No.87 - ‘Good Luck’ by Big D And The Kids Table (1999)

“As the pendulum is swinging, from side to side i often wonder;
Why that the things that mean the most to me, can never be; I cut my losses and move forward…”

 

I came into possession of ‘Mail Order Is Still Fun’, a CD compilation of bands on the Asian Man Records label. The first track was ‘Myself’ and the description read “10 piece ska punk band”.  Those words alone got me very interested in Big D And The Kids Table.

This album reminds me of the early days of writing ska punk songs for my old band Blunt Skulls. We were ridiculing our old neighbour, a particular bus route that ran from Lewisham to Orpington and the pop music of the early 2000s. We were young and having fun. 

And a lot of these songs have that same feel. A good load of hectic ska, mixed with punk and hardcore. Almost every song crams all 3 genres into one, which leaves a rather enjoyable experience. The vocals take a unique turn in being more spoken word than singing, which really sets them apart from a lot of other ska punk bands.

But the brass compositions mixed with the driving guitars are what make this album sound so good. Two tenor saxophones, trombone, trumpet and trumpet/valve trombone player, with not the simplest of compositions/pace to keep up with, give us an explosion of sound to listen to - and it’s exciting and pleasing on the ears…for me anyway! The perfect album to bruise your mate’s shins whilst skanking in a packed crowd up at the Garage or the Tunbridge Wells Forum.

Big D, from Boston, formed in 1995, and Good Luck was their first full length studio album. This album earned them the award for ‘Outstanding Ska Band’ at the 1999 Boston Music Awards. They have since toured regularly with punk bands including being regulars on the Warped Tour.

Good Luck is released on vinyl and I hope to add it to my collection at some point.

Favourite songs -  Myself, Take Another Look, 5 Kids Down

Other favourite albums - The Gipsy Hill LP