Primal Scream (Group): Darrin Mooney (drums, percussion); Gary Mounfield, Martin Duffy, Andrew Innes, Robert Young, Bobby Gillespie.
Personnel: Alison Mosshart, Bobby Gillespie (vocals); Andrew Innes (guitar, banjo, mandolin, Moog synthesizer); Robert Young (guitar, harmonica); Martin Duffy (harmonica, piano, harmonium, organ); Gary Mounfield (bass guitar); Tim Bran (programming); John Gibbons, Sharlene Hector (background vocals).
Audio Mixer: D. Sardy.
Recording information: The Bunker, London, England.
Editor: Stewart Whitmore.
On 2006's RIOT CITY BLUES, the revered U.K. alternative-rock band Primal Scream acts as if its late-1990s/early-2000s foray into electronica was nothing but a vivid dream, opting instead to pick up where '94's Stones-worshiping GIVE OUT BUT DON'T GIVE UP left off. With production handled by former Killing Joke bassist Youth and violinist Warren Ellis, a frequent Nick Cave foil, on board for several tracks, it's not surprising that the album often has a moody, angular sound (see the brooding "Little Death"), but frontman Bobby Gillespie's love of '70s glam and pub rock looms even larger, as on the searing Bowie-indebted "Suicide Sally & Johnny Guitar." Though it may perplex many fans, RIOT CITY BLUES is a fun tour through rock history, as seen through Gillespie's proudly blurry vision.
Professional Reviews
Rolling Stone (p.74) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[I]t returns to the scuzz blues of their mid-Nineties work....[With] party-ready stuff like 'Country Girl' and meaty rock sonics."
Spin (p.110) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[I]t's like Booker T. & the M.G.'s jamming with the Jesus and Mary Chain."
Entertainment Weekly (p.86) - "[T]he Brits' ninth studio album sounds like a collection of EXILE ON MAIN STREET outtakes -- and often good ones at that." -- Grade: B+
Q (p.118) - Ranked #70 in Q Magazine's "100 Greatest Albums of 2006."
