release date: May 1978
format: vinyl (062-06687) / cd (2004 reissue)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,54]
producer: Chris Thomas; Vic Maile (A1)
label: EMI Records - nationality: England, UK
Track highlights A) 1. "2-4-6-8 Motorway" (live) - 2. "Up Against the Wall" - 3. "Grey Cortina" - - B) 1. "The Winter Of '79" - 4. "You Gotta Survive"
Studio album debut by London-founded band Tom Robinson Band (aka TRB) consisting of lead vocalist, bassist and primary songwriter Tom Robinson, lead guitarist Danny Kustow, organ and piano player Mark Ambler and with drummer (Brian) "Dolphin" Taylor, who would later join the Northern Irish punk rock band Stiff Little Fingers.
The 1977 (debut) single hit "2-4-6-8 Motorway" is included on the Scandinavian issue of the original album, but also for the US market the song had been added alongside the four tracks from the live ep Rising Free... (Feb. '78).
Musically, the band has been associated with the punk rock scene, and there are some songs and elements that put them alongside many of the genre, but more obviously they play what has become known as pub rock - much alike Ian Dury and the Blockheads. Just listen to the enormous difference between "Up Against the Wall" and "Too Good to Be True" - the first being a wry energetic protest song and the latter sounding like something from a traditional pop / rock scene before proto punk had seen the light of day. Other compositions show influences from other influences of contemporary rock. "Long Hot Summer" and "You Gotta Survive" with there bold use of harmony guitar chords share notes you'll find on songs by Thin Lizzy or other bands associated with the heavy rock side of blues rock, which really shows how TRB stood with one foot in traditional rock and another taking a step forward, but the band would never declare it a punk rock band. TRB is known for its strong political stand, and its also associated with the foundation of the "Rock Against Racism"-movement, which is printed on the back cover as the first official declaration, and Tom Robinson himself also spoke very frankly about being gay. The Rising Free... live ep - also included on the 2004 enhanced cd issue with a total of 19 tracks - and it contains the song "Glad to Be Gay", which was another of the band's stables.
I always found TRB a highly positive band, who simply represents too many styles and genres to be highly original, although, they are truly working musicians, who were a much appreciated live band of the late 1970s.
