The Sick Rose
Shaking Street

LA RECENSIONE

The '80s garage and neo-psychedelic revival season left its mark: the legendary collection "Eighties Colours" made history in its own way. In that historic compilation were important names like the psychedelic No Strange, the great Birdmen Of Alkatraz, the dark and esoteric Paul Chain, the Technicolour Dream, the Four By Art, and also the Turin-based Sick Rose. Someone carelessly defined the Sick Rose as psychedelic. In reality, they were simply a great garage-punk band. Their Faces made people rave thanks to a solid and compact sound in which Luca Re's voice soared accompanied by Diego Mese's fuzz guitar and Rinaldo Doro's Farfisa (historically widely used by garage bands also because it was the cheapest). It was a fresh sound full of energy that breathed life into an era where sounds were plastic. Then in the '90s, interest faded and critics supported other trends like grunge. But, as Stephen King would say, "sometimes they come back." The last album Someplace Better was released in 2018 and demonstrates that the Sick Rose group is still alive and kicking. Confirming the ongoing interest in those sounds, the commendable Area Pirata by Tiziano Rimonti now reissues the splendid Shaking Street in a luxurious vinyl. At the time (1989), the album was not understood by everyone and the reactions from critics were somewhat lukewarm. It was an unfair evaluation as Shakin' Street is an authentic bomb of raw, no-frills rock reminiscent of Stooges, MC5, Real Kids, and Flamin' Groovies. Here, Rinaldo Doro's Farfisa is absent, and the sound is characterized by a solid and devastating wall of guitars. A track like "Little Sister" revives the spirit of MC5! The title track is a cover of the Flamin' Groovies as is "Up Is Up," while "Teenage Nightdrive" is another must. But the whole album is on excellent levels and the tension never drops. Shaking Street had been reissued in the past on CD also by Area Pirata. If you're a vinyl enthusiast and a lover of old garage, don't miss the chance! It's a limited edition of 300 copies. Available on Bandcamp: https://areapiratarec.bandcamp.com/album/shaking-street.