Rorschach - Needles And Pins Shotguns And Shins (CD 2001)

This is clearly a band with solid musical values, a sincere wish to make good music, and no shortage of talent.
Needles 'n' Pins, Shotguns 'n' Skins (not shins!) could be an album from an established act, already past their first flush of commercial success and settling into making the music they want to, free of the pressure to make every track a 'radio friendly' pop song. It's sad to think that any band should have to go through the initial pain and frustration of the 'commercial' album before having the freedom (and financial support) to produce their best work. Rorschach have skipped this step by financing, recording and producing this album all by themselves.

From the marvellously slinky 'Mr. Fiji BG's DJ' to the unstoppable groove of 'Save the World', there's a maturity and creativity present here rarely heard in modern bands, and it saddens me to think that the masses will never even get to choose to buy or not to buy, as they'll likely never hear it.

I was fortunate enough to catch Rorschach live a few times, playing the soul destroying London circuit (Water Rats, Dublin Castle, etc.) and blowing away the other bands on the bill each time. I don't know, it just seems like good music doesn't have a place in our market any more. Perhaps it's true that it would've taken some vision and creativity from A&R, marketing and promotions departments at a major to get these guys rolling, but then isn't that their job?
Anyway you don't want to read a cynical soliloquy about the state of the music business these days (yawn), this is supposed to be an album review, so...

To think this whole album was born and raised in a garage based home studio near Salisbury, is quite astonishing. Not a single bit of audio CGI to be found here; it's all real, organic, live, guitars, drums, percussion, singing, etc. In fact the only machine on this album is the 30 year old home organ that provides the rhythm for the brilliantly cool 'Elephant'... oh, and the electric drill in 'Hot Black Sheryl' (no it's not a sample!).

I urge you to grab a copy of this album, if you can find one. You won't regret it ;-)