain & Glory - Dropkick Murphys.

16 The Punishment of Luxury - OMD.

15 Unpeeled - Cage The Elephant.

14 Witness - Benjamin Booker.

13 QSP - Quatro, Scott & Powell.

12 How The West Was Won - Peter Perrett.

11 Southern Blood - Gregg Allman.

******************

The title of the Godfathers latest album can be seen as a statement that sums up their whole career: A Big Bad Beautiful Noise! The record sees them continuing on a similar path to their previous albums giving us 11 slices of uncompromising rock and roll in their own characteristic style.

Personnel changes to the band haven't dampened the enthusiasm of frontman Peter Coyne and he continues to be one of the great characters of British Rock and Roll. The band really should have had a lot more success down through the years but they have kept their feet planted on the ground, never got above themselves and continued delivering blistering live sets no matter the size of the stage (as can be seen below).

I thought their previous album from four years ago was a real cracker (Jukebox Fury) but A Big Bad Beautiful Noise even topped that!

A Big Bad Beautiful Noise - Godfathers

Metropolis/Cargo Records

Produced by Steve Crittall, Paul Robert Gray and Godfathers

Released February 2017

Godfathers - Live

9th February 2017

Middlesbrough

SETLIST:
Cause I Said So.
Defibrillator.
If I Only Had Time.
You Don't Love Me.
One Good Reason.
How Low Is Low?
I Want You.
Till My Heart Stops Beating.
Unreal World.
Walking Talking Johnny Cash Blues.
Some Reaction.
A Big Bad Beautiful Noise.
This Is Your Life.
Feedbacking.
When Am I Coming Down?
I'm Unsatisfied.
Love Is Dead.
She Gives Me Love.
I Want Everything.
Let's Get Higher.
This Damn Nation.
Birth, School, Work, Death.

Promo Videos

A Big Bad Beautiful Noise.

Till My Heart Stops Beating.

You Don't Love Me.

A Big Bad Beautiful Noise - The Godfathers (2017)

🌟🌟🌟🌟

A Big Bad Beautiful Noise - The Godfathers

Metropolis/Cargo Records

Produced by Steve Crittall, Paul Robert Gray and The Godfathers

Released February 2017

Singles On A Big Bad Beautiful World

 A-Side: Rewind Time*

A-Side: Till My Heart Stops Beating

Released in June 2015

*Not included on the album

A-Side: You Don't Love Me

B-Side: Some Reaction

Released February 2017

7" Limited Edition Red Vinyl

A-Side: A Big Bad Beautiful Noise / You're So Slow

B-Side: Defibrillator (High Voltage Mix) / Human Zoo

Released as a Limited Editon 10" EP

June 2017

*******************

It's been four years since the last album Jukebox Fury and The Godfathers have already had a busy 2017 with the release of a single, an EP and a brand new spanking album entitled A Big Bad Beautiful Noise!

As seems to be the norm with The Godfathers  there have been changes in personnel as Chris Coyne left the band in 2016 ( other changes were made in 2014 and now the band only have one original member remaining in Peter Coyne) but that doesn't seem to have dampened their enthusiasm for playing big and loud rock and roll music.

The latest album sees them continuing in a similar vain to their previous albums giving us 11 slices of uncompromising rock and roll in their own characteristic style.

The Godfathers were always one of those bands that I thought deserved a wider hearing and greater success but maybe it is to their credit that they never became too huge as it's kept their feet firmly planted on the ground and they carry on delivering in live shows, no matter how small the stage (see below) and also on record.

The Godfathers - Live

9th February 2017

Middlesbrough

SETLIST:
Cause I Said So.
Defibrillator.
If I Only Had Time.
You Don't Love Me.
One Good Reason.
How Low Is Low?
I Want You.
Till My Heart Stops Beating.
Unreal World.
Walking Talking Johnny Cash Blues.
Some Reaction.
A Big Bad Beautiful Noise.
This Is Your Life.
Feedbacking.
When Am I Coming Down?
I'm Unsatisfied.
Love Is Dead.
She Gives Me Love.
I Want Everything.
Let's Get Higher.
This Damn Nation.
Birth, School, Work, Death.

The Soundtrack4Life Albums of the Year 2013

It's a tough choice this year thinking about what the possible favourite Album of the Year is. I started with a very long list and have edited it down to a bit of a shorter long list. Out of that I selected what I can consider to be my best of the year. I make no apologies for the choices because they are my choices. They may not have been the biggest selling albums or even by artists who are particularly "hip", but they are my choices. These are the things that excited me in music this year and as ever it is a nice mixture of different sounds that somehow have collided together give me a whole lot of joy.
Here's a Playlist of some of my favourites from the year including many that didn't quite make the Top Ten.

#10

Boz Scaggs - Memphis

 Click here to see a previous post where I spotlighted the 'Memphis' Album.

  #9

Eddie and the Hot Rods - Live at The Rainbow 1977

Previous Post relating to 'Live at The Rainbow 1977'.

#8

Jars of Clay - Inland

Click Here to Listen to the 'Inland' Album in Full.

