9365 - NINE BELOW ZERO - ON THE ROAD AGAIN (1991)

NINE BELOW ZERO
''ON THE ROAD AGAIN''
1991
37:13

1 On The Road Again (Wilson, Jones) 05:04
2 No More The Blues (Greaves, Feltham) 03:09
3 Kiddio (Benton, Loveme) 02:17
4 Much Too Much (Greaves, Feltham) 02:39
5 Doin' Fine (O'Neil, Greaves, McAvoy, Feltham) 04:07
6 Mama Talk To Your Daughter (Traditional) 02:07
7 Cold Cruel Heart (Greaves, Feltham) 03:50
8 Sweet Little Contessa (O'Neil, Greaves, McAvoy, Feltham) 02:46
9 Sioux's Shoes (O'Neil, Greaves, McAvoy, Feltham) 02:30
10 Hard Goin' Up (Twice As Hard Coming Down) (Bettye, Crutcher) 04:11
11 The Bird (O'Neil, Greaves, McAvoy, Feltham) 04:28

Accordion, Organ, Piano – Geraint Williams
Bass, Rhythm Guitar – Gerry McAvoy
Drums, Percussion – Brenden O'Neill
Additional Keyboards – Curtis Schwartz
Guitar, Lead Vocals – Dennis Greaves
Harmonica, Lead Vocals – Mark Feltham
Saxophone – Andy Hamilton, Malcolm (Molly) Duncan
Trumpet – Syd Gald

BIOGRAPHY/AMG
by Bruce Eder

Nine Below Zero started life in South London during 1977, in the midst of the punk rock boom in England -- but their sound and inspiration were so totally counterintuitive to what was going on in punk rock that they scarcely seemed to be part of that movement, apart from their extremely energetic attack on their instruments. Rather than noise for its own sake or auto-destruction, their inspiration lay in classic Chicago blues (though John Mayall's early music and that of the Who and the Kinks from early in their careers also figured into their sound). Dennis Greaves (lead vocals, guitar), Peter Clark (bass), and Kenny Bradley (drums) -- soon joined by Mark Feltham (who actually replaced a teacher of theirs who had sat in on the early gigs) on vocals and harmonica -- were schoolmates and friends who shared a love of blues; all had all come into the world in the early '60s, and might well have resigned themselves to having missed the boat for the British blues revival by virtue of having been born in the midst of it. Instead, they reached back to that era and found themselves pegged as part of the "mod revival" in the midst of the punk era.

Originally billed as Stan's Blues Band, they made a name for themselves locally in South London, sounding a lot like the Who from their "maximum R&B" days and the Kinks from their early days, and arrived as younger rivals to Dr. Feelgood. A couple of years later, they acquired a manager and a new name, taken from a song by Sonny Boy Williamson II, and cut a debut record on their own label. By 1980, they'd been signed to A&M Records' British division and took the bold step of making their major-label debut a live album from the Marquee Club in London -- to judge from the results, one heartily wished that some of the earlier bands that inspired them had displayed similar daring. Live at the Marquee, recorded on June 16, 1980 -- by which time Stix Burkey had replaced Bradley on the drums -- was a success and led to their follow-up album. For their sophomore effort, Don't Point Your Finger, they were determined to translate their live energy into the studio and turned to no less a producer than Glyn Johns, who had worked with the Rolling Stones and the Who in their respective best years. The resulting record reached number 56 on the British charts.

The band's upward momentum was slowed in the years that followed, with Clark's departure (replaced by Brian Berhall), though a third album, Third Degree, followed -- but it seemed as though the moment had passed, as that record never got the attention or recognition it deserved from the press or the public. Greaves' involvement with an outfit called the Truth, who coalesced as a full-time band in 1984, seemed to bring an end to Nine Below Zero, and that might have been as far as the group got. But a 1990 reunion got them playing before sell-out audiences, and the group has been working ever since, with Greaves on lead guitar and Mark Feltham even returning to the fold in 2001.

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9295 - FEATURING NINE BELOW ZERO'S DENNIS GREAVES & MARK FELTHAM - DUO (2015)

DENNIS GREAVES & MARK FELTHAM
''FEATURING NINE BELOW ZERO'S DENNIS GREAVES & MARK FELTHAM''
2015
45:51

1 Walk On 02:41
2 Combread, Pea's And Black Molasses 02:49
3 Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White 02:03
4 Backwater Blues 03:25
5 Carmelita 05:08
6 Egg On My Face 02:33
7 Born And Living With The Blues 03:29
8 Ballad Of Dombovar 03:44
9 I Love You Baby 02:37
10 My Buckets Got A Hole In It 02:35
11 One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer 02:29
12 Sail Away 04:36
13 Stone Fox Chase 02:46
14 Someday The Sun Won't Shine For You 02:34
15 Amazing Grace 02:11

Mark Feltham and Dennis Greaves release first acoustic recording as Duo

Nine Below Zero's founding members Mark Feltham and Dennis Greaves are releasing Duo on Monday. The album pays homage to the musicians who inspired them to form a band in 1977, particularly Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee.

The track listing includes numbers by Terry & McGhee, as well as Randy Newman’s slave trader satire Sail Away, Bessie Smith’s Backwater Blues, and songs by Lead Belly, Hank Williams and Jethro Tull.

“We always loved American folk music and Mark, as a harmonica player, is drawn towards blues and country music," says Dennis. "Living with the blues is everything a blues song is…a life’s journey of struggle and coming to terms with it".

