DR. FEELGOOD
''TAKING NO PRISONERS (WITH GYPIE 1977-1981), DISC TWO''
JUNE 25 2013
298:44
DISC ONE (76:34)
1 Ninety Nine and a Half (Won't Do) (Steve Cropper) 03:06
2 She's a Wind Up (Lee Brilleaux, John Martin, John Mayo, John Sparks) 01:58
3 I Thought I Had It Made (Lee Brilleaux, John Mayo) 02:13
4 I Don't Wanna Know (Lee Brilleaux, John Mayo) 02:40
5 That It, I Quit (Nick Lowe) 02:32
6 As Long As the Price Is Right (Larry Wallis) 03:07
7 Hi-Rise (John Mayo) 02:35
8 My Buddy Buddy Friends (Aaron Corthon) 02:43
9 Baby Jane (Lonnie Simons, Ronnie Wilson) 02:56
10 The Blues Had a Baby and They Named It Rock 'N' Roll (No 2) (Brownie McGhee, Mckinley Morganfield) 02:18
11 Looking Back (Johnny ''Guitar'' Watson) 01:58
12 60 Minutes of Your Love (Isaac Hayes, David Porter) 02:22
13 Down at the Doctors (Mickey Jupp) 03:13
14 Every Kind of Vice (Lee Brilleaux, John Mayo) 03:21
15 Things Get Better (Steve Cropper, Eddie Floyd, Al Jackson Jr.) 02:20
16 Milk and Alcohol (Nick Lowe, John Mayo) 02:48
17 Night Time (Bob Feldman, Jerry Goldstein, Richard Gottehrer) 05:21
18 Let's Have a Party (Clifford Friend, Haymes) 02:32
19 Take a Tip (Nick Lowe, John Mayo) 04:16
20 It Wasn't Me (Nick Lowe, John Mayo) 02:58
21 Greaseball (John Mayo) 03:48
22 Sugar Shaker (Lee Brilleaux, John Mayo, John Sparks) 04:43
23 As Long As the Price Is Right (Second Version) (Larry Willis) 03:14
24 Down at the (Other) Doctors (Mickey Jupp) 03:48
25 Riding On the L & N (Demo Version) (Lionel Hampton) 03:30
DISC TWO (75:33)
1 Java Blue (Grogan) 04:26
2 Feels Good (John Mayo, Pete Wingfield) 03:21
3 Put Him Out of Your Mind (John Mayo, Mike Vernon) 03:47
4 Bend Your Ear (Lee Brilleaux, John Mayo) 04:01
5 Hong Kong Money (Lee Brilleaux, John Martin, John Mayo, John Sparks, Pete Wingfield) 04:33
6 Keeka Smeeka (John Mayo) 03:59
7 Shotgun Blues (Lee Brilleaux, John Martin, John Mayo, John Sparks) 06:25
8 Pretty Face ((Daneski, Worman, Boyle, Sandall) 02:32
9 Riding On the L & N (Lionel Hampton) 03:30
10 Drop Everything and Run (Pete Wingfield) 03:15
11 Jumping from Love to Love (Lee Brilleaux, Bat Fasterly, John Martin, John Mayo, John Sparks) 02:48
12 Going Some Place Else (Larry Wallis) 02:14
13 Best in the World (Nick Lowe) 02:31
14 Punch Drunk (Lee Brilleaux, John Martin, John Mayo, John Sparks, Larry Wallis) 02:41
15 King for a Day (Lee Brilleaux, John Martin, John Mayo, John Sparks, Larry Wallis) 02:03
16 Violent Love (Otis Rush) 02:17
17 No Mo Do Yakamo (Tim Krekel) 02:12
18 Love Hound (Linde, Rush) 02:57
19 Who's Winning (Lee Brilleaux, Nick Lowe, John Martin, John Mayo, John Sparks) 02:09
20 Coming to You (Lee Brilleaux, John Mayo) 02:44
21 Drives Me Wild (Lee Brilleaux, John Martin, John Mayo, John Sparks) 02:21
22 Case of the Shakes (Lee Brilleaux, Bat Fasterly, John Mayo) 02:54
23 Waiting for Saturday Night (John Crippen, Dave Tice) 03:09
24 Eileen (John Crippen, Dave Tice) 02:33
DISC THREE (77:47)
- LIVE AT THE PADDOCKS, CANVEY ISLAND, 10TH JUNE 1977
1 You'll Be Mine (Willie Dixon) 02:54
2 My Buddy Buddy Friends (Aaron Corthon) 02:49
3 Looking Back (Johnny ''Guitar'' Watson) 02:29
4 Homework (A. Perkins, D. Clark) 02:22
5 You Upset Me Baby (B.B. King, J. Taub) 04:23
6 Hey Mama Keep Your Big Mouth Shut (Ellis McDaniel aka Bo Diddley) 03:50
7 Cheque Book (Mickey Jupp) 03:49
8 Back in the Night (Wilko Johnson) 03:12
9 Lucky Seven (Keith ''Lew'' Lewis) 02:34
10 Lights Out (David, Mac Rebennack aka Dr. John) 03:32
11 Sneakin' Suspicion (Wilko Johnson) 03:12
