Member:
Son of Nothing
Date:
2/2/2004
Vodka Collins were an obscure band considered to have made a significant impact on early 70s Japanese rock 'n' roll. Tokyo New York is considered to be the definitive classic of its kind, merging proto-punk, glam rock with hook-laden songwriting. For this album, the band consisted of vocalist Alan Merrill (the Arrows frontman), Hiroshi Oguchi on drums and Take Yokouchi on bass.
Starting with an organ intro and mellotron-like sounds, "Automatic Pilot" rocks ahead with a guitar sound that could be only described as Blue Oyster Cult crossed with the Byrds. The tune is in Japanese I guess. The guitars take a Clash/The Who form in the power-pop tune "Billy Mars". Alan sounds almost like a twin brother of Buck Dharma in the ballady "Terminal City".
The tasty acoustic moments are a delight in "Sands of Time" (also in the later "Vacuum Girl"), which's a meld of east/ west music I guess. "Pontiac Pan" is vintage BOC circa "Hot Rails to Rail". For this song alone, this album is an obscure, lighter contemporary of Tyranny & Mutation. Alan also plays the harmonica in "Diamonds to Dungaree", which's another first rate rocker.
You can't get the tune "Monitor" out of your head. In the glam/decadent rock vein Alan sings "All I want to do is violate you". "Scratchin'", a blues rock stomp, brings the near 29 minute album to a halt.
Bottom line is, if you're a fan of Marc Bolan and T-Rex, New York Dolls or even Blue Oyster Cult (only less intense and more hooky), you'd dig this mini-gem. It was reissued on the now-defunct Frank Kozik's Man's Ruin label. Whenever you see it used/ new, don't forget to pick it up.
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