“We wanted the album to feel really authentic and we recorded most of the songs live," says Mark, "some like ‘Walk On’ in just one take - capturing the performance and the feel over perfection. We tried to stay honest to the originals whilst putting our stamp on them"

MORE ABOUT
By Pete Feenstra, getreadytorock.me.uk
There’s no denying the veracity underlying Dennis Greaves and Mark Feltham’s stripped down ‘Duo’ album. It’s crafted with a genuine feel for the music, care for the arrangements and it’s sparked by some inspired interplay and solos.

Dennis Greaves is as much an accomplished songwriter as he is a charismatic front man, while Mark Feltham is surely one of the most underrated harp players in the world. One melodic flourish or extended deep tone can evoke lyrical substance in a single line. But while they both fall back on the classic Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee songbook for their inspiration, it’s not actually the old blues classics that make this album memorable, but rather their own unique musical footprint.

‘Duo’ steers a delicate course between their original blues influences and some songs that probably held sway in the 70’s and 80’s and the occasional Nine Below Zero retread.

Dennis revisits his own ‘Egg On My Face’, as his urgent vocal drives the song onwards in subtle counterpoint to Mark’s country tinged flourishes.

Better still, is the magnificent Hungarian gypsy feel of the ‘Ballad of Dombovar’, which benefits from subtle percussion and the best melody on the album.

Ian Anderson’s ‘Someday The Sun Won’t Shine For You’, is a also a real Brit blues and a Jethro Tull classic, which the duo polish up and restore to its original glory. But while the highlights suggest messieurs Greaves and Feltham have much to explore, some of the material isn’t as well suited to their abilities.

They struggle to make their mark on Bessie Smith’s ‘Backwater Blues’, though Mark’s conversational harp fills and solo is shot through with the kind of authenticity that colours the opening brace of Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee songs.

The album focusses on the quality of the performance and presumably the resulting spontaneity and in that respect, the reworked instrumental ‘Cherry Pink Apple Blossom White’ is a notable highlight. Mark’s harp replaces Billy Regis and Eddie Calvert original trumpet lines to burst through the tension building moments with a harp led melodic resolution.

Similarly on Area Code 615’s (a.k.a. Charlie McCoy) ‘Stone Fox Chase’, his diatonic harp shapes the song over the key changes with subtlety and poise.

Such are the highlights, but not everything works as well, especially the obvious covers such as the early ‘80’s pub rock fare of Randy Newman’s ‘Sail Away’ and Warren’s Zevon’s ‘Carmelita’. The latter features Mark on lead vocal and he simply sounds too English for a song with an essential American noir narrative.

Bessie Smith’s ‘Backwater Blues’ was always going to be a hard song to emulate and although Dennis vocal cleverly uses what sounds like an old radio mic, he doesn’t have the range to make the necessary emotional connection.

That said, the album does draw the listener in on the back of Dennis’s rhythmic acoustic guitar and his live vocal takes, while Mark’s startling tonal variety always infuses the arrangements with new possibilities.

They are at their best on the relaxed and thematic anchor song ‘Living The Blues’, on which the acoustic and harp are perfectly synchronised as the duo lean into the song with real purpose

‘Duo’ is the de facto blues calling card of NBZ’s creative force and deserves to stand above the suspicions of the blues police and the rigid expectations of some NBZ fans.

At their best Denis and Mark sparkle with commitment and class, while only a few poor cover choices deflect the album from its true course of exploring the duo’s original blues roots. ****

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9285 - NINE BELOW ZERO - ROCK THE HOUSE AGAIN, DISC TWO (2014)

NINE BELOW ZERO
''ROCK THE HOUSE AGAIN, DISC TWO''
MAY 27 2014
113:02

DISC ONE (59:10)
1 Money Or The Man 03:56
2 Cinnamon Man 03:55
3 Watch Yourself 03:37
4 Rocket (Instrumental) 04:35
5 Jump Back Baby 04:09
6 Walking By Myself 03:02
7 Mama Talk To Your Daughter 02:04
8 Wild Kickin' Horse 05:20
9 One Way Street 04:11
10 Three Times Enough 02:26
11 Don't Point Your Finger At The 02:57
12 Sugar Mama 05:48
13 Why Don't You Try Me Tonight 05:19
14 Cold Cool Heart 04:18
15 No More The Blues 03:27

DISC TWO (53:52)
1 Tell Me Why I Just Can't Be Like You 09:20
2 Riding On The L&N 05:33
3 I Can't Help Myself 02:56
4 Hoochie Coochie Coo 02:59
5 Pack Fair And Square 02:19
6 Homework 02:55
7 Hit The Road Jack 01:46
8 We Rock The House Again 02:20
9 Stone Fox (The Whistle Test Theme) 02:45
10 On The Road Again 05:26
11 King Bee 02:11
12 Eleven + Eleven 03:44
13 Down In The Dirt Again 05:27
14 Loaded Gun 04:04

BIOGRAPHY/AMG
by Bruce Eder
Nine Below Zero started life in South London during 1977, in the midst of the punk rock boom in England -- but their sound and inspiration were so totally counterintuitive to what was going on in punk rock that they scarcely seemed to be part of that movement, apart from their extremely energetic attack on their instruments. Rather than noise for its own sake or auto-destruction, their inspiration lay in classic Chicago blues (though John Mayall's early music and that of the Who and the Kinks from early in their careers also figured into their sound). Dennis Greaves (lead vocals, guitar), Peter Clark (bass), and Kenny Bradley (drums) -- soon joined by Mark Feltham (who actually replaced a teacher of theirs who had sat in on the early gigs) on vocals and harmonica -- were schoolmates and friends who shared a love of blues; all had all come into the world in the early '60s, and might well have resigned themselves to having missed the boat for the British blues revival by virtue of having been born in the midst of it. Instead, they reached back to that era and found themselves pegged as part of the "mod revival" in the midst of the punk era.