12 Great Balls of Fire (Hammer, Blackwell) 02:12
- LIVE AT THE PAVILLION, HEMEL HEMPSTEAD
13 Take a Tip (Lee Brilleaux, John Mayo) 02:50
14 Every Kind of Vice (Lee Brilleaux, John Mayo) 03:20
15 Down at the Doctors (Mickey Jupp) 02:54
16 Baby Jane (Lonnie Simmons, Ronnie Wilson) 02:51
17 Sugar Shaker (Lee Brilleaux, John Mayo, John Sparks) 03:49
18 Things Get Better (Steve Cropper, Eddie Floyd, Al Jackson Jr.) 02:11
19 She's a Wind Up (Lee Brilleaux, John Martin, John Mayo, John Sparks) 02:00
- LIVE AT CROCS, RAYLEIGH, ESSEX
20 Ninety Nine and a Half (Won't Do) (Steve Cropper) 03:09
21 My Buddy Buddy Friends (Aaron Corthon) 03:11
22 Milk and Alcohol (Nick Lowe, John Mayo) 02:55
23 Matchbox (Traditional) 02:51
24 As Long As the Price Is Right (Larry Wallis) 03:56
25 Night Time (Bob Feldman, Jerry Goldstein, Richard Gottehrer) 04:19
DISC FOUR (68:50)
- LIVE AT CROCS, RAYLEIGH, ESSEX
1 Riot in Cell Block Number Nine (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller) 04:01
2 Blues Had a Baby and They Named It Rock 'N' Roll (Brownie McGhee, McKinley Morganfield) 02:34
- LIVE AT THE PAVILLION, HEMEL HEMPSTEAD
3 Lights Out (David, Mac Rebbenack) 02:26
4 Great Balls of Fire (Hammer, Blackwell) 02:06
5 Looking Back (Johnny ''Guitar'' Watson) 02:03
6 Going Back Home (Wilko Johnson, Mick Green) 03:27
7 Stupidity (Salomon Burke) 02:30
8 I Thought I Had It Made (Lee Brilleaux, John Mayo) 02:31
9 Shotgun Blues (John Mayo, Lee Brilleaux, John Sparks, John Martin) 04:50
10 Roxette (Wilko Johnson) 02:33
11 Johnny B. Goode (Chuck Bery) 04:25
- LIVE AT MANCHESTER UNIVERSITY
12 Drives Me Wild (Bat Fasterly, Lee Brilleaux, John Sparks, John Martin, John Mayo) 02:47
13 Java Blue (Grogan) 03:57
14 Jumping from Love to Love (Bat Fasterly, Lee Brilleaux, John Sparks, John Martin, John Mayo) 03:05
15 Pretty Face ((Daneski, Worman, Boyle, Sandall) 02:43
16 No Mo Do Yakamo (Tim Krekel) 02:06
17 Love Hound (Linde, Rush) 02:59
18 Best in the World (Nick Lowe) 02:31
19 Who's Winning (Nick Lowe, Lee Brilleaux, John Sparks, John Martin, John Mayo) 02:09
20 Riding On the L & N (Lionel Hampton) 03:20
21 A Case of the Shakes (Lee Brilleaux, Bat Fasterly, John Mayo) 03:06
22 Shotgun Blues (Lee Brilleaux, John Martin, John Mayo, John Sparks) 05:48
23 Goodnight Vienna (Lee Brilleaux, John Martin, John Mayo, John Sparks) 00:42
REVIEW
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine / AMG
Contrary to the impression left by the 2012 box set All Through the City (or even the stellar Julian Temple doc Oil City Confidential), Dr. Feelgood didn't throw in the towel after guitarist Wilko Johnson left the group. They hired Gypie Mayo, then set back out on the road. Over the next four years, the Feelgoods cranked out four studio albums (Be Seeing You, Private Practice, Let It Roll, A Case of the Shakes) and two live LPs (As It Happens, On the Job), all of which are gathered here, along with a bevy of rarities (a full, unreleased live set from Canvey Island in June 1977, seven live cuts from 1978, the final UA single "Waiting for Saturday Night"/"Eileen," and the EP that came along with As It Happens) on 2013's Taking No Prisoners (With Gypie 1977-1981), a four-CD/one-DVD set that documents what amounts to the band's one true stab at crossover success. Dr. Feelgood didn't change their sound at all -- under the direction of lead singer Lee Brilleaux, the group remained indebted to hard R&B, blues, and early British Invasion rock & roll -- but the feel