DR FEELGOOD DAMN RIGHT! (2022)
Ironically, I’m writing this only two days after Wilko Johnson’s death, at 75, on 21 November 2022.
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I was hooked on Dr Feelgood from the first eerie slide guitar notes of “Back in The Night,” wore out my copy of Malpractice (1975), bought every album up to A Case of the Shakes (1981) and then abandoned the band altogether because the music just got so damn ordinary, first when Wilko Johnson left, and when John Mayo also departed the original unique spark that had piqued my interest was finally gone. One by one, the remaining founding members but Lee Brilleaux left and when he died the band carried on regardless because, as I understand it, manager Chris Fenwick owned the rights to the band name and could exploit it as he saw fit.
This has led, eventually to this new release by Dr Feelgood, no more than a brand now, with not only none of the founding members but also without any continuity in replacement membership at all. God knows why they need to release an album of new, original material unless it’s a simple marketing tool and more merch to sell at gigs.
I recently listened to all those late period Feelgoods albums, with Brilleaux, and the overriding impression, regardless of how proficient the musicians are and of how much energy they try to bring to the songs, is that Dr Feelgood became a mediocre band, a far cry from the intelligent, quirky genius of Wilko Johnson’s songs. Lee Brilleaux’s voice and ability to sing also seemed to deteriorate as the years passed and he was reduced to just barking out the lyrics.
The original Dr Feelgood transcended the pub rock circuit where they made their name and bestrode the UK R & B scene like a colossus. Eventually, though, the band, in its later versions, simply returned to being a pub band, albeit one with a name and reputation that was cemented in those Wilko Johnson years and had legs, thankfully for Brilleaux and whoever played with him, and Fenwick. If Dr Feelgood had started with Mayo, or whoever replaced him, they would hardly have built the rep and name recognition the band still has, never mind producing any music worth mentioning.
That brings us to this new release.
The immediate issue on first impression is the glaring absence of the familiar Brilleaux growl that is a huge disconnect with the “authentic” version of Dr Feelgood. The singer enunciates clearly but his voice is too high, too thin and too nice for the braggadocio and menace that good R & B and blues requires.
It’s like the Rolling Stones without Mick Jagger’s vocals. And, come to think of it, it’s also like the Stones without Keith Richards, as the guitarist, however proficient he might be, brings little to the party. He riffs continuously throughout the songs yet without that rhythmic urgency, drive and funk that Wilko Johnson had.
The second impression, based on the careful, clean production and the equally careful, almost prissy playing, is that there is not much power here and no presence of the sweaty, gutbucket R & B on which the band based its sound and itself played. Perhaps this iteration of Dr Feelgood is hot stuff on stage but in the studio they take too much care to be professional and proficient and lose the visceral excitement this kind of music is supposed to provide.
My main criticism is that the vocalist doesn’t have the right kind of voice for this music and there is no interesting quirk or dangerous weirdness in his delivery. The musicians are obviously versed in this music and know their craft, have taken pains to write some decent songs, without engaging hooks or riffs to make them memorable, and do their best to bring us a quality product, albeit journeyman quality.
The best one can say about the record is that it pretty much fits in with late period Brilleaux-led Dr Feelgood, minus the latter’s distinctive vocals, but it’s a far cry from the sound and feel of the version of the band I still love without reservation. Not one song on this record stands out. You can appreciate each one individually but as a collection the one fades into the other and are soon forgotten.
I really don’t know why anyone wants to keep this brand going in this way. It’s understandable that the current band wants to release its own music but it’s hardly an instant classic debut for the ages. If your fix is decent, ordinary, competently performed pub rock, especially in a pub when you’re a couple of pints ahead of the game, this record would be a lovely souvenir. If you want something more exciting, something that’ll get its hooks into you and never let go, this is not it.
The name and concept of “Dr Feelgood” has a hefty legacy and tis album does not do it justice and will never carry on the legacy. It’s to Down by the Jetty, Malpractice, Stupidity and Sneakin’ Suspicion what Cut the Crapis to The Clash, Give ‘Em Enough Rope London Calling, Sandinista! and Combat Rock.
I.e. it’s a “no” from me.
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