Originally billed as Stan's Blues Band, they made a name for themselves locally in South London, sounding a lot like the Who from their "maximum R&B" days and the Kinks from their early days, and arrived as younger rivals to Dr. Feelgood. A couple of years later, they acquired a manager and a new name, taken from a song by Sonny Boy Williamson II, and cut a debut record on their own label. By 1980, they'd been signed to A&M Records' British division and took the bold step of making their major-label debut a live album from the Marquee Club in London -- to judge from the results, one heartily wished that some of the earlier bands that inspired them had displayed similar daring. Live at the Marquee, recorded on June 16, 1980 -- by which time Stix Burkey had replaced Bradley on the drums -- was a success and led to their follow-up album. For their sophomore effort, Don't Point Your Finger, they were determined to translate their live energy into the studio and turned to no less a producer than Glyn Johns, who had worked with the Rolling Stones and the Who in their respective best years. The resulting record reached number 56 on the British charts.

The band's upward momentum was slowed in the years that followed, with Clark's departure (replaced by Brian Berhall), though a third album, Third Degree, followed -- but it seemed as though the moment had passed, as that record never got the attention or recognition it deserved from the press or the public. Greaves' involvement with an outfit called the Truth, who coalesced as a full-time band in 1984, seemed to bring an end to Nine Below Zero, and that might have been as far as the group got. But a 1990 reunion got them playing before sell-out audiences, and the group has been working ever since, with Greaves on lead guitar and Mark Feltham even returning to the fold in 2001.

WEBSITE

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9284 - NINE BELOW ZERO - ROCK THE HOUSE AGAIN, DISC ONE (2014)

NINE BELOW ZERO
''ROCK THE HOUSE AGAIN, DISC ONE''
MAY 27 2014
113:02

DISC ONE (59:10)
1 Money Or The Man 03:56
2 Cinnamon Man 03:55
3 Watch Yourself 03:37
4 Rocket (Instrumental) 04:35
5 Jump Back Baby 04:09
6 Walking By Myself 03:02
7 Mama Talk To Your Daughter 02:04
8 Wild Kickin' Horse 05:20
9 One Way Street 04:11
10 Three Times Enough 02:26
11 Don't Point Your Finger At The 02:57
12 Sugar Mama 05:48
13 Why Don't You Try Me Tonight 05:19
14 Cold Cool Heart 04:18
15 No More The Blues 03:27

DISC TWO (53:52)
1 Tell Me Why I Just Can't Be Like You 09:20
2 Riding On The L&N 05:33
3 I Can't Help Myself 02:56
4 Hoochie Coochie Coo 02:59
5 Pack Fair And Square 02:19
6 Homework 02:55
7 Hit The Road Jack 01:46
8 We Rock The House Again 02:20
9 Stone Fox (The Whistle Test Theme) 02:45
10 On The Road Again 05:26
11 King Bee 02:11
12 Eleven + Eleven 03:44
13 Down In The Dirt Again 05:27
14 Loaded Gun 04:04

BIOGRAPHY/AMG
by Bruce Eder
Nine Below Zero started life in South London during 1977, in the midst of the punk rock boom in England -- but their sound and inspiration were so totally counterintuitive to what was going on in punk rock that they scarcely seemed to be part of that movement, apart from their extremely energetic attack on their instruments. Rather than noise for its own sake or auto-destruction, their inspiration lay in classic Chicago blues (though John Mayall's early music and that of the Who and the Kinks from early in their careers also figured into their sound). Dennis Greaves (lead vocals, guitar), Peter Clark (bass), and Kenny Bradley (drums) -- soon joined by Mark Feltham (who actually replaced a teacher of theirs who had sat in on the early gigs) on vocals and harmonica -- were schoolmates and friends who shared a love of blues; all had all come into the world in the early '60s, and might well have resigned themselves to having missed the boat for the British blues revival by virtue of having been born in the midst of it. Instead, they reached back to that era and found themselves pegged as part of the "mod revival" in the midst of the punk era.

Originally billed as Stan's Blues Band, they made a name for themselves locally in South London, sounding a lot like the Who from their "maximum R&B" days and the Kinks from their early days, and arrived as younger rivals to Dr. Feelgood. A couple of years later, they acquired a manager and a new name, taken from a song by Sonny Boy Williamson II, and cut a debut record on their own label. By 1980, they'd been signed to A&M Records' British division and took the bold step of making their major-label debut a live album from the Marquee Club in London -- to judge from the results, one heartily wished that some of the earlier bands that inspired them had displayed similar daring. Live at the Marquee, recorded on June 16, 1980 -- by which time Stix Burkey had replaced Bradley on the drums -- was a success and led to their follow-up album. For their sophomore effort, Don't Point Your Finger, they were determined to translate their live energy into the studio and turned to no less a producer than Glyn Johns, who had worked with the Rolling Stones and the Who in their respective best years. The resulting record reached number 56 on the British charts.