was decidedly different. Without Wilko, the Feelgoods were lighter, tossing aside the tightly coiled menace for a bright, cheerful party. Brilleaux's growl still could seem nasty, especially when he was on-stage (the two live albums hit harder than the studio albums yet never slash like the classic 1976 Stupidity), but the chemistry had shifted, turning Feelgoods into something resembling a good-time party band. Along with the changing mindset came an expanded sonic palette, with horns and keyboards making an appearance alongside a host of other expansive studio tricks. Kindred spirit Nick Lowe gave the band a song called "Milk & Alcohol" in 1979, a tune that turned into their only Top 10 hit, then he produced A Case of the Shakes in 1980, and there are times that the color and vibe of these EMI recordings brings to mind Rockpile, particularly as they have just the slightest high-gloss veneer and an easy embrace of hooks, but the group remains a driving rock & roll band, not a pop group, not even when the label or producer pushed them in that direction. This loose adoption of fashion does mean the music on Taking No Prisoners feels tangentially new wave, which is a large part of this music's appeal; it's not starkly timeless like All Through the City, but rather slightly trashy, the threads effortlessly evoking the time. But that's the fun, to hear the Feelgoods stretch out, flirt with pop, and find a comfortable groove they could ride for years. This music has gotten short shrift, as it was always compared to the Wilko Johnson years, but heard on its own terms, it's a tremendously fun collection of bright, raucous rock & roll.
BIOGRAPHY
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine / AMG
Dr. Feelgood was the ultimate working band. From their formation in 1971 to lead vocalist Lee Brilleaux's untimely death in 1994, the band never left the road, playing hundreds of gigs every year. Throughout their entire career, Dr. Feelgood never left simple, hard-driving rock & roll behind, and their devotion to the blues and R&B earned them a devoted fan base. That following first emerged in the mid-'70s, when Dr. Feelgood became the leader of the second wave of pub rockers. Unlike Brinsley Schwarz, the laid-back leaders of the pub rock scene, Dr. Feelgood was devoted to edgy, Stonesy rock & roll, and their sweaty live shows -- powered by Brilleaux's intense singing and guitarist Wilko Johnson's muscular leads -- became legendary. While the group's stripped-down, energetic sound paved the way for English punk rock in the late '70s, their back-to-basics style was overshadowed by the dominance of punk and new wave, and the group had retreated to cult status by the early '80s.
Brilleaux (vocals, harmonica), Johnson (guitar), and John B. Sparks (bass) had all played in several blues-based bar bands around Canvey Island, England before forming Dr. Feelgood in 1971. Taking their name from a Johnny Kidd & the Pirates song, the group was dedicated to playing old-fashioned R&B and rock & roll, including both covers and originals by Johnson. John Martin (drums), a former member of Finian's Rainbow, was added to the lineup, and the group began playing the pub rock circuit. By the end of 1973, Dr. Feelgood's dynamic live act had made them the most popular group on the pub rock circuit, and several labels were interested in signing them. They settled for United Artists, and they released their debut album, Down by the Jetty, in 1974.
