Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
Today’s young music lovers, consumers and downloaders are besieged on all fronts by the restless chimes of beauty, the full package of what was just called the heartthrob and the sex symbol has now become a plethora of social media instant likes and little else; for some it could be argued that this current day situation of thumbs up and poses is a measure of style over substance, the scales weighted down in favour of the look of Bronze instead of the reality of polished Gold.
If the 60s were about The Beatles, then arguably the Bay City Rollers were the face of music for many in Britain in the mid part of the subsequent decade, the pop sensation that not only had the style but also had the ability to tap into the teenage mind-set of a generation caught by the terror of the beige and unfulfilled, and offered them colour, panache and a groove into which they could hang their hopes upon.
The 70s was a decade of two extremes, the continuation of powerful music which could get the listener, of all ages, excited, and the drab, desperate reality in which the listener was living through and as songs by the Bay City Rollers became more anticipated, so too did the reflection of the trend of youth culture become apparent.
It is not hard to understand why the band shone so brightly, so infectiously, the spirit of the song is always important but also the belief that the crowd is a part of the desire to create a tune that is timeless, that doesn’t rely on being held to ransom by a six-month trend. Across songs such as Shang A Lang, Are You Ready For That Rock N Roll, Summertime Sensation, Let’s Go (Hugging And A Kissing In The Moonlight), Marlina, Bye Bye Baby, She’ll Be Crying Over You, Eagles Fly, Maybe I’m A Fool To Love You, Yesterday’s Hero, Another Rainy Day In New York City and You Made Me Believe In Magic, “Rollermania” had no rival, the band were unstoppable, but they also had depth in character and music to which the three C.D. album fully endorses.
Gold is a symbol of greatness, one that is not lost in this compilation, style, wit and pride take centre stage and it is to the songs that memory is thankful, that the period which had so many heroes had the Bay City Rollers amongst them.
Bay City Rollers will release Gold on October 25th via Crimson Records.
Ian D. Hall