The band's upward momentum was slowed in the years that followed, with Clark's departure (replaced by Brian Berhall), though a third album, Third Degree, followed -- but it seemed as though the moment had passed, as that record never got the attention or recognition it deserved from the press or the public. Greaves' involvement with an outfit called the Truth, who coalesced as a full-time band in 1984, seemed to bring an end to Nine Below Zero, and that might have been as far as the group got. But a 1990 reunion got them playing before sell-out audiences, and the group has been working ever since, with Greaves on lead guitar and Mark Feltham even returning to the fold in 2001.

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5536 - NINE BELOW ZERO Live At The Marquee (1980)

NINE BELOW ZERO
''LIVE AT THE MARQUEE''
1980
47:30

1 /Tore Down/2:54
2 /Straighten Her Out
Mickey Burkey / Mark Feltham / Dennis Greaves/2:30
3 /Homework
Al Perkins / Otis Rush/2:27
4 /I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)
Lamont Dozier / Brian Holland / Eddie Holland/2:21
5 /Can I Get a Witness
Lamont Dozier / Brian Holland / Eddie Holland/3:23
6 /Ridin' On the L&N
Dan Burley / Lionel Hampton/4:29
7 /I Can't Quit You Baby/6:03
8 /Stop Your Naggin'
Dennis Greaves/2:38
9 /Hootchie Cootchie Coo
Hank Ballard / Billy Myles/2:31
10 /Wooly Bully
Domingo "Sam" Samudio/2:47
11 /Got My Mojo Working
Preston Foster / Muddy Waters/6:17
12 /Pack Fair and Square/2:35
13 /Watch Yourself/4:05
14 /Swing Job
Mickey Burkey / D. Clark / Mark Feltham / Dennis Greaves/2:30

REVIEW
by Bruce Eder
Nine Below Zero had only released one record prior to this live album, a self-produced EP, but they'd already gotten over a hundred gigs under their belt by the time the U.K. division of A&M Records signed them. The label wisely decided that a live recording was the way to break this band. The result was a classic artifact of the late British punk scene, a searing blues-rock set that recalled the energy of the early performances of the Rolling Stones, the Pretty Things, and the Animals, but presented in a manner closer to the punk era that had just come to a close and which slotted right in with the contemporary mod revival. Anyone who enjoyed the first three or four Dr. Feelgood albums should definitely try Live at the Marquee on for size. The covers range all over the R&B map, including Willie Dixon (whose "I Can't Quit You Baby" gets a killer extended rendition that never lets up in intensity), Holland-Dozier-Holland, and Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs, interspersed with a handful of band originals, of which lead guitarist Dennis Greaves' wild, crunchy "Stop Your Naggin'" is the highlight. And the recording itself strikes a perfect balance between a close, personal band sound and a fair level of room ambience and crowd presence.

BIOGRAPHY
by Bruce Eder
Nine Below Zero started life in South London during 1977, in the midst of the punk rock boom in England -- but their sound and inspiration were so totally counterintuitive to what was going on in punk rock that they scarcely seemed to be part of that movement, apart from their extremely energetic attack on their instruments. Rather than noise for its own sake or auto-destruction, their inspiration lay in classic Chicago blues (though John Mayall's early music and that of the Who and the Kinks from early in their careers also figured into their sound). Dennis Greaves (lead vocals, guitar), Peter Clark (bass), and Kenny Bradley (drums) -- soon joined by Mark Feltham (who actually replaced a teacher of theirs who had sat in on the early gigs) on vocals and harmonica -- were schoolmates and friends who shared a love of blues; all had all come into the world in the early '60s, and might well have resigned themselves to having missed the boat for the British blues revival by virtue of having been born in the midst of it. Instead, they reached back to that era and found themselves pegged as part of the "mod revival" in the midst of the punk era.
Originally billed as Stan's Blues Band, they made a name for themselves locally in South London, sounding a lot like the Who from their "maximum R&B" days and the Kinks from their early days, and arrived as younger rivals to Dr. Feelgood. A couple of years later, they acquired a manager and a new name, taken from a song by Sonny Boy Williamson II, and cut a debut record on their own label. By 1980, they'd been signed to A&M Records' British division and took the bold step of making their major-label debut a live album from the Marquee Club in London -- to judge from the results, one heartily wished that some of the earlier bands that inspired them had displayed similar daring. Live at the Marquee, recorded on June 16, 1980 -- by which time Stix Burkey had replaced Bradley on the drums -- was a success and led to their follow-up album. For their sophomore effort, Don't Point Your Finger, they were determined to translate their live energy into the studio and turned to no less a producer than Glyn Johns, who had worked with the Rolling Stones and the Who in their respective best years. The resulting record reached number 56 on the British charts.
The band's upward momentum was slowed in the years that followed, with Clark's departure (replaced by Brian Berhall), though a third album, Third Degree, followed -- but it seemed as though the moment had passed, as that record never got the attention or recognition it deserved from the press or the public. Greaves' involvement with an outfit called the Truth, who coalesced as a full-time band in 1984, seemed to bring an end to Nine Below Zero, and that might have been as far as the group got. But a 1990 reunion got them playing before sell-out audiences, and the group has been working ever since, with Greaves on lead guitar and Mark Feltham even returning to the fold in 2001.
DoWnLoAd

4153 - NINE BELOW ZERO Live At The Marquee (1980)