According to legend, Down by the Jetty was recorded in mono and consisted almost entirely of first takes. While it was in fact recorded in stereo, the rumor added significantly to Dr. Feelgood's purist image, and the album became a cult hit. The following year, the group released Malpractice -- also their first U.S. release -- which climbed into the U.K. Top 20 on the strength of the band's live performances and positive reviews. In 1976, the band released the live album Stupidity, which became a smash hit in Britain, topping the album charts. Despite its thriving British success, Dr. Feelgood was unable to find an audience in the States. One other American album, Sneakin' Suspicion, followed in 1977 before the band gave up on the States; they never released another record in the U.S.
Sneakin' Suspicion didn't replicate the success of Stupidity, partially because of its slick production, but mainly because the flourishing punk rock movement overshadowed Dr. Feelgood's edgy roots rock. Wilko Johnson left the band at the end of 1977 to form the Solid Senders; he later joined Ian Dury's Blockheads. Henry McCullough played on Feelgood's 1977 tour before John "Gypie" Mayo became the group's full-time lead guitarist. Nick Lowe produced 1978's Be Seeing You, Mayo's full-length debut with Dr. Feelgood. The album generated the 1979 Top Ten hit "Milk and Alcohol," as well as the Top 40 hit "As Long as the Price Is Right." Two albums, As It Happens and Let It Roll, followed in 1979, and Mayo left the band in 1980. He was replaced by Johnny Guitar in 1980, who debuted on A Case of the Shakes, which was also produced by Nick Lowe.
During their first decade together, Dr. Feelgood never left the road, which was part of the reason founding members John Martin and John Sparks left the band in 1982. Lee Brilleaux replaced them with Buzz Barwell and Pat McMullen, and continued touring. Throughout the '80s, Brilleaux continued to lead various incarnations of Dr. Feelgood, settling on the rhythm section of bassist Phil Mitchell and drummer Kevin Morris in the mid-'80s. The band occasionally made records -- including Brilleaux, one of the last albums on Stiff Records, in 1976 -- but concentrated primarily on live performances. Dr. Feelgood continued to perform to large audiences into the early '90s, when Brilleaux was struck by cancer. He died in April of 1994, three months after he recorded the band's final album, Down at the Doctor's. The remaining members of Dr. Feelgood hired vocalist Pete Gage and continued to tour under the band's name. Former Feelgoods Gypie Mayo, John Sparks, and John Martin formed the Practice in the mid-'80s, and they occasionally performed under the name Dr. Feelgood's Practice.
OFFICIAL SITE
1 Ninety Nine and a Half (Won't Do) (Steve Cropper) 03:06
2 She's a Wind Up (Lee Brilleaux, John Martin, John Mayo, John Sparks) 01:58
3 I Thought I Had It Made (Lee Brilleaux, John Mayo) 02:13
4 I Don't Wanna Know (Lee Brilleaux, John Mayo) 02:40
5 That It, I Quit (Nick Lowe) 02:32
6 As Long As the Price Is Right (Larry Wallis) 03:07
7 Hi-Rise (John Mayo) 02:35
8 My Buddy Buddy Friends (Aaron Corthon) 02:43
9 Baby Jane (Lonnie Simons, Ronnie Wilson) 02:56
10 The Blues Had a Baby and They Named It Rock 'N' Roll (No 2) (Brownie McGhee, Mckinley Morganfield) 02:18
11 Looking Back (Johnny ''Guitar'' Watson) 01:58
12 60 Minutes of Your Love (Isaac Hayes, David Porter) 02:22
13 Down at the Doctors (Mickey Jupp) 03:13
14 Every Kind of Vice (Lee Brilleaux, John Mayo) 03:21
15 Things Get Better (Steve Cropper, Eddie Floyd, Al Jackson Jr.) 02:20
16 Milk and Alcohol (Nick Lowe, John Mayo) 02:48
17 Night Time (Bob Feldman, Jerry Goldstein, Richard Gottehrer) 05:21
18 Let's Have a Party (Clifford Friend, Haymes) 02:32
