The Thanes "Complete Undignified Noblemen Sessions" 1997

Jump, Jive & Harmonize: The ThanesSince bursting upon the scene in the late eighties, The Thanes have cut one stirring song after another. It's fair to say that everything the Scottish band has recorded is worth seeking out, but for now let's probe the inner workings of this cracking collection. Originally released in 1997 and pressed only on vinyl, Undignified Noblemen has recently been transferred onto CD, bonus tracks intact.
Formed of cocky vocals, raspy fuzztone guitar riggings, and swarms of needling melodies, "Thrown Away the Key" and "The Winner" evoke the authoritative aggressiveness of bands like The Standells and The Underdogs. Dizzy keyboard figures guide the gig on "What's It All For," giving the tune a swinging beat that's simply irresistible. "The Complete Undignified Noblemen Sessions" also boasts covers of The Caretakers of Deception's "X + Y = 13" and The Guess Who's "It's My Pride" that are channeled with comparable style and taste.
Soaring harmonies pinned against jangly, six-string licks further make for some mighty good listening. Alive with heart, soul and honesty, The Complete Undignified Noblemen Sessions may just be the best sixties garage rock album not recorded in the sixties! - By Beverly Paterson, The Lance Monthlytrax:
01 The Winner 02 Thrown Away The Key 03 Keep On Trying 04 Uphill Slide 05 When I Meet Her 06 I'll Keep My Pride 07 What It's All For 08 Lucy Leave 09 Static 10 Baby I Ask You Why 11 Shipwreck 12 It's My Pride 13 Better Days 14 Never Make Me Blue 15 X+Y = 13 16 World Of Pauline Lewis 17 Hey Honey 18 It's Gone