NINE BELOW ZERO
''LIVE AT THE MARQUEE''
1980
47:30

1/Tore Down/2:54
2/Straighten Her Out
Mickey Burkey / Mark Feltham / Dennis Greaves/2:30
3/Homework
Al Perkins / Otis Rush/2:27
4/I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)
Lamont Dozier / Brian Holland / Eddie Holland/2:21
5/Can I Get a Witness
Lamont Dozier / Brian Holland / Eddie Holland/3:23
6/Ridin' On the L&N
Dan Burley / Lionel Hampton/4:29
7/I Can't Quit You Baby/6:03
8/Stop Your Naggin'
Dennis Greaves/2:38
9/Hootchie Cootchie Coo
Hank Ballard / Billy Myles/2:31
10/Wooly Bully
Domingo "Sam" Samudio/2:47
11/Got My Mojo Working
Preston Foster / Muddy Waters/6:17
12/Pack Fair and Square/2:35
13/Watch Yourself/4:05
14/Swing Job
Mickey Burkey / D. Clark / Mark Feltham / Dennis Greaves/2:30

REVIEW
by Bruce Eder
Nine Below Zero had only released one record prior to this live album, a self-produced EP, but they'd already gotten over a hundred gigs under their belt by the time the U.K. division of A&M Records signed them. The label wisely decided that a live recording was the way to break this band. The result was a classic artifact of the late British punk scene, a searing blues-rock set that recalled the energy of the early performances of the Rolling Stones, the Pretty Things, and the Animals, but presented in a manner closer to the punk era that had just come to a close and which slotted right in with the contemporary mod revival. Anyone who enjoyed the first three or four Dr. Feelgood albums should definitely try Live at the Marquee on for size. The covers range all over the R&B map, including Willie Dixon (whose "I Can't Quit You Baby" gets a killer extended rendition that never lets up in intensity), Holland-Dozier-Holland, and Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs, interspersed with a handful of band originals, of which lead guitarist Dennis Greaves' wild, crunchy "Stop Your Naggin'" is the highlight. And the recording itself strikes a perfect balance between a close, personal band sound and a fair level of room ambience and crowd presence.

BIOGRAPHY
by Bruce Eder
Nine Below Zero started life in South London during 1977, in the midst of the punk rock boom in England -- but their sound and inspiration were so totally counterintuitive to what was going on in punk rock that they scarcely seemed to be part of that movement, apart from their extremely energetic attack on their instruments. Rather than noise for its own sake or auto-destruction, their inspiration lay in classic Chicago blues (though John Mayall's early music and that of the Who and the Kinks from early in their careers also figured into their sound). Dennis Greaves (lead vocals, guitar), Peter Clark (bass), and Kenny Bradley (drums) -- soon joined by Mark Feltham (who actually replaced a teacher of theirs who had sat in on the early gigs) on vocals and harmonica -- were schoolmates and friends who shared a love of blues; all had all come into the world in the early '60s, and might well have resigned themselves to having missed the boat for the British blues revival by virtue of having been born in the midst of it. Instead, they reached back to that era and found themselves pegged as part of the "mod revival" in the midst of the punk era.
Live at the Marquee
Originally billed as Stan's Blues Band, they made a name for themselves locally in South London, sounding a lot like the Who from their "maximum R&B" days and the Kinks from their early days, and arrived as younger rivals to Dr. Feelgood. A couple of years later, they acquired a manager and a new name, taken from a song by Sonny Boy Williamson II, and cut a debut record on their own label. By 1980, they'd been signed to A&M Records' British division and took the bold step of making their major-label debut a live album from the Marquee Club in London -- to judge from the results, one heartily wished that some of the earlier bands that inspired them had displayed similar daring. Live at the Marquee, recorded on June 16, 1980 -- by which time Stix Burkey had replaced Bradley on the drums -- was a success and led to their follow-up album. For their sophomore effort, Don't Point Your Finger, they were determined to translate their live energy into the studio and turned to no less a producer than Glyn Johns, who had worked with the Rolling Stones and the Who in their respective best years. The resulting record reached number 56 on the British charts.
Third Degree
The band's upward momentum was slowed in the years that followed, with Clark's departure (replaced by Brian Berhall), though a third album, Third Degree, followed -- but it seemed as though the moment had passed, as that record never got the attention or recognition it deserved from the press or the public. Greaves' involvement with an outfit called the Truth, who coalesced as a full-time band in 1984, seemed to bring an end to Nine Below Zero, and that might have been as far as the group got. But a 1990 reunion got them playing before sell-out audiences, and the group has been working ever since, with Greaves on lead guitar and Mark Feltham even returning to the fold in 2001.

DoWnLoAd

3230 - NINE BELOW ZERO Live! (2011)

NINE BELOW ZERO
''LIVE!''
SEPTEMBER 12 2011
55:30

1. Riding On The L'n'N/3:45
2. Soft Touch/3:59
3. Jump Back Baby/3:48
4. On The Road Again/She Gives Me The Shakes/I Can't Quit You Baby/17:03
5. NBZ Boogie/Pack Fair And Square/10:07
6. Don't Point Your Finger/3:07
7. Homework/3:34
8. You Can't Say Yes And You Can't Say No/3:23
9. Mama Talk To Your Daughter/1:54
10. I Wanna Be Loved/2:08
11. Watch Yourself/2:42

Dennis Greaves/Lead vocals, Guitar
Alan Glen/Harmonica
Gerry MacAvoy/Bass
Brendan O'Neill/Drums

REVIEW
This vibrant live package was recorded on Nine Below Zero's 1992 European tour, shortly after Dennis Greaves had reformed the band with harmonica ace Alan Glen and the Rory Gallagher rhythm section of bassist Gerry MacAvoy and drummer Brendan O'Neill.
Greaves may have been the only survivor from the original line-up which had energised audiences a decade or so earlier, but his newly recruited musical sidekicks did a highly effective job in re-creating the familiar Nine Below Zero sound as they launched into old favourites such as "Don't Point Your Finger," "Homework" and "Pack Fair and Square."

