If you’ve been living under a rock and haven’t heard about the thriving punk scene that exists in Chiba, Japan then check out the excellent Private Scandal fanzine. Based in Corby, United Kingdom, Private Scandal also put out the occasional CD-R the latest of which is The Mr’s You Are Just R&R Backer.
Opening to a wall of glorious feedback Eat My Head is the raucous opener that finds The Mr hitting the ground running to deliver the perfect slab of punk rock. It’s a musical tornado that’s sure to pull the unwary into its swirling vortex which is full of angular guitars, call back vocals and detonating drums. If that all leaves you a bit dizzy then hold on tight because Kick & Kick follows hot on its heels. Rolling along on a bed of chromatic scales it’s a skateboarders dream and seems tailor-made for half pipes and backflips.
Reminding of Black Flag’s Nervous Breakdown, both sonically and energy-wise, Communication Me contains all sorts of goodness and delivers them with a series of punches to the solar plexus. With no signs of slowing down, Tonosama has a slightly 50’s rock n’ roll vibe but it’s delivered in The Mr’s own inimitable style. Like Generation X performing King Rocker…only amped up to 11, Tonosama hasn’t come to take prisoners.
Film is the type of punk song that dreams are made of and there’s something about it that suggests you randomly smash up your surroundings. Backr (subtitled Chiba old age rocker fuck off!!) is a brutal piece of music that contains lots off sonic shifts that’ll make the musical uncouth queasy before Cheap brings this set to a furious conclusion in a 90-second blast off fury.
Originally recorded in 1996, You Are Just R&R Backer finally gets a physical reissue and comes highly recommended for punk purists.
You Are Just R&R Backer Tracklisting:
1. Eat My Head
2. Kick & Kick
3. Communication Me
4. Tonosama
5. Film
6. Backr (Chiba old age rocker fuck off!!)
7. Cheap
