Singled out is the 33-song strong, double album, singles collection from Cyanide Pills, collecting together all the Leeds band's singles to date, both the A and B sides, apart from the other two new singles that come out almost as this album does. It is a great best of versus non album hard to find b-sides collection, all of which was recorded at The Billiard room in Leeds with the band's guru Carl Razorblade Rosamund producing. The Cyanide Pills are Phil Privilege, Chris Wrist, Sy Pinkeye, Alarick The Trick and Alex Arson. They have always been a great, must-see live band, since I first saw them at Some Weird Sin early in their career.
The album opens with Break It Up a pure adrenaline rush of pop punk wonderment, encouraging you to Break it up and move on, gang style backing vocals and chiming guitars help break up that disastrous fight that meant the police needed to intervene.
Suicide Bomber is the Ramones alike anthem, for falling in Love with a Suicide Bomber, this always gets a great reaction live and is equally potent in the original single version. Conquer The World is something a hard touring band like Cyanide Pills should have done by now, but no matter where they went, they can't get that girl outta their heads.
Up Against the Wall is angry street punk manifesto for how to escape those council estates, like they want to be The Business and just stick all the bands enemies up Against The Wall. Johnny Thunders Lived in Leeds easily the bands most classic song, I loved this from the moment I first heard it live at Some Weird Sin, a great anthem to the time when Johnny Thunders was living in Leeds and getting up to no good, played in a classic Heartbreakers meets Waldos style, a monument.
Where Did It Go? How will they survive with so little money, how can they survive, with nothing more than a catchy pop punk sound. Apathy has a hold on the Cyanide Pills, despite the urgency of this bouncy anthem to the boredom they feel, before the end of this verse, so just bounce all over the room listening to the guitars flying off the handle, try not to get too bored.
Waiting (For You to Call Me) is hearts on your sleeves, hoping against hope that the cool woman, who he gave his number too, will actually call him and talk to him again, this is a sweet almost teen pop anthem, that could have come out on Beserkley like they want to be The Plimsouls or Greg Kihn.
Government is agit punk anthem of distain for all the ways the government picks our pockets, so they barely have enough to survive, still they want more, this sounds angrier live, but like this, it's a nutbush city rocker par excellence.
Big Mistake is a pop punk apology for how he did you wrong, no matter how badly he behaved, he wants you to know what a mistake it was to ruin what they had. Just For You a great chant along, with almost Black Flag backing vocal chant, they are here to take away your loneliness, one great Hot-Rods stomp along song at a time.
The Kids Can't Be Trusted With Rock 'n' Roll is the brilliant take down of all the Punk Police music politics, while they sound like 60’s garage rockers shot through The Ramones lens, with of course a great chant along chorus and short sharp guitar breaks.
Hope You're Having Fun a great agit punk anthem explaining the madness of making money destroying the world with pointless wars, if you don't hear this battle cry and rally to the cause, they still Hope Your Having Fun. Falling For You he's threatening to fall 10 floors down for you, how could you drive him to this, urgent reportage from The Knack school of punk vignettes, the things you see on your lunch break.
Amalia is a punchy song of love and lust for Amalia and everything she does for the Cyanide Pills, making clear you can look, but don't touch, she's living inside a lens, a total camera girl draining his bank account in exchange for the mirage of love.
Second Best is never what he wanted to be, but sometimes it's for the better to admit you really are, another power pop punk bouncy anthem for knowing when to move on and play some more glorious upbeat pop punk, with a nifty 20 second dub breakdown.
Mail Order Bride has its tongue in its cheeks, cartoon punk for someone they know, who has a Mail Order Bride and how odd that is, speedy guitar runs and chant along backing vocals having a lot of fun. Stick 'em Up go on punk rampage through this punch in the guts lean mean rocking ram raid.
Black Lightning is far more urgent than Richard Thompsons anthem to the joys of riding a Vincent Black Lightning at full speed, racing alongside the rail tracks trying to beat that express, with some garage rock breakdown before it gets totally frantic for that ghost motorbike.
Diagnosis is that they are carriers of a potent disease, a never-ending ability to make catchy pop punk anthems, spiky guitars and hard hitting drums, no hesitation to get snottier than the rest. Lying Low has a great revolving chorus and urgent rush to keeping things under the radar.
Shallow is exactly what he seeks in her, loving her superficiality, she can be won over by a few nice words, but there is nothing going on up top. Lock Up is dub punk plea to make sure the real guilty ones are locked up and the innocent stay free, this has a Members vibe.
Conspiracy Theory we all have a few of them knocking about, this lean mean guitar driven one, is the Cyanide Pills very own one, that you will be unable to deny. Hooked on You is a sweet power pop love song to sway along to while holding the one you love, ahh they won't give you up no no no...
Hit It is pure Rock & Roll Chuck Berry meets Duane Eddy guitar rave up, totally dynamite. My Baby's Become a Right Wing Extremist in some ways sounds like The Wildhearts but with a more straight ahead structure, his baby has gone off the rails and is losing the plot, this sounds like they are at the end of the road and guitars will chase her out the door like the right wing head fuck she has become.
I'm Celebrating because you've gone back to him, for how long still remains to be seen, but he's happy with one more night, all the begging and pleading he still needs you, slow bar room blues rocker. Do You Wanna Know? Is a rambunctious power pop punk banger, with fists in the air, punch and sing song chorus, Heartbreakers on bathtub speed guitars racing away, a crowd bounces all over the place to this classic.
Don't Tell Me Everything's Alright when you've lost your job, been dumped and all the other ills in life, then some numpty tells you everything's alright, while your sleeping on the streets, your habits are that out of control, that catchy Psych-pop singles like this might save you and can still worry about the state of the world too.
I Don't Wanna Dance no no no he won't be getting on the dancefloor and holding your hand, no but he'll do all sorts of other things with you behind closed doors, a classic rock & roll melodrama. My Mind's on Strike you just want to check out for a while, not having to deal with all the daily news and distortions ruining your life, you just want to play in a top-notch touring rock n roll band.
The album closes with New Love a super urgent plea for a New Love another chance at happiness, one last chance to bounce across the room without a care, he's happy your gone and the guitars can be played louder and faster till he finds the New Love.
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