BIOGRAPHY
by Bruce Eder
Nine Below Zero started life in South London during 1977, in the midst of the punk rock boom in England -- but their sound and inspiration were so totally counterintuitive to what was going on in punk rock that they scarcely seemed to be part of that movement, apart from their extremely energetic attack on their instruments. Rather than noise for its own sake or auto-destruction, their inspiration lay in classic Chicago blues (though John Mayall's early music and that of the Who and the Kinks from early in their careers also figured into their sound). Dennis Greaves (lead vocals, guitar), Peter Clark (bass), and Kenny Bradley (drums) -- soon joined by Mark Feltham (who actually replaced a teacher of theirs who had sat in on the early gigs) on vocals and harmonica -- were schoolmates and friends who shared a love of blues; all had all come into the world in the early '60s, and might well have resigned themselves to having missed the boat for the British blues revival by virtue of having been born in the midst of it. Instead, they reached back to that era and found themselves pegged as part of the "mod revival" in the midst of the punk era.
Originally billed as Stan's Blues Band, they made a name for themselves locally in South London, sounding a lot like the Who from their "maximum R&B" days and the Kinks from their early days, and arrived as younger rivals to Dr. Feelgood. A couple of years later, they acquired a manager and a new name, taken from a song by Sonny Boy Williamson II, and cut a debut record on their own label. By 1980, they'd been signed to A&M Records' British division and took the bold step of making their major-label debut a live album from the Marquee Club in London -- to judge from the results, one heartily wished that some of the earlier bands that inspired them had displayed similar daring. Live at the Marquee, recorded on June 16, 1980 -- by which time Stix Burkey had replaced Bradley on the drums -- was a success and led to their follow-up album. For their sophomore effort, Don't Point Your Finger, they were determined to translate their live energy into the studio and turned to no less a producer than Glyn Johns, who had worked with the Rolling Stones and the Who in their respective best years. The resulting record reached number 56 on the British charts.
The band's upward momentum was slowed in the years that followed, with Clark's departure (replaced by Brian Berhall), though a third album, Third Degree, followed -- but it seemed as though the moment had passed, as that record never got the attention or recognition it deserved from the press or the public. Greaves' involvement with an outfit called the Truth, who coalesced as a full-time band in 1984, seemed to bring an end to Nine Below Zero, and that might have been as far as the group got. But a 1990 reunion got them playing before sell-out audiences, and the group has been working ever since, with Greaves on lead guitar and Mark Feltham even returning to the fold in 2001.

EU

3229 - NINE BELOW ZERO - Don't Point Your Finger (1981)

NINE BELOW ZERO
''DON'T POINT YOUR FINGER''
1981
39:28

1/One Way Street
Dennis Greaves/3:46
2/Doghouse
Dennis Greaves/2:22
3/Liquor Lover
Dennis Greaves/2:54
4/Helen
Dennis Greaves/3:46
5/Ain't Comin' Back
Mickey Burkey / Dennis Greaves/2:54
6/I Won't Lie
Dennis Greaves/3:42
7/Treat Her Right
Roy Head/2:25
8/Three Times Enough
Mickey Burkey / Dennis Greaves/2:00
9/Sugar Mama
Chester Burnett/5:08
10/Don't Point Your Finger at the Guitar Man
Mickey Burkey / Dennis Greaves/2:45
11/Rockin' Robin
Jesse Thomas/2:25
12/You Can't Please All the People All the Time
Dennis Greaves/5:21

REVIEW
by Ralph Heibutzki
For many discerning fans, Nine Below Zero far outpaced the Jam wannabes that doomed Britain's so-called mod revival era. They even opened for the Who, whose favorite producer, Glyn Johns, oversaw this second A&M album. (Like other 1979-era revivalist bands, the group has re-formed on an intermittent basis.) Nine Below Zero show themselves as sharp players with plenty of hooks up their sleeves. Stix Burkey and Peter Clark whack out a disciplined rhythm attack without fussiness or flourishes, leaving the interplay to singer/harpist Mark Feltham and the main songwriter, lead guitarist Dennis "The Menace" Greaves. Greaves' tunes successfully execute '60s R&B toughness, yet are updated enough to grace a teen scooter fanatic's good books. "One Way Street" is a punchy, doing-it-my-way anthem ("They told me to go by the book/But look at the time that it took"), while the roughhouse R&B of the title track and "Treat Her Right" come across like a speedier Yardbirds. The feel's that close, but Greaves and cohorts have the skill to pull it off. The group expresses their bluesier side on "Ain't Comin' Back" and the slow-burning "Sugar Mama," and also dips back into '50s-style roots rave-ups with a credible cover of "Rockin' Robin." "Helen"'s trebly poppiness offers another nice diversion, being a working stiff's plea to his anxious wife ("You're the one I'm thinking of/When I come home late from my job"). An unpretentious sense of humor also makes itself heard on the title track and "Liquor Lover," which chides a girlfriend who's too fond of the fizzy stuff (which is reminiscent of how Rockpile sent up overeating on their own "Knife and Fork"). Greaves' quest for authenticity occasionally falls flat; "Three Times Enough" is as barely disguised a rewrite of "The Train Kept a-Rollin'" as you'll ever hear. However, the group's enthusiasm is contagious in all the right places, as typified by its anthemic closer, "You Can't Please All the People All the Time." Don't let the revivalist tag stop you from putting this album in your collection.

