No.57 - ‘Roll On’ by The Living End (2000)

“Fighting for peace with no identity, I know I speak for those around me; Calling you out, all of your plans will be washed away, washed away; Life is a sin, living to win, and we're all sinners after all…”

I first came across the Living End from colleagues in my short lived career as a theatre technician. The thought of a punk rock band with upright bass player certainly did tickle the fancy parts of my ears. Roll On was the first album i owned by the band and has remained my pick of a good bunch.

The Living End are punk rockabilly band. Think Green Day, The Stray Cats and The Clash placed in a beautiful blender of goodness; Welcome to Strut Paradise Calling. In fact the vocals are incredibly Billy Joe-esque in tone and melody, but the energy and bounce to these songs mark a notable difference between the bands, especially the wide use of rockabilly rhythms. 

Each talented musician shines and the songwriting is most excellent. The guitar playing is sublime, with superb over the top, yet very tasteful solos, and a rhythm that keeps songs rock solid. The drums have the space to have their moments, but switch between punk rock and rockabilly with great attention to detail. You do often forget you’re listening to an upright bass due to how sweetly it fits the punk rock songs until you hear the rattle and slap of the strings on the fretless fretboard. 

A personal favourite song is the slower (to begin with) dub-tinged punkabilly track, ‘Blood On Your Hands’. It really sums up all the range of themes this album throws at you and features some simple but effective brass accompaniment. These guys are so good, and as a punk rock fan, it’s an incredibly enjoyable listen.

The Living End formed in 1994, Australia. They have released eight studio albums, two of which topped the Australian album charts. ‘Roll On’ peaked at No.8 and went double platinum. The album has been released on vinyl, and I’m in the lookout for the red coloured re-release

Favourite songs -  Blood On Your Hands, Riot On Broadway, Roll On, Staring At The Light

Other great albums - The Living End (1998), White Noise (2008)



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