Rant N Rave uncensored

Mikey,

I'm not so sure that Robbie Williams is that much better than Brian mate!

Brooklyn Bomber wrote:

"Lookin' Better Every Beer"

:

Fantastic song, one of my all time SC favourites, a true weeper, brilliant in any level.
Also the solo version on CoachHouse tapes is...is....can't find the words that would do justice
to that performance. Out of this world, loaded with talent & feeling!

SwanseaCity wrote:

Mikey,

I'm not so sure that Robbie Williams is that much better than Brian mate!

Ha ha! You mean like... Brians just this average guitar picker from Massapequa, who got by in the industry due to his charm, whereas Robbie Williams is a musical genius from Stoke, who has changed the way we feel about swing music with his liberating and fantastic album, Swing When You're Winning. Closely followed by those amazing guy, Westlife with Let me Be Frank!. Now, don't get me started on Westlife

Mikey MacFadden

Hey hey, I'm back to report some weird findings. I am now somewhat obsessed with finding the unbleeped CD. I recall now that I had the cassette brand new in '83 when this came out, and there was no bleep. I've never owned a bleepless CD.

With that in mind, I headed on over to eBay, and have noticed a few different album covers as well as some different track listings. My cassette never had Lucky Charm or Lookin' Better Every Beer - I discovered those when the anthology came out.

I found two album covers - one with a Stop sign (which I think denotes the explicit lyric), one with Stray Cats lettering in the bottom right in purple. My CD was stolen a few years back, but I have the liner in a collage in my garage (not trying to rhyme), so I'll see my track listing. The Stop sign edition does not have the purple lettering.

The purple lettering edition is a Japanese import, and contains the extra tracks. The non-lettered edition is not Japanese, but I cannot find track listing.

Rebels Rule was my favorite song on that entire CD for the guitar solo, Jim's opening drum riff, and the slap in Lee's bass. Sounded like an oldie dragged out from the late 50's. The bleep ruined it. Sorry, I'm a purist!

BTW, we need an smiley emoticon sporting a black pomp...

Yes, yes, yes…there are some versions of „Rant n’ Rave…“ but first the “stop sign” you saw is a kind of „nice price“-sticker and has nothing to do with the original cover.

The purple logo cover is – as you said – from Japan with two bonus tracks which are “Lookin’ Better Every Beer” and “Lucky Charm (Ooh Wee Suzy)”. Same cover has been used for the North American and Canadian release unfortunately without any bonus tracks therefore with a “beep-free” “Rebels Rule”.

The cover has been also used in Hong Kong and Taiwan (last one with different rear side of cover) and South Africa.

The Argentinean version includes Spanish titles on the (black/white) back of the cover with makes it very collectable.

The cover with the yellow red logo in the right upper corner was uses in Europe (except Portugal and Spain where they used the US cover) and Israel.

There is a kind of “Rant n’ Rave…” from Thailand. The cover uses the picture of the regular “rant n’ Rave…” but includes no writing. There is a yellow red logo in the upper left corner and a red line on the bottom. This album, called “Stray Cats”, includes some tracks from “Rant n’ Rave …” like “I Won’t Stand In Your Way”, Look At The Cadillac”, Something’s Wrong With My Radio”, 18 Miles To Memphis”, “Hot Rod Gang” and “Too Hip, Gotta Go”. The other songs are from the first two European Stray Cats albums. Back side features the backside of their debut album with stray cats logo and tracks.

The ordinary tracking list is the same as the Japanese but without the above mentioned bonus tracks.

BB

Brooklyn Bomber wrote:

The purple logo cover is – as you said – from Japan with two bonus tracks which are “Lookin’ Better Every Beer” and “Lucky Charm (Ooh Wee Suzy)”. Same cover has been used for the North American and Canadian release unfortunately without any bonus tracks therefore with a “beep-free” “Rebels Rule”.

So the version lacking the bonus tracks has the beep-free Rebels Rule? I already have those on another disc For less than $10 I may just try it!

Toddorado wrote:

So the version lacking the bonus tracks has the beep-free Rebels Rule?

Can't tell you for sure. That what I said is for the vinyl editions. I know that all Japanese formats, means LP or CD, include the beeped "Rebels Rule". But there is an US CD version of "Rant n' Rave.." which is "beep free". Can't give u a number or something but the cover is the US one with the purple logo and the back (inlay) is black with song titles and a yellow-red logo.

Hope that helps...beep

BB

Not able to put my mitts on my 6 or 7 Rant N Rave Albums(I'll get 'em soon Faith), if memory serves, back in '83 when I got them, the American release had no beep, whilst the UK release had the beep. The Spanish cassette version I had also had no beep, which I found strange. Certainly the Japanese version had the extra tracks and no beeps, and a fantastic lyric sheet, wrfitten, or should i say translated by someone who had never heard the Stray Cats before. I wish I could remember some of them, but they were truly fantastic. Brian has even used some of these lyrics in a few live renditions also.

Mikey xx

I knew that the japanese version has Lookin better every beer and How long you wanna live
but I really never heard ANYTHING about this song "Cruisin" and the Creedence Cover (only the live version they played back in 83)
what release has all those songs? does this exist? :p

Hey Gang,
Just remembered/found a 12" single (do you remenber those!) of Sexy + 17. It has a soft sleeve green cover with the cartoon of the Cats in a flamed '32 peelin' out. Sexy + 17 is written on cardboard posters and cartoons of highschool kids are holding up each letter. The back has the picture of them with Brian leaning againest a brick wall wearing orange pants. There's also the head logo AND Rat Fink logo on the back as well. The songs are Sexy + 17, Lookin' Better Every Beer, Cruisin' and Lucky Charm.
It's put out by Arista England and mentions that Sexy + 17 is from the forthcoming LP Rant'n'Rave with the Stray Cats. Made in Australia in '83, catalouge number x13116 (scat 126).
Don't remember where I bought it, but I know that I bought it pretty much AFTER Rant came out, and it would of been from a local record shop (remember those!). My LP doesn't have the bleep as doesn't my cousins either, must of been the Aussie version I guess. The LP doesn't have any of these songs besides Sexy.
Cheers Pete.