BIOGRAPHY
by Bruce Eder
Nine Below Zero started life in South London during 1977, in the midst of the punk rock boom in England -- but their sound and inspiration were so totally counterintuitive to what was going on in punk rock that they scarcely seemed to be part of that movement, apart from their extremely energetic attack on their instruments. Rather than noise for its own sake or auto-destruction, their inspiration lay in classic Chicago blues (though John Mayall's early music and that of the Who and the Kinks from early in their careers also figured into their sound). Dennis Greaves (lead vocals, guitar), Peter Clark (bass), and Kenny Bradley (drums) -- soon joined by Mark Feltham (who actually replaced a teacher of theirs who had sat in on the early gigs) on vocals and harmonica -- were schoolmates and friends who shared a love of blues; all had all come into the world in the early '60s, and might well have resigned themselves to having missed the boat for the British blues revival by virtue of having been born in the midst of it. Instead, they reached back to that era and found themselves pegged as part of the "mod revival" in the midst of the punk era.
Originally billed as Stan's Blues Band, they made a name for themselves locally in South London, sounding a lot like the Who from their "maximum R&B" days and the Kinks from their early days, and arrived as younger rivals to Dr. Feelgood. A couple of years later, they acquired a manager and a new name, taken from a song by Sonny Boy Williamson II, and cut a debut record on their own label. By 1980, they'd been signed to A&M Records' British division and took the bold step of making their major-label debut a live album from the Marquee Club in London -- to judge from the results, one heartily wished that some of the earlier bands that inspired them had displayed similar daring. Live at the Marquee, recorded on June 16, 1980 -- by which time Stix Burkey had replaced Bradley on the drums -- was a success and led to their follow-up album. For their sophomore effort, Don't Point Your Finger, they were determined to translate their live energy into the studio and turned to no less a producer than Glyn Johns, who had worked with the Rolling Stones and the Who in their respective best years. The resulting record reached number 56 on the British charts.
The band's upward momentum was slowed in the years that followed, with Clark's departure (replaced by Brian Berhall), though a third album, Third Degree, followed -- but it seemed as though the moment had passed, as that record never got the attention or recognition it deserved from the press or the public. Greaves' involvement with an outfit called the Truth, who coalesced as a full-time band in 1984, seemed to bring an end to Nine Below Zero, and that might have been as far as the group got. But a 1990 reunion got them playing before sell-out audiences, and the group has been working ever since, with Greaves on lead guitar and Mark Feltham even returning to the fold in 2001.

EU

3147 - NINE BELOW ZERO - Cold Cool Heart, Disc Two (2011)

NINE BELOW ZERO
''COLD COOL HEART, DISC TWO''
FEBRUARY 28 2011
12:37

1 - Money Or The Man/3:55
2 - Cinnamon Man/3:54
3 - Watch Yourself/3:37
4 - Rocket (Instrumental)/4:35
5 - Jump Back Baby/4:09
6 - Walking By Myself/3:02
7 - Mama Talk To Your Daughter/2:03
8 - Wild Kickin' Horse/5:19
9 - One Way Street/4:11
10 - Three Times Enough/2:26
11 - Don't Point Your Finger At The Guitarman/2:56
12 - Sugar Mama/5:48
13 - Why Don't You Try Me Tonight/5:18
14 - Cold Cool Heart/4:18
15 - No More The Blues/3:27

DISC TWO
1 - Tell Me Why I Just Can't Be Like You/9:19
2 - Riding On The L&N/5:33
3 - I Can't Help Myself/2:55
4 - Hoochie Coochie Coo/2:58
5 - Pack Fair And Square/2:19
6 - Homework/2:54
7 - Hit The Road Jack/1:46
8 - We Rock The House Again/2:20
9 - Stone Fox (The Whistle Test Theme)/2:45
10 - On The Road Again/5:26
11 - King Bee/2:11
12 - Eleven + Eleven/3:44
13 - Down In The Dirt Again/5:27
14 - Loaded Gun/4:04