19 Take a Tip (Nick Lowe, John Mayo) 04:16
20 It Wasn't Me (Nick Lowe, John Mayo) 02:58
21 Greaseball (John Mayo) 03:48
22 Sugar Shaker (Lee Brilleaux, John Mayo, John Sparks) 04:43
23 As Long As the Price Is Right (Second Version) (Larry Willis) 03:14
24 Down at the (Other) Doctors (Mickey Jupp) 03:48
25 Riding On the L & N (Demo Version) (Lionel Hampton) 03:30
DISC TWO (75:33)
1 Java Blue (Grogan) 04:26
2 Feels Good (John Mayo, Pete Wingfield) 03:21
3 Put Him Out of Your Mind (John Mayo, Mike Vernon) 03:47
4 Bend Your Ear (Lee Brilleaux, John Mayo) 04:01
5 Hong Kong Money (Lee Brilleaux, John Martin, John Mayo, John Sparks, Pete Wingfield) 04:33
6 Keeka Smeeka (John Mayo) 03:59
7 Shotgun Blues (Lee Brilleaux, John Martin, John Mayo, John Sparks) 06:25
8 Pretty Face ((Daneski, Worman, Boyle, Sandall) 02:32
9 Riding On the L & N (Lionel Hampton) 03:30
10 Drop Everything and Run (Pete Wingfield) 03:15
11 Jumping from Love to Love (Lee Brilleaux, Bat Fasterly, John Martin, John Mayo, John Sparks) 02:48
12 Going Some Place Else (Larry Wallis) 02:14
13 Best in the World (Nick Lowe) 02:31
14 Punch Drunk (Lee Brilleaux, John Martin, John Mayo, John Sparks, Larry Wallis) 02:41
15 King for a Day (Lee Brilleaux, John Martin, John Mayo, John Sparks, Larry Wallis) 02:03
16 Violent Love (Otis Rush) 02:17
17 No Mo Do Yakamo (Tim Krekel) 02:12
18 Love Hound (Linde, Rush) 02:57
19 Who's Winning (Lee Brilleaux, Nick Lowe, John Martin, John Mayo, John Sparks) 02:09
20 Coming to You (Lee Brilleaux, John Mayo) 02:44
21 Drives Me Wild (Lee Brilleaux, John Martin, John Mayo, John Sparks) 02:21
22 Case of the Shakes (Lee Brilleaux, Bat Fasterly, John Mayo) 02:54
23 Waiting for Saturday Night (John Crippen, Dave Tice) 03:09
24 Eileen (John Crippen, Dave Tice) 02:33
DISC THREE (77:47)
- LIVE AT THE PADDOCKS, CANVEY ISLAND, 10TH JUNE 1977
1 You'll Be Mine (Willie Dixon) 02:54
2 My Buddy Buddy Friends (Aaron Corthon) 02:49
3 Looking Back (Johnny ''Guitar'' Watson) 02:29
4 Homework (A. Perkins, D. Clark) 02:22
5 You Upset Me Baby (B.B. King, J. Taub) 04:23
6 Hey Mama Keep Your Big Mouth Shut (Ellis McDaniel aka Bo Diddley) 03:50
7 Cheque Book (Mickey Jupp) 03:49
8 Back in the Night (Wilko Johnson) 03:12
9 Lucky Seven (Keith ''Lew'' Lewis) 02:34
10 Lights Out (David, Mac Rebennack aka Dr. John) 03:32
11 Sneakin' Suspicion (Wilko Johnson) 03:12
12 Great Balls of Fire (Hammer, Blackwell) 02:12
- LIVE AT THE PAVILLION, HEMEL HEMPSTEAD
13 Take a Tip (Lee Brilleaux, John Mayo) 02:50
14 Every Kind of Vice (Lee Brilleaux, John Mayo) 03:20
15 Down at the Doctors (Mickey Jupp) 02:54
16 Baby Jane (Lonnie Simmons, Ronnie Wilson) 02:51
17 Sugar Shaker (Lee Brilleaux, John Mayo, John Sparks) 03:49
18 Things Get Better (Steve Cropper, Eddie Floyd, Al Jackson Jr.) 02:11
19 She's a Wind Up (Lee Brilleaux, John Martin, John Mayo, John Sparks) 02:00
- LIVE AT CROCS, RAYLEIGH, ESSEX
20 Ninety Nine and a Half (Won't Do) (Steve Cropper) 03:09
21 My Buddy Buddy Friends (Aaron Corthon) 03:11
22 Milk and Alcohol (Nick Lowe, John Mayo) 02:55
23 Matchbox (Traditional) 02:51
24 As Long As the Price Is Right (Larry Wallis) 03:56
25 Night Time (Bob Feldman, Jerry Goldstein, Richard Gottehrer) 04:19
DISC FOUR (68:50)
- LIVE AT CROCS, RAYLEIGH, ESSEX
1 Riot in Cell Block Number Nine (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller) 04:01
2 Blues Had a Baby and They Named It Rock 'N' Roll (Brownie McGhee, McKinley Morganfield) 02:34
- LIVE AT THE PAVILLION, HEMEL HEMPSTEAD
3 Lights Out (David, Mac Rebbenack) 02:26
4 Great Balls of Fire (Hammer, Blackwell) 02:06
5 Looking Back (Johnny ''Guitar'' Watson) 02:03
6 Going Back Home (Wilko Johnson, Mick Green) 03:27
7 Stupidity (Salomon Burke) 02:30
