Hoodoo Gurus
Stoneage Romeos

THE REVIEW

Great bunch of misfits, the contingent of kamikaze rock'n'roll that in the Eighties moved from Australia to conquer the world, considering that, despite the above-average talent expressed by bands such as Celibate Rifles, Died Pretty, Stems, and many others, none of them managed to consolidate their fame beyond their native borders.

In reality, those who really risked becoming rock stars were the Hoodoo Gurus, so much so that there was a moment - between «Blow Your Cool» and «Magnum Cum Louder», more or less - when they were being broadcast with decent frequency on Videomusic's video channels, Italy's counterpart to MTV, and on the audio channels of radio stations not necessarily specialized: raise your hand if you've never encountered damn catchy songs like «What's My Scene», «In The Middle Of The Land», «Come Anytime», «Another World», and especially «Generation Gap» (not to mention «Axegrinder»). In a perfect world, songs like these would have all been number ones on the Top Of The Pops chart; but despite Pangloss, this is not the best of all possible worlds, so we have to keep cultivating our own garden.

Not bad, anyway, for a group that, in an old flyer printed in an attempt to recruit a guitarist, cited among its main influences the Ventures, Troggs, New York Dolls, Ramones, Heartbreakers, Cramps, and Fleshtones.

And the beauty is that, despite almost touching Success (with a capital S), the Gurus did not yield to any compromise, maintaining their sound formula unchanged over the years, a mix of rockabilly, surf, garage, punk, and pop, which for simplicity's sake we could label as power-pop. Perhaps precisely for this reason, they didn't manage to take off definitively, but, in hindsight, I think it's better this way.

And probably Dave Faulkner (voice and guitar, innate melodic taste and soul of the band) thinks so too, since for some years now he has resurrected the glorious name, retracing the old paths made of killer melodies combined with guitar riffs, sometimes clanking, sometimes lilting, and powerful rhythms, maybe just with a touch less inspiration compared to the golden years; but knowing he's back in circulation still puts you in a good mood, like when you meet an old forgotten friend.

Dated 1984, «Stoneage Romeos» is the debut album by the Hoodoo Gurus, and in my opinion, the best of the lot, stringing together an impressive series of (future) classics: starting with «I Want You Back», which deludes us into thinking the times of Flamin' Groovies, Real Kids, Nerves, Beat, Plimsouls and company are back, a sensation reaffirmed even more strongly shortly thereafter in «Tojo»; then moving on to the Cramps-like tribalism of «Leilani» (a song dating back to when the band was still called Le Hoodoo Gurus), «Dig It Up», and «In The Echo Chamber»; encountering the whimsical and delicate pop of «My Girl» (a love song dedicated to a little dog), the equally whimsical but tougher, almost Rolling Stones-like, «I Was A Kamikaze Pilot» and the one tinged with psychedelia «Zanzibar»; up to the culmination of amphetamine-laden surf-punk-a-billy numbers like «(Let's All) Turn On», with a bass riff you should memorize, and «Death Ship», with a Radio Birdman style softened by a chorus many would kill for.

And almost without realizing it, I've practically mentioned them all, the songs from «Stoneage Romeos» (the excellent «Arthur» was left out, so here it is here), but it was really worth it.

Just as it's absolutely worth taking home at least the first four albums of the Gurus, starting with «Stoneage Romeos» and up to «Magnum Cum Louder», not omitting «Mars Needs Guitars» and «Blow Your Cool»; or at least remedy with a valuable anthology, such as «Electric Soup».

PS: I highly recommend the 2005 CD reissue of «Stoneage Romeos», including that authentic, devastating garage-punk masterpiece known as «Be My Guru», one of the very rare tracks from the Eighties capable of rivaling, in fury and wildness, the early productions of the Lime Spiders.