BIOGRAPHY
by Bruce Eder
Nine Below Zero started life in South London during 1977, in the midst of the punk rock boom in England -- but their sound and inspiration were so totally counterintuitive to what was going on in punk rock that they scarcely seemed to be part of that movement, apart from their extremely energetic attack on their instruments. Rather than noise for its own sake or auto-destruction, their inspiration lay in classic Chicago blues (though John Mayall's early music and that of the Who and the Kinks from early in their careers also figured into their sound). Dennis Greaves (lead vocals, guitar), Peter Clark (bass), and Kenny Bradley (drums) -- soon joined by Mark Feltham (who actually replaced a teacher of theirs who had sat in on the early gigs) on vocals and harmonica -- were schoolmates and friends who shared a love of blues; all had all come into the world in the early '60s, and might well have resigned themselves to having missed the boat for the British blues revival by virtue of having been born in the midst of it. Instead, they reached back to that era and found themselves pegged as part of the "mod revival" in the midst of the punk era.
Originally billed as Stan's Blues Band, they made a name for themselves locally in South London, sounding a lot like the Who from their "maximum R&B" days and the Kinks from their early days, and arrived as younger rivals to Dr. Feelgood. A couple of years later, they acquired a manager and a new name, taken from a song by Sonny Boy Williamson II, and cut a debut record on their own label. By 1980, they'd been signed to A&M Records' British division and took the bold step of making their major-label debut a live album from the Marquee Club in London -- to judge from the results, one heartily wished that some of the earlier bands that inspired them had displayed similar daring. Live at the Marquee, recorded on June 16, 1980 -- by which time Stix Burkey had replaced Bradley on the drums -- was a success and led to their follow-up album. For their sophomore effort, Don't Point Your Finger, they were determined to translate their live energy into the studio and turned to no less a producer than Glyn Johns, who had worked with the Rolling Stones and the Who in their respective best years. The resulting record reached number 56 on the British charts.
The band's upward momentum was slowed in the years that followed, with Clark's departure (replaced by Brian Berhall), though a third album, Third Degree, followed -- but it seemed as though the moment had passed, as that record never got the attention or recognition it deserved from the press or the public. Greaves' involvement with an outfit called the Truth, who coalesced as a full-time band in 1984, seemed to bring an end to Nine Below Zero, and that might have been as far as the group got. But a 1990 reunion got them playing before sell-out audiences, and the group has been working ever since, with Greaves on lead guitar and Mark Feltham even returning to the fold in 2001.

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3146 - NINE BELOW ZERO - Cold Cool Heart, Disc One (2011)

NINE BELOW ZERO
''COLD COOL HEART, DISC ONE''
FEBRUARY 28 2011
12:37

1 - Money Or The Man/3:55
2 - Cinnamon Man/3:54
3 - Watch Yourself/3:37
4 - Rocket (Instrumental)/4:35
5 - Jump Back Baby/4:09
6 - Walking By Myself/3:02
7 - Mama Talk To Your Daughter/2:03
8 - Wild Kickin' Horse/5:19
9 - One Way Street/4:11
10 - Three Times Enough/2:26
11 - Don't Point Your Finger At The Guitarman/2:56
12 - Sugar Mama/5:48
13 - Why Don't You Try Me Tonight/5:18
14 - Cold Cool Heart/4:18
15 - No More The Blues/3:27

DISC TWO
1 - Tell Me Why I Just Can't Be Like You/9:19
2 - Riding On The L&N/5:33
3 - I Can't Help Myself/2:55
4 - Hoochie Coochie Coo/2:58
5 - Pack Fair And Square/2:19
6 - Homework/2:54
7 - Hit The Road Jack/1:46
8 - We Rock The House Again/2:20
9 - Stone Fox (The Whistle Test Theme)/2:45
10 - On The Road Again/5:26
11 - King Bee/2:11
12 - Eleven + Eleven/3:44
13 - Down In The Dirt Again/5:27
14 - Loaded Gun/4:04

BIOGRAPHY
by Bruce Eder
Nine Below Zero started life in South London during 1977, in the midst of the punk rock boom in England -- but their sound and inspiration were so totally counterintuitive to what was going on in punk rock that they scarcely seemed to be part of that movement, apart from their extremely energetic attack on their instruments. Rather than noise for its own sake or auto-destruction, their inspiration lay in classic Chicago blues (though John Mayall's early music and that of the Who and the Kinks from early in their careers also figured into their sound). Dennis Greaves (lead vocals, guitar), Peter Clark (bass), and Kenny Bradley (drums) -- soon joined by Mark Feltham (who actually replaced a teacher of theirs who had sat in on the early gigs) on vocals and harmonica -- were schoolmates and friends who shared a love of blues; all had all come into the world in the early '60s, and might well have resigned themselves to having missed the boat for the British blues revival by virtue of having been born in the midst of it. Instead, they reached back to that era and found themselves pegged as part of the "mod revival" in the midst of the punk era.
Originally billed as Stan's Blues Band, they made a name for themselves locally in South London, sounding a lot like the Who from their "maximum R&B" days and the Kinks from their early days, and arrived as younger rivals to Dr. Feelgood. A couple of years later, they acquired a manager and a new name, taken from a song by Sonny Boy Williamson II, and cut a debut record on their own label. By 1980, they'd been signed to A&M Records' British division and took the bold step of making their major-label debut a live album from the Marquee Club in London -- to judge from the results, one heartily wished that some of the earlier bands that inspired them had displayed similar daring. Live at the Marquee, recorded on June 16, 1980 -- by which time Stix Burkey had replaced Bradley on the drums -- was a success and led to their follow-up album. For their sophomore effort, Don't Point Your Finger, they were determined to translate their live energy into the studio and turned to no less a producer than Glyn Johns, who had worked with the Rolling Stones and the Who in their respective best years. The resulting record reached number 56 on the British charts.
The band's upward momentum was slowed in the years that followed, with Clark's departure (replaced by Brian Berhall), though a third album, Third Degree, followed -- but it seemed as though the moment had passed, as that record never got the attention or recognition it deserved from the press or the public. Greaves' involvement with an outfit called the Truth, who coalesced as a full-time band in 1984, seemed to bring an end to Nine Below Zero, and that might have been as far as the group got. But a 1990 reunion got them playing before sell-out audiences, and the group has been working ever since, with Greaves on lead guitar and Mark Feltham even returning to the fold in 2001.

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