8 I Thought I Had It Made (Lee Brilleaux, John Mayo) 02:31
9 Shotgun Blues (John Mayo, Lee Brilleaux, John Sparks, John Martin) 04:50
10 Roxette (Wilko Johnson) 02:33
11 Johnny B. Goode (Chuck Bery) 04:25
- LIVE AT MANCHESTER UNIVERSITY
12 Drives Me Wild (Bat Fasterly, Lee Brilleaux, John Sparks, John Martin, John Mayo) 02:47
13 Java Blue (Grogan) 03:57
14 Jumping from Love to Love (Bat Fasterly, Lee Brilleaux, John Sparks, John Martin, John Mayo) 03:05
15 Pretty Face ((Daneski, Worman, Boyle, Sandall) 02:43
16 No Mo Do Yakamo (Tim Krekel) 02:06
17 Love Hound (Linde, Rush) 02:59
18 Best in the World (Nick Lowe) 02:31
19 Who's Winning (Nick Lowe, Lee Brilleaux, John Sparks, John Martin, John Mayo) 02:09
20 Riding On the L & N (Lionel Hampton) 03:20
21 A Case of the Shakes (Lee Brilleaux, Bat Fasterly, John Mayo) 03:06
22 Shotgun Blues (Lee Brilleaux, John Martin, John Mayo, John Sparks) 05:48
23 Goodnight Vienna (Lee Brilleaux, John Martin, John Mayo, John Sparks) 00:42
REVIEW
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine / AMG
Contrary to the impression left by the 2012 box set All Through the City (or even the stellar Julian Temple doc Oil City Confidential), Dr. Feelgood didn't throw in the towel after guitarist Wilko Johnson left the group. They hired Gypie Mayo, then set back out on the road. Over the next four years, the Feelgoods cranked out four studio albums (Be Seeing You, Private Practice, Let It Roll, A Case of the Shakes) and two live LPs (As It Happens, On the Job), all of which are gathered here, along with a bevy of rarities (a full, unreleased live set from Canvey Island in June 1977, seven live cuts from 1978, the final UA single "Waiting for Saturday Night"/"Eileen," and the EP that came along with As It Happens) on 2013's Taking No Prisoners (With Gypie 1977-1981), a four-CD/one-DVD set that documents what amounts to the band's one true stab at crossover success. Dr. Feelgood didn't change their sound at all -- under the direction of lead singer Lee Brilleaux, the group remained indebted to hard R&B, blues, and early British Invasion rock & roll -- but the feel was decidedly different. Without Wilko, the Feelgoods were lighter, tossing aside the tightly coiled menace for a bright, cheerful party. Brilleaux's growl still could seem nasty, especially when he was on-stage (the two live albums hit harder than the studio albums yet never slash like the classic 1976 Stupidity), but the chemistry had shifted, turning Feelgoods into something resembling a good-time party band. Along with the changing mindset came an expanded sonic palette, with horns and keyboards making an appearance alongside a host of other expansive studio tricks. Kindred spirit Nick Lowe gave the band a song called "Milk & Alcohol" in 1979, a tune that turned into their only Top 10 hit, then he produced A Case of the Shakes in 1980, and there are times that the color and vibe of these EMI recordings brings to mind Rockpile, particularly as they have just the slightest high-gloss veneer and an easy embrace of hooks, but the group remains a driving rock & roll band, not a pop group, not even when the label or producer pushed them in that direction. This loose adoption of fashion does mean the music on Taking No Prisoners feels tangentially new wave, which is a large part of this music's appeal; it's not starkly timeless like All Through the City, but rather slightly trashy, the threads effortlessly evoking the time. But that's the fun, to hear the Feelgoods stretch out, flirt with pop, and find a comfortable groove they could ride for years. This music has gotten short shrift, as it was always compared to the Wilko Johnson years, but heard on its own terms, it's a tremendously fun collection of bright, raucous rock & roll.
