Duff Review: Sammy Buzz "The Buzzman Cometh"

Self-released
CD
2016

(Review by Steve Shafer)

King Hammond musical collaborator Sammy Buzz (nee Wilson), who should be familiar to devoted readers of The Duff Guide to Ska (I reviewed his I'm Buzzin' EP in late 2012--and two of those tracks, "Cigarettes" and "I'm Buzzin'" are reprised here), has just released his truly marvelous debut album, The Buzzman Cometh, which features some seriously fun and memorable tracks about himself, women, ska-related matters, and just trying to make your way through life with your body and spirit intact.

Buzz's modern ska reminds this reviewer of the brilliant sounds created in the late 80s UK ska scene (Laurel Aitken, Bad Manners, The Trojans, Potato 5, Maroon Town, The Loafers, King Hammond, The Riffs, The Deltones, etc.)--definitely post-2 Tone and greatly influenced by those bands (particularly The Beat and--even though they weren't 2 Tone--The Equators), but not quite classifiably Third Wave (or whatever has come to pass in the years since). However you categorize his ska, Sammy Buzz writes some exceptionally good tunes (which are expertly produced by Steve Crittal) that should not be missed.

The album begins ominously (a bell tolls for you) with the excellent, melodramatic, spaghetti Western-flavored "The Buzzman Cometh." "Maaga Gal" (maaga is Jamaican patois for skinny--I had to look it up) is the catchiest ska song you've ever heard about a singer's concern and love for his underweight (anorexic?) girlfriend ("She may be skin and bone/but she's my very own...She may be lacking in flesh/But she's the very best!"). "Ruff Ride Ruff" borrows Prince Buster's instantly recognizable "Rough Rider" bass line, but isn't the expected lewd track--it's about a good-for-nothing being thrown out of the house by his strict mom ("She's rougher that the carpet in me room/Tougher than the bristles pon the broom/She's rougher than my pet hedgehog/Rough like a flea-bitten dog...").

"Rude Boys and Rude Girls" is a fantastic earworm of ska tune that essentially asks that the ongoing battle of the sexes be left at the door--the gig is all about dancing and pleasure. "We 'ave Fe Flex" is another lovely catchy track that reiterates the perennial plea for love, peace, and understanding: "Love thy neighbor/And love thy enemy/Give thanks and blessings/that we were born free/Keep out of trouble/and live healthy/Just look at the world and see that/Time so hard/We have Fe Flex..." The gentle and hilarious tweak of the nose of ska record collectors who like to boast that, whatever the title, "I Got It On Vinyl" hits this vinyl-obsessive reviewer close to home, but it makes me love it all the more, since it's so on the money (the taunting "la, la, la, la, las" between all of the "I got it on vinyl" refrains is a nice touch!).

The singer is almost mowed down while trying to cross the street by a driver being chased by the police in the dubby "Mad Traffick." "I Need a Holiday," a frantic dancehall cut, describes the singer trying to soak up as much relaxation as possible on vacation, only to find it immediately dissipate upon return to reality. "Cigarettes" is a public service announcement with a ska beat, coughs, and cheesy, 70s-sounding keyboard lines, urging listeners to quit this pernicious, addictive habit before it's too late ("Cigarette, cigarette/It can cause your death"), and Sammy offers a few hair-raising examples of why one should quit: "I had a friend called Bernadette/who was addicted to a cigarette/She smoked all day/and in bed at night/until her bedroom, it catch alight/She's not with us anymore/Now's she's knocking on Heaven's door/A big fat lesson to all of you/give up the cigarette, it's overdue!"

"Boss Skinhead" is another great self-referential song in a musical genre full of them (Laurel Aitken, amongst others, is name-checked here), while "I'm Buzzin'" spells out Sammy Buzz's let-the-good-times-roll, can't-change-fate approach to life ("I'm buzzing'/but I'm not out of my mind/Don't need no complication/An easy life for me/Don't work, no botheration/Yeah, what will be will be"). It's a very nice slice of upbeat ska for when your troubles might be grinding you down. The future's not so bright in the cold, New Wave-ish, "1984"-type tale "Urban Citizen," which denounces governmental surveillance of its people.

In addition to the 12 songs on the album, there are two cool bonus tracks, the lost and broken-hearted "Standing Here Alone" (which says it all, really) and a sunny, unnamed instrumental track ("Nice It Up"?) that's guaranteed to improve your outlook, even on the darkest of days.

Sammy Buzz's The Buzzman Cometh is one of the best new ska albums I've listened to and enjoyed this year. You should make sure to hear it, too!

Duff Review: Sammy Buzz and The Rudeboy Mafia "I'm Buzzin'"

Self-released (available through the King Hammond website)
3-track EP CD
2012

(Review by Steve Shafer)

If you've been following the great King Hammond, you're aware that Sammy Buzz of the Rudeboy Mafia (who back Sammy here and King Hammond whenever he plays live) is one of KH's musical collaborators and has been featured on KH tracks like "Rocking on Ridley Road" (from Showbiz). As King Hammond produced and co-wrote two of the three songs with Mr. Buzz on this EP, it won't surprise you to find that the brand of ska here is reminiscent of the catchy, lively late 80s tracks that KH--as his alter ego Nick Welsh--was composing for Bad Manners (see any of the stellar cuts Nick wrote on the magnificent Return of the Ugly album, such as "Skaville UK," "Memory Train," "Since You've Gone Away"). So, if you're a fan of Nick's work with the Fat Bastard or as King Hammond, you're going to be predisposed to liking what Sammy Buzz has got going here. The charming, semi-autobiographical, and very catchy songs collected on the I'm Buzzin' EP give Sammy Buzz his sweet moment in the sun--and he takes complete advantage of this opportunity to show off his talents and shine.

