Australia seems to hold the copyright to shit kicking barroom rock and roll bands like this. AC/DC seemed to unlock the door for all of them. The difference here is that Rose Tattoo looked the part of the barroom brawlers they sing about. Another comparison with the DC guys is that this album is produced by Vanda and Young, as were DC’s early albums.
This is hard rocking blues from the streets of Melbourne, and they played it like they lived it, so much so that 7 former members have died. The songs are all very similar in format – it’s just varying speeds of the beat that differentiate the tunes. All The Lessons, Assault & Battery, Magnum Maid and Manzil Madness are personal favourites,, as these songs kick hard. That’s when it works the best for me – when Pete Wells’ slide is smoking. As a little side note, singer Angry Anderson was more famous in Britain for singing a wedding ballad that charted and was part of the soap opera Neighbours.
Anyway it’s not a bad record and it does exactly what it says on the tin.
7/10 from The Grooveman.
