PLAY IT AGAIN 12''

Atomic Rooster was a trio when this gem "Play It Again" was released. Vincent was still a powerhouse keyboardist, John still sung with passion and played that axe with zeal, and drummer Preston slammed the skins with admirable force. The 12 inch vinyl is an oddity and flies by swiftly with only one track on side one and 2 on side two played at 45rpm. I grabbed the vinyl at a second hand market as it sat between some Abba and ACDC albums and jumped into my hands. The cover art is typically garish and is actually identical to the compilation that was available toward the end of the naughty nineties. The nudity and sorcery would be enough to sell it I guess, but I was more impressed that it was available for only $2.50 and not scratched.

Well, I had to indulge and when I played it I knew it was the heavier side of the band. Play It Again is a guitar rocker with some great hooks and decent singing. Start To Live is a slammer with the raucous speed and guitar bashing of John, accompanied by staccato keyboard played viciously by Vincent. It is always great to hear Devil's Answer, and this live version is a belter. The roar of the crowd can be heard especially at the end of it.

Overall the recording is high quality even on my scratchy record player. It was worth picking up and I recommend it to the prog faithful who admire the heavy prog of Atomic Rooster.