Restless - Originals Album

There is also a vinyl version available, bought one today. B side starts from "Runaway Train". Also cd songs 10 and 11 are different on vinyl (just noticed), on vinyl #10 is "I've Got To Pay The Man" and #11 is "Gonna Have Some Fun".

Don't have enough skills/time to take pictures and post this new format (sorry). Personally Resteless to is same as is 1st 2 albums, "Do you fell Restless" is in my personal top 5 albums. Had to buy this as "old-timers", "The Originals" came back to getter. Okay Do you fell Restless was published -84 so of course 30 years make different. But I was pleassed, some very nice songs where you can get a hunch what it was 30 years ago. It sure did good to old crew come back to getter and do some new music.

Looking these guys now, they look different (old). Looking myself 30 years ago I looked like Restless in 1984, now I look like Restelss 2015 :) Nice album all in all. Keep on rocking!

My review of 'originals'....
An unusual thing happened today. I had a cd delivered.
This is unusual because some years ago I realised I was addicted to buying music in all it's forms , LP, CD, download even old tapes. The problem was I didn't have time to listen to most of it and that negates the purpose of buying music doesn't it?
So I imposed a ban on myself and turned my attention to listening to all the music that was sitting waiting it's turn before my critical ear.
But today was different, because the CD in question was a restless CD and I had to lift my self imposed ban for this.
Seeing Restless for the first time over 30 years ago was a near spiritual experience, they challenged my core musical beliefs. Back then I believed that no modern band could even hope to create the excitement, performance and songwriting skill of the 1950s musical styles I loved so much.
However, Restless didn't recreate anything they were a hurricane of raw talent, energy, passion and originality. Sure, it was rockabilly, but unlike anything I had ever heard before . Some of it was cerebral too, not just 'bops' and 'hops' stuff.
Legendary status followed classic albums ' Why Don't You Just Rock ' 'Do You Feel Restless ' and 'After Midnight'....and of course , thousands of exciting, jam packed gigs all over the world to delirious fans ....
'After Midnight' was a devil and an angel for restless, a masterpiece in it's own right but disturbingly clever and 'poppy' for many fans.
Some people seem to think restless should have known their place and not tried to reach for the stars with smart lyrics and great melodies on After Midnight . But thankfully. they didn't listen and went even further with the 'Vanish Without a Trace' and 'Ice Cold' EPs lifting themselves to astonishingly sophisticated lyrics, melodies and musicianship.
Some good solid studio albums , such as 'Beat My Drum' 'Number Seven ', Movin On' and ' Figure It Out' are the highlights from Restless since those heady days of the first three masterpieces.
And here it is, November 2015, over 30 years after my life changing experience watching them play live : 'originals' an album made up of original tracks with the original line up of Mark Harman, Paul Harman and Ben Cooper.
Will this be a return to form? Proof that they are still the greatest band on earth? Or proof that they have lost their mojo permanently and must rely on past glories and 'greatest hits' setlists?
It's time to put the CD in and draw my critical dissection knife .
Don't Say It Unless You Will (Harman)
This is a heavy bluesy rockabilly number, packed with excitement and a slightly threatening tone. Lead guitar duties are given to Ben Cooper and as anyone who has heard his solo album knows , he is a surprisingly good player. This track could easily have fallen flat, with it's use of a stereotypical blues riff, but Restless nail it to the wall with originality , smart lyrics and tight playing 10/10
Get Away (Harman)
Possibly the first rockin' song about a stalker ! Following the previous earthquake of a track, this is a bright and catchy mid paced 'jiver'. The usual nifty lead breaks are present, along with pounding bass and tight drums . This album is shaping up to be something of a musical rollercoaster. The song has the classic Restless 'bridge' where the song abruptly changes key briefly. 9/10
I Wanna Get With You (Cooper)
Yet another twist and turn. This track is almost unbearably addictive. ' I ran through a forest fire just to feel the heat, I put my head in a drum just so I could feel the beat' highlight Restless intelligent and contemporary ability to write lyrics. A highly charged atmospheric number with a hypnotic acoustic guitar chord sequence. 10/10
The Fool (Harman)
Restless are not shying away from their melodic gift at all on this one , it's classic stuff and will give you an ear worm . If catchy riffs won awards , this track would have a cabinet full. Mark Harman has a gift for bringing songs of unrequited love to life and those classic 'bridges ' are just the ticket to convey the emotion in the song. You may have to pretend you have something in your eye if you listen to this in company. 10/10
