UNCLE-SAM-Heaven-or-Hollywood-CD-EnhancedIt ain’t easy being sleazy – or maybe it is. Uncle Sam were around for a hot minute (as they say) during the 80’s. Trying to get any info on them is tough even in these world wide webslung days. It must be galling to the foursome from Rochester NY that a search brings up a 60’s band and multiple pages dealing with a function band of the same name before you can get anything on these rockers.

At least this means that the music is going to do the talking rather than a press release.
First things first the cover. Apparently it caused a lot of controversy when the album was first released in 1987. The cover is a shot of a naked woman from the navel to mid thigh holding a cut throat razor. In the version eventually released, in honour of supposed good taste, the woman’s pubis is covered by a much less tasteful purple thong. This reissue from Minotaur records has both versions – so you can flip it over when your nan or granddad comes in. The cover makes me think of Athena – the poster shop. This is a good thing. The back cover reminds me of Morbid Angel.

Onto the delights within the 80’s softcore package.

What Uncle Sam deliver is sleaze. Punk meets 80’s rock. Stooges and New York Dolls vs Kiss and Motley Crue with more of an emphasis on sped up, fucked up blues.
Opener “Live for the Day” sounds like the Cramps and the Dolls jamming in a garage on the Cass Corridor in Detroit in the early 70’s. In fact, that is the sound that Uncle Sam evoke throughout this CD. Raw power (excuse the Pop Pun) complete with rockabilly rhythms and sloppy spiky solos. This probably sounded completely out of date and musty in ’87 in the polished world of post Lies GnR and Poison but now it sounds like a sure fire garage classic. Heaven or Hollywood is not a grower. This is not an album that you need to hear a few times to see if you like it. As soon as the thing starts you either know if this kind of trash makes your blood pump faster and your nether regions twitch or you don’t. If not then get the fuck out! Check out” Under Sedation” if you want to hear what the real successor to Under My Wheels by Alice Cooper is – this track makes the re -record done with Axl a waste of breath and Ginger shampoo. Scott Cessna’s vocals straddle Iggy and early Alice in equal measure but with enough of his own timbre in there to not sound like “Stars in their Eyes” (ugh Harry Hill). The title track has a pounding dark sound that flips the sleaze on its head and somehow evokes a gothic aura – American Damned?

“Alice D” is a nightmare trip of a song – Nightmare era Vincent Furnier (wink) which along with the title track, shows that when Uncle Sam slow things down they can still get their groove on.

The Candyman continues the psychedelic journey and I look over my shoulder for the child catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang . This band really were truly scrumptious. “Don’t You Ever” is spiky snotty post punk that wouldn’t have sounded out of place in a pub on Canvey Island in the late seventies and “Peace of mind , Piece of body” never fails to elicit a grin and a toe tap.

This reissue features two cover versions, both of which have been famously covered by other bands . The first is The Monkees “Steppin’ Stone” and Uncle Sam do it justice – all the piss and vinegar is there and Cessna adds his own sneer without aping the Rotten cover.
“Train Kept a Rollin’” brings things to a close. First recorded by Tiny Bradshaw , but most famously by the Yardbirds, Uncle Sam turn this into a rockabilly sleazeathon and bookend this collection perfectly.
The band may no longer be about but if you like snotty, beer soaked, sloppy fun and roll – get this cd.

(8.5/10 Matt Mason)

http://www.minotaurorecords.com