It’s telling that the new album from Supersuckers begins with Eddie Spaghetti – the bands irascible frontman – screaming at somebody. Finally, he yells: “we’ll do it fucking live, the fucking thing sucks!” With that, “All Of The Time” kicks off and, brother, no one here is looking back.
“….Time” suggests, with no hint of irony: “I hope I am not too lippy, I am shooting from the hippy” and within five minutes and 14 seconds it proves exactly that literally no one can claim the spirit of rock n roll runs through their veins like Supersuckers.
They know this too. They are, in fact, one of the most confident bands in the world (as well as being one of the best). “The History Of Rock N Roll” devotes its time to putting the world to rights. First, the extremely erudite Spaghetti (one of the finest songwriters on the planet – as well as arguably the scariest individual I have ever met) lists all the bands he loves that you should too (he basically orders this), then he dismisses new outfits, thus: “I don’t really give a shit/at least not like I could/it ain’t blowing my skirt up/ because it ain’t no good.” Before the killer pay off in the third verse: “oh The Supersuckers, man, the fucking greatest band in the world.”
Their last album, “Holdin’ The Bag” explored their country side fully, “Suck It” goes back to just being country flavoured. “Dead Inside” offers a southern vibe, but takes apart whiny singer/songwriters, “you don’t wanna know, and I don’t want you to find out, what I’m going through, it doesn’t need a shout out” spits its chorus, in the most melodic punk way you can imagine. They follow this up with “Breakin’ My Balls” – arguably the best Motorhead song that Motorhead didn’t write, and that is the two sides to this band, right there.
Even allowing for the fact that, here, everything they do is through the prism of rock n roll, there is more light and shade than most bands. “Worst Thing Ever” is a ballad done Supersuckers style – and god knows Spaghetti, who battled throat cancer would have had plenty of dark material if he’d wanted – while “What’s Up With This Motherfuckin’ Thing” is punk rock fury that Zeke would be proud of and that is before “Cold Wet Wind”, comes in strutting the harmonica drenched blues.
But then, well this is Supersuckers. Which is precisely why there should be a song on this record called “(I’m Gonna Choke Myself And Masturbate) Till I Die” (key line: “I wont give a shit what anyone thinks, when I am hanging from my doorknob in a pool of my own stink”) and that’s precisely why this one is so good.
“Private Parking Lot” is another nefarious tale, this time over a Georgia Satellites style groove, and after the spirit of Lemmy has been invoked one last time over “Beer Drinkers And Hell Raisers” – on which they are joined by Jesse Dayton (country sideman to the stars) – you are left with the overriding thought that although Supersuckers don’t make bad records, with “Suck It” they’ve made a belter.
Eddie Spaghetti is a man who seems to like the last word, so we’ll give him it. “I’ve come to realize what we do is not for everyone, but I still feel like we have hit songs.” He said of the album. “This one sounds like it’s coming from dudes in their 50s who’ve been doing it for a long time and have this stupid hope that someday somebody will hear our song and make it popular like it oughta be. Because that is the truth.”
I am not disagreeing, and even If I did, I wouldn’t tell Eddie.
This is nothing more, and nothing less than a triumph of rock n roll.
Rating 9/10