"I'm Buzzin'" spells out Sammy Buzz's let-the-good-times-roll, can't-change-fate approach to life ("I'm buzzing'/but I'm not out of my mind/Don't need no complication/An easy life for me/Don't work, no botheration/Yeah, what will be will be"). A very nice slice of upbeat ska for when your troubles might be grinding you down.

"Licks" isn't about trying to figure out how many it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop (or anything risqué), but suffering repeated beatings as a kid (it's kind of horrifying to think about now, but I guess that it was a different time, place, and mindset). This skinhead reggay tune lays out Sammy's youthful experiences in corporal punishment inflicted upon him by his parents, peers, and teachers ("Remember back a school yard/the bicycle shed/the teacher saw me kiss you/and sent me to the Head/He gave me licks..."). It's not a mournful tune (the music is quite sprightly, actually)--but it is steadfastly defiant in its matter of fact-ness: he survived and can sing about it with a bit of humor all these years later.

"Cigarettes" is a public service announcement with a ska beat (and cheesy, 70s-sounding keyboard lines!), urging listeners to quit this pernicious, addictive habit before it's too late ("Cigarette, cigarette/It can cause your death"), and Sammy offers a few hair-raising examples of why one should quit: "I had a friend called Bernadette/who was addicted to a cigarette/She smoked all day/in bed at night/until her bedroom, it catch alight/She's not with us anymore/Now's she's knocking on Heaven's door/A big fat lesson to all of you/give up the cigarette, it's overdue!"

In many ways, this EP reminds me of the glory days of the UK ska scene in the mid to late 80--and the joy and delight the top bands of that era (Potato 5, The Trojans, Laurel Aitken, The Deltones, The Loafers, etc.) took in following their post-2 Tone ska musical vision, even if was out of step with, or contrary to, the larger, contemporary musical scene. It simply was brilliant musicians playing the music they fiercely loved. And they had one hell of a fun time doing it. That's the essence of I'm Buzzin'.

+ + + +

 

Duff Review: Specialized EP w/Lee Thompson, King Hammond, The Values featuring Roland Gift, and Orange Street

Specialized Records/Jump Up Records
2012
Clear or black 7" EP single (includes a reproduction of the 2 Tone Club membership card)

(Review by Steve Shafer)

This terrific four-track EP features several cuts from the recent Specialized: A Modern Take on Specials Classics charity CD whose proceeds directly support the good work of the Teenage Cancer Trust in the UK. (For more background on this album, read this interview we did with Paul "Willo" Williams last December.)

The Specialized EP kicks off with a fantastic cover of Andy & Joey's "You're Wondering Now" by The Values featuring Roland Gift (I can't tell you how good it is to hear his voice again after all these years--he's been sorely missed on the music scene!) Roland's mournful tenor (one of the wonderful things about his unique voice is that it sounds like he's singing using whatever the vocal equivalent of a horn mute would be) is the perfect counterpoint to the band's upbeat interpretation of this track (which, for The Specials, was their parting shot on their first album at Margaret Thatcher, the National Front, and all the other haters of a socially/economically just and multicultural society: "You're wondering how you will pay for the way you did behave...").

The Jerry Dammers/Lynval Golding anti-racist/anti-violence song "Doesn't Make it Alright" (one of my faves) receives a spirited and muscular reading from Orange Street (best lyric: "Some people think they're really clever/To smash your head against the wall/They they say, 'you got it my way'/They really think they know it all"). Good stuff.

King Hammond's (and the Rude Boy Mafia's) bright, cheery take on the Terry Hall penned "Friday Night, Saturday Morning" is from the viewpoint of someone who's a couple of decades removed from the depressed and monotonous No Future of the UK in 1981. Life has turned out okay--the days of No Future have passed--and going out for a night on the town is actually satisfying and fun, as it should be (and perhaps they're enjoyed/treasured all the more with the knowledge that they're more days of the calendar behind one than ahead). Not only can your hear this sea change in the music, check out The Specials' lyrics against King Hammond's revised ones:

The Specials' original lyrics:

"When my feet go through the door
I know what my right arm is for
Buy a drink and pull a chair
Up to the edge of the dance floor"

King Hammond's version:

"As soon as I walk through that door
I know just what my life is for
Have a drink and hear some ska
and get on the dance floor"

But what's great is that the singer's lament, whether from the vantage point of someone in their early twenties or just hitting the half century mark, is that the night oftentimes ends the same: "Wish I had lipstick on my shirt/Instead of piss stains on my shoes..."

Madness' Lee Thompson cheats a bit by opting for Prince Buster's classic tune "Madness" (of course, what else could he do?). But instead of the expected rollicking music hall stomper, this is the "Naked Acoustically" version--really a lounge lizard/dubby take on the song, with Lee half singing/speaking the vocals with percussion, a bit of piano/organ, and sax. The setting could be a rundown nightclub at closing time or the rubber room at an insane asylum, but either way it works!