Dr. Feelgood
Singled Out

THE REVIEW

A bit of good old ignorance, every now and then, is needed. Just as the progressive rock whirlwind was ending, and a couple of years before the devastating punk wave, the British Dr. Feelgood trudged from one pub to another, between a dive and a drunkard's den. The term pub-rock was coined for them, or at least used in a not-so-flattering way. All this because psychedelia had flung open the doors of the mind, progressive had elevated fresh-out-of-study musicians to new deities, and then? A group of half-alcoholics reviving old rock 'n' roll, r 'n' b, blues tracks with an unorthodox vigor and palpable fun couldn't be taken seriously.

And indeed, apart from a big hit with the 1976 live album "Stupidity" (which even reached the top of the UK charts), they remained forever a C-list band. Just like the Italian comedies of the same period that nearly filled theaters in the Beautiful Country. Same good old ignorance. And the music thrown in the audience's face, the usual hundred people crowded in the pub, was an energetic and fiery mix of pure rock, even in the revival of bluesy sounds, aided by the harmonica of frontman Lee Brilleux. Minor classics like "Roxette," the legendary and doping "She Does It Right," and the creeping "Milk And Alcohol." Pre- and post-binge songs, exciting and electric.

Their status as a "charming band of drunks" remains a merit to this day, an extra spice to immerse oneself in the atmosphere of 3-minute tracks, the basic rhythm, and above all, the guitar of the mad Wilko Johnson; the latter a spectacle in its own right during the band's live performances, with his jerky wandering halfway between messing around and sociopathic behavior.

To get an idea of the band, this mega 3-disc collection "Singled Out" is interesting, containing classics, the "hottest" live performances, some rarities. Nothing more from a band of this kind, but the little they offer satisfies and satiates, as long as one isn't looking for more than simple entertainment. But then again, if I want to educate myself, I’ll listen to "Lark’s Tongues In Aspic," not a band called Doctor Feelgood.