Maraca Man (Harman)
Singing along with this one might get you out of breath it has a lot of lyrics!! Slightly reminiscent of Mexicali Baby in feel, a good track if not great . It doesn't particularly sound like Restless, more like every track on a Darrel Higham LP 7/10
Rat-A-Tat-Tat (Cooper)
I didn't like this at first ,but it grew on me , it's a little bit guilty of a clichéd sound, but it's well carved slap bass and start/stop nature, make it very appealing . I could imagine finding this track on an Imperial Rockabillies LP in 1983 8/10
Runaway Train (Cooper)
Do we need another song about a train? Definitely not!
However, this driving happy song had me smiling from ear to ear. Restless have lost none of their ability to pen 'singalong' songs, ' better hold on, hold on tight' . It's a good example of great songwriting, it sounds fairly standard until the line 'I don't know if I will leave this train alive' suddenly takes the song in a different direction. The guitar solo made me smile too, it's very knowing and felt like it was almost singing along. 10/10
I Want it All (Harman)
This track has a little breakdown that made me think of ' I Need Your Love Tonight' . It has a great key change and it's classic Restless in a country flavour, with some great lines like 'I don't want something, I want it all'. Mark Harman proves again he is a master of writing about matters of the heart. 10/10
Travelling Man (Cooper)
I was surprised by the inclusion of this track as I'm sure I have heard it before. A slightly odd vocal that left me wondering who was singing. Either Ben Cooper is singing a line or Mark Harman is taking his voice off. It's a strangely relaxing song and as you will have been dancing like a maniac for the last 8 tracks, this would be a good opportunity to rest , especially given what's coming next. 7/10
You Drive Me Insane (Harman)
A very early Live track, as far as I know it has never had a studio recording before. If you are not jumping around like a lunatic to this slice of rockabilly madness, then rockabilly isn't the music for you. Plenty of Mark Harman's mind boggling guitar playing in this one. 10/10
You Know It Ain't Right (Cooper)
Killer riff and a fluid and very tricky brief solo (I tried, it's too fast! Mind you, almost everything Mark Harman plays is too fast, too complex or both ) This is real peacock strutting stuff , listen to this if you want to feel like the cat that got the cream. Mark Harman's laughter on the track made me wonder if he was thinking ' damn, were good', I was certainly thinking it. 10/10
Some Folk (Harman)
This is the type of track that really suits Mark Harman's voice, he effortlessly hits the high notes. The song is possibly about parental love and guidance. This song is simply beautiful, cerebral and magnificently textured. 10/10
The album is well produced with a nice lightness of touch, no heavy compression or glaringly obvious production techniques found on many an album these days . The backing vocals are excellent and add quality.
The musicianship is , of course, first class, Mark Harman's unique and first class guitar playing is matched by his brother Paul's effortless and highly skilled bass playing. Ben Cooper is the most natural of drummers and really gets inside the songs. These are obviously people that should play together.
This is undoubtedly the best album since the original three classics and I am delighted to have broken my self imposed buying ban to get it. Restless have not lost their mojo, they have it in spades.
Given their achievements in terms of songwriting, musicianship and performances over 30 plus years, I don't need to hesitate in saying that Restless are the greatest neo (yes I know some of you balk at that word) band of all time and this album is further proof of that.
It's proven all too common to be hailed as a great artist in contemporary rockin' music providing you look and sound like a walking cliche, play it safe and smile in the right places.
Restless have always taken huge risks, writing fresh, original and contemporary material, whilst still rockin 'the roof off. Even their dress sense from pyjamas to the indescribably weird 'After Midnight' clothes were original and in the conservative world of rockin' music, incredibly risky.
I hope that Restless continue to record in their original line up, Ben Cooper is a great songwriter and compliments Mark Harman's writing perfectly. There have been numerous line ups over the years, all of them excellent in my opinion, but the combination of Mark, Ben and Paul remains special .
I will finish my review by quoting a lyric from ' I wanna Get With You', that sums up this album:
'I climbed up a mountain, just to get right to the top'
They certainly have ! Bill Jones.