"Repeat When Necessary" was the 5th solo album from Dave Edmunds. The Welshman had initially come to prominence as the guitarist in Love Sculpture, who had a top 5 single in 1968 with the high-speed, electric instrumental "Sabre Dance" from Khachaturian's ballet "Gayane". After Love Sculpture disbanded, Edmunds then had global hit in 1970 with the novelty song "I Hear You Knocking", which reached number 1 in both the UK and US.
Although a few minor hits of covers followed, Edmunds enhanced his reputation when teaming up to much critical acclaim with Nick Lowe, Billy Bremner and Terry Williams to form Rockpile . However, as Lowe and Edmunds were signed to different record labels, Rockpile were unable to release records under their own name. Instead, in 1979 the band went to work on producing two albums, Lowe's "Labour of Lust" and "Repeat When Necessary" for Edmunds. I bought both LPs but the price sticker on the cover shows that I bought "Repeat When Necessary" for £2.25 in Buffalo Records in Cardiff, which suggest I probably purchased it in 1981.
Although I preferred "Labour of Lust", I still thought "Repeat When Necessary" was a good album, but the two records were very different, with Lowe's being a mix of pop, new wave and country songs, whereas Edmunds' was more rock n' roll or rockabilly.
The other noticeable feature was whilst "Labour of Lust" was nearly all Lowe compositions, "Repeat When Necessary" didn't include anything written by either Lowe or Edmunds. Instead, Rockpile guitarist Billy Bremner wrote or co-wrote three of the songs, former Emmylou Harris guitarist Hank de Vito contributed two songs, whilst Elvis Costello, Huey Lewis and Graham Parker provided one each. The remainder were covers from the 1950s and 1960s.
"Girls Talk", the first single from the album, is often referred to as a cover of the Elvis Costello song, but in fact, Costello gave the song to Edmunds, who significantly rearranged its structure, and Costello only released and recorded his own version a year later as the B-Side to "I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down". It was included on "Taking Liberties", Costello's collection of B-Sides, out-takes, and songs not previously released in the USA, and as this blog comments on that LP, the version by Edmunds is significantly better.
https://fatbearslockdownlps.blogspot.com/2021/10/elvis-costello-taking-liberties.html
Similarly Graham Parker doesn't appear to have recorded his own version of "Crawling From The Wreckage" until it was included on a live album in 1996. It's a song that led to a change in BBC radio's policy after it was played immediately after a news bulletin which included a story about a number of deaths following a multiple motorway car crash. After several complaints, a review was subsequently introduced to ensure the first song after a news break didn't have any offensive or controversial references to the news content.
Personally, my favourite songs from the album at the time were "The Creature From The Black Lagoon" and the second single "Queen of Hearts". I thought side one was the much stronger side and can recall all 5 tracks, whereas I can now only remember two of the songs on side two.
Listening now to "Girls Talk", the production sounds a little dated by today's standards and the guitar solo doesn't quite seem to fit, but despite that it is still enjoyable to hear again. As always, Costello's lyrics are worth listening to, "There are something you can't cover up with lipstick and powder, thought I heard you mention my name can't you talk any louder ?"
Billy Bremner's "Creature From The Black Lagoon" remains a great song, has a great guitar solo and could easily have been another single from the album. It also has some superb "King Kong" imagery lyrics, worth repeating some of them at length :
"All he wanted was a lady, when at night he came up from the deep, he was feeling like any other lonely fella, decided to take one while the city was asleep. The unsuspecting maiden was clutched from where she lay and taken away to a hole down under the waters of the local bay. By the creature from the Black Lagoon, strange to see him back so soon. After his last intended did the dirty on him, didn't last five minutes in the swim"
"Sweet Little Lisa" is a slab of 1950's rock n'roll, notable for the the guitar solo by Albert Lee. "There ain't nobody gonna make me shout, ain't nobody gonna put me out, ain't nobody gonna make me do like my sweet little Lisa dos"
"Dynamite" closes slide one and was an early Cliff Richard song. Its perhaps the weakest track on the album.
Side two opens with the country/rockabilly crossover "Queen Of Hearts" which still sounds great.
"Home In My Hand" was previously covered by Brinsley Schwarz, and is a standard boogie.
"Goodbye Mr Good Guy" is more 1950's rock n roll and I could easily imaging Elvis singing it. The chorus is reminiscent of "This Old House", and Edmunds did produce some of Shakin' Stevens' early records.
The slower paced "Take Me For A Little While", covered by Dusty Springfield amongst others appears a little out out place, with a Phil Spector type production and Motown style backing vocals.
Bremner's "We Were Both Wrong" chugs along quite nicely but I couldn't help thinking it has has very close similarities in parts to Ringo Starr's "You're Sixteen" !
Huey Lewis' "Bad Is Bad" closes side two. Lewis, who released his own version several years later, plays Harmonica and it sounds like Dr Feelgood !
In summary, "Repeat When Necessary" was enjoyable to listen again, which its mix of musical styles. The first three songs are very much "modern" new wave for the late 1970s, whilst the subsequent material is a mix of 1950/60 rock n' roll, rockabilly, country and a hint of Motown. All good though !
Track Listing :
Side One :
1. Girls Talk
2. Crawling From The Wreckage
3. The Creature From The Black Lagoon
4. Sweet Little Lisa
5. Dynamite
1. Queen Of Hearts
2. Home In My Hand
3. Goodbye Mr Good Guy
4. Take Me For A Little While
5. We Were Both Wrong
6. Bad Is Bad
Released 1979
UK Chart Position : 39
Singles :
Girls Talk ( No 4 - 1979 )
Queen Of Hearts ( No 11 - 1979 )
Crawling From The Wreckage ( No 59 - 1979 )
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