BIOGRAPHY
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine / AMG
Dr. Feelgood was the ultimate working band. From their formation in 1971 to lead vocalist Lee Brilleaux's untimely death in 1994, the band never left the road, playing hundreds of gigs every year. Throughout their entire career, Dr. Feelgood never left simple, hard-driving rock & roll behind, and their devotion to the blues and R&B earned them a devoted fan base. That following first emerged in the mid-'70s, when Dr. Feelgood became the leader of the second wave of pub rockers. Unlike Brinsley Schwarz, the laid-back leaders of the pub rock scene, Dr. Feelgood was devoted to edgy, Stonesy rock & roll, and their sweaty live shows -- powered by Brilleaux's intense singing and guitarist Wilko Johnson's muscular leads -- became legendary. While the group's stripped-down, energetic sound paved the way for English punk rock in the late '70s, their back-to-basics style was overshadowed by the dominance of punk and new wave, and the group had retreated to cult status by the early '80s.
Brilleaux (vocals, harmonica), Johnson (guitar), and John B. Sparks (bass) had all played in several blues-based bar bands around Canvey Island, England before forming Dr. Feelgood in 1971. Taking their name from a Johnny Kidd & the Pirates song, the group was dedicated to playing old-fashioned R&B and rock & roll, including both covers and originals by Johnson. John Martin (drums), a former member of Finian's Rainbow, was added to the lineup, and the group began playing the pub rock circuit. By the end of 1973, Dr. Feelgood's dynamic live act had made them the most popular group on the pub rock circuit, and several labels were interested in signing them. They settled for United Artists, and they released their debut album, Down by the Jetty, in 1974.
According to legend, Down by the Jetty was recorded in mono and consisted almost entirely of first takes. While it was in fact recorded in stereo, the rumor added significantly to Dr. Feelgood's purist image, and the album became a cult hit. The following year, the group released Malpractice -- also their first U.S. release -- which climbed into the U.K. Top 20 on the strength of the band's live performances and positive reviews. In 1976, the band released the live album Stupidity, which became a smash hit in Britain, topping the album charts. Despite its thriving British success, Dr. Feelgood was unable to find an audience in the States. One other American album, Sneakin' Suspicion, followed in 1977 before the band gave up on the States; they never released another record in the U.S.
Sneakin' Suspicion didn't replicate the success of Stupidity, partially because of its slick production, but mainly because the flourishing punk rock movement overshadowed Dr. Feelgood's edgy roots rock. Wilko Johnson left the band at the end of 1977 to form the Solid Senders; he later joined Ian Dury's Blockheads. Henry McCullough played on Feelgood's 1977 tour before John "Gypie" Mayo became the group's full-time lead guitarist. Nick Lowe produced 1978's Be Seeing You, Mayo's full-length debut with Dr. Feelgood. The album generated the 1979 Top Ten hit "Milk and Alcohol," as well as the Top 40 hit "As Long as the Price Is Right." Two albums, As It Happens and Let It Roll, followed in 1979, and Mayo left the band in 1980. He was replaced by Johnny Guitar in 1980, who debuted on A Case of the Shakes, which was also produced by Nick Lowe.
During their first decade together, Dr. Feelgood never left the road, which was part of the reason founding members John Martin and John Sparks left the band in 1982. Lee Brilleaux replaced them with Buzz Barwell and Pat McMullen, and continued touring. Throughout the '80s, Brilleaux continued to lead various incarnations of Dr. Feelgood, settling on the rhythm section of bassist Phil Mitchell and drummer Kevin Morris in the mid-'80s. The band occasionally made records -- including Brilleaux, one of the last albums on Stiff Records, in 1976 -- but concentrated primarily on live performances. Dr. Feelgood continued to perform to large audiences into the early '90s, when Brilleaux was struck by cancer. He died in April of 1994, three months after he recorded the band's final album, Down at the Doctor's. The remaining members of Dr. Feelgood hired vocalist Pete Gage and continued to tour under the band's name. Former Feelgoods Gypie Mayo, John Sparks, and John Martin formed the Practice in the mid-'80s, and they occasionally performed under the name Dr. Feelgood's Practice.
OFFICIAL SITE
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