Grade-A Rave

Rip It Up, Issue 26, 1 September 1979, Page 14

Grade-A Rave

Ken Williams

Dr Feelgood

As It Happens

United Artists Big name rock stars record their live albums at Tokyo’s Budokan. Dr Feelgood record theirs at the Pavilion, Herrrel Hempstead. But then they’re the world’s “most famous local band” so where more natural than a local hall. Except, perhaps a pub. Singer Lee Brilleauux sees As It Happens as a parallel to Stupidity, the Feelgoods’ earlier live set, recorded when guitarist Wilko Johnson was still in the fold. Stupidity captured Dr Feelgood in their true environment, pumping out R&B to a small, sweating crowd. That album summed up the progress of the band to that point and was by far the best of the early albums. As It Happens represents the group as it has developed since the departure of Wilko and his replacement by John Mayo. As such, it easily matches Stupidity in intention and in excitement. The material is drawn from the last two albums, with the addition of a Charlie Musselwhite blues and Carl Perkins’ “Matchbox”. The songs are delivered with a pounding energy. Real bashers, the Feelgoods, but they do it so well. Brilleaux regards live albums as ”a record of a set” and there’s no evidence of after-the-event editing. Even when the pace flags on "As Long as the Price is Right” (the only time it does, I might add) that’s the way it appears on the record. Overall, these were good nights for Dr Feelgood. Lee is in good voice and his rhythm section is right on time. The Feelgoods add little musically to their previously recorded versions of songs such as “Every Kind of Vice”, “Baby Jane" and “Down At the Doctor’s” (composer Micky Jupp considered the Feelgoods’ version "a load of bloody rubbish,” says Brilleaux, but, then, he calls Jupp “a miserable sod”). What they do is inject a palpable excitement. The Feelgoods got together originally for fun. They still sound as if it's fun. As It Happens is a grade-A keepsake for those who raved to Dr Feelgood on their recent tour and for those who, on hearing, wish they had been there.