Tremblers - Twice Nightly (review)
Tremblers - Twice Nightly (Cherry Red; CDM Red 343)
reviewed by Michael Macomber
No question, The Tremblers do tremble. With a sound somewhere between The Cars and Lene Lovich, Peter Noone’s post-Herman’s Hermits New Wave pop outfit trembles, shakes, shimmies, and indeed, rocks. Formed in 1980 as a declaration of musical independence, this catchy quintet had all the charm of the Hermits, but without the creative restraints inherent in a pop music franchise.
Noone steps right off into uncharted territory with the very first track on the album, “You Can’t Do That.” The beat is bouncy, the guitars are buzzy, and the lyrics are a treatise on self-determination. Line by line, Noone takes on every record exec who ever tried to tie his hands during the Hermits years. The entire record is a statement toward Noone’s desire to be free, free, free at last. “Steady Eddy” is a leap into suggestive songwriting. Noone wipes away the wide eyed innocence of the Herman persona with an admission to more adult desires. “She Was Something Else” has much the same effect, at last allowing the schoolboy to grow up.
“Dad Said” is as close to tough social punk as Noone has ever come. Spitting out lyrics like, “Find a girl just like your mother then forget about sex/And when I talk you better listen or I’m gonna bust your head,” he rips through the tune with a barely controlled fury. A brilliant cover of Elvis Costello’s “Green Shirt” is a good indication of what Noone was listening to at the time. It’s also important to note that “Green Shirt” is the only song on “Twice Nightly” that does not bear Noone’s writing credit. This was an intensely personal project.
Sadly, The Tremblers were short-lived. The record company and the crowds wanted more Herman and less innovation. After one album, Noone returned to the oldies circuit — but anyone who has seen the Hermits do their thing in recent years can attest to the fact that he still keeps a little light burning for his independence. “Steady Eddy” has been known to creep into a Hermits set, and often, the folks in the audience are none the wiser.
April 2nd, 2008 at 7:04 pm
Thanks for this review. This LP has always interested me.