A Brief History of Jars of Clay.

#7

Jelly - Troubadour, Wizard, The Queen and The Machine

Previous Post regarding Jelly.
 

#6

Various Artists - A Concert For Kirsty

Previous post regarding Kirsty MacColl that included a spotlight on this superb concert.

#5

The Godfathers - Jukebox Fury

Interview with Del Bartles of The Godfathers originally posted in March 2013.

 #4

The Strypes - Snapshot

Previous post relating to The Strypes.

#3

Tankus The Henge - The Last Days Are Coming.

Previous post spotlighting Tankus The Henge and this really exceptional album.

#2

John Fogerty - Wrote A Song For Everyone

Previous post from May 2013 spotlighting this brilliant album by a true Rock and Roll Legend.

#1

Ruts DC - Rhythm Collision Volume 2

 

Click Here to Listen to The Soundtrack4Life Album of The Year.

Previous Post spotlighting The Ruts DC Live.

Five Questions with Del Bartle of The Godfathers

Taking a very short breather from the tour with The Stranglers and out promoting the very brilliant new album by The Godfathers, Del Bartle (guitar and vocals) kindly took a moment to answer a few questions, much appreciated as well.

S4L: First new album for The Godfathers in years, how excited are you about finally getting it out?

Del: Well, i can't really comment on that as i wasn't working with them in 1995, but was chiefly working on the other side of the fence as it were at the time, for Joe Boyd and Co, at Rykodisc/Hannibal, although i did get involved in a few musical ventures in the 90s, including appearing alongside Christian Bale briefly and writing & performing music for the film 'Metroland' (in the guise of the spoof punk band The Subverts!) which was released in '98.

S4L: Does the new music stand up well against the backdrop of the older, classic Godfathers songs?
 
Del: Stand up? it's by far the best Godfathers album as far as i'm concerned ..... yes, i would say that, wouldn't i? lol 

S4L: Do you have any particular favourite off the new album that you think is received well when you play it live?
 
Del: Well, as i had a hand in every single track on the album, i don't really have any particular favourites. Although i think it's a bit of a pity that we are currently only playing four or five of the tracks from the new album, personally i would do more, especially 'Let Your Hair Hand Down' which may well be the next single.
  

 

Click Here to Watch a Live Version of The Current single 'I Can't Sleep Tonight'

S4L:You are out on tour with The Stranglers at the moment, do you find a lot of joy in the live experience seeing that you have been at it for many years?
 
Del: I always enjoy playing live so long as the band is rocking (which in most cases it is thankfully) whether it's in front of 3000 people, or in a pub to 30 people .... which is much harder to do, i may add! 

S4L: Why should people go out and buy 'Jukebox Fury'?

Del: Because for one thing, it's the first album by the core of The Sid Presley Experience, which is what the sound of this Godfathers is in reality. There is a great diversity of songs, and hopefully nothing that will lead listeners to the pub rock plodders conclusions, like previous Godfathers material has in some cases.

 If you get the chance to checkout the band live then do so here's the current tour information.

As for the album 'Jukebox Fury' Soundtrack4Life truly believes this is a wonderful work of quality rock and roll. If we had to give it marks out of ten then we could honestly say that we could do no better than give it eleven!
The Godfathers in 2013 deserve to be heard by many.

All pictures are curtesy of The Godfathers FB Page.

The Godfathers - Jukebox Fury Coming Soon!

To be released on 4th March 2013, the brand new album by The Godfathers.

They have just released a single from the forthcoming album (12th February 2013) entitled 'I Can't Sleep Tonight'.

Listen to 'I Can't Sleep Tonight' by clicking here.

Soundtrack4Life Albums of 2011 - Singles of the Year

I don't really buy singles so it's a rare moment to choose the Singles of the Year. There are two that make my list and I can't choose between what I like better so I will declare them both to be Single of the Year.

Gems From My Collection - The Godfathers

If there is one band that I really wished had made it to the big time it was The Godfathers. Back in the day they were a totally class act that made some of the finest rock and roll records that have ever been released in the UK.

I have a few albums of theirs. The debut 'Hit By Hit' is just classic and contains a number of their singles prior to signing to Epic Records. Included are 'Lonely Man', 'This Damn Nation', 'I Want Everything', 'I Want You' and a great version of 'Cold Turkey'. The reissue of the album contains a number of live tracks and studio sessions from the Janice Long Show and the Andy Kershaw Show (BBC Radio 1).

Lonely Man (Live in Kilburn 1989)



I Want Everything


This Damn Nation



I Want You



From the 'Birth, School, Work, Death' Album
Cause I Said So



Birth, School, Work, Death


She Gives Me Love

Unreal World


How Does It Feel To Feel (February 2010)



I'm Lost Then I'm Found


They are actually still around today strutting their stuff around the globe and from time to time releasing new material.

Back Into The Future (Live in Spain 2011)

Their latest single is called 'The Outsider' and is available from iTunes.

I Can't Sleep Tonight (Live in London 2010)