FLATTERY VOL. 2: - A TRIBUTE TO RADIO BIRDMAN COMP CD

KILLER COVERS BY TODAY'S HOTTEST PUNK-ROCK BANDS: GLUECIFER, BELLRAYS, NOMADS, YESMEN, NITWITZ. For those of you who still haven't removed the scorch marks Volume One put in your CD player, forget it! It's finally here -- Jake Starr and Dave Champion's second helping of modern-day bands' takes on 15 Birdman classics. Dunno how the ex-Birdmen themselves feel about this project, but from a fan's perspective, anything that evokes the spirit and feeling of the Birdmen is welcome.There's nothing here as unique as the Bon FŸhrer or Boyettes tracks on the previous installment, but there's still plenty to appreciate here. Gluecifer turns in a credible "Monday Morning Gunk," hewing pretty close to the original -- as many of the bands tend to do; variation usually takes the form of turning up the intensity, losing some of the subtleties of light and shade that the originals had, but hey, call it the price of a fan's enthusiasm.Among the more original approaches is the BellRays' "If I Wanted To," in which this L.A. band, whom I've heard compared to "the MC5 fronted by Janis Joplin," comes across more like Black Sabbath fronted by Aretha Franklin -- which is not a bad thing (and makes me all the more anxious to seek out their self-released full-length CD, which the Barman was unable to unearth on his recent Stateside jaunt, even in their hometown!).Other highlights: Silver Tongued Devil's "TPBR Combo," the Streetwalkin' Cheetahs' quick 'n' dirty "Iskender Time," the Nomads' "Hanging On" (which these veteran Swedes -- my main men of the moment -- don't quite make their own the way they have other material they've covered), and the Yes-Men's "Anglo Girl Desire" (with guitar/saxophone interplay that captures the feel of the wild Tek-Masuak break on the "Ritualism" version). Spain's Kike Turmix showcases his, uh, idiosyncratic vocal approach to "Aloha Steve and Danno," while the Spoilers win the Land Speed Record Award for the fastest version of "Descent Into the Maelstrom" ever clocked in North America OR Australasia, and Amsterdam's Nitwitz (including Hydromatics stalwart Tony Slug) turn in a solid "Dark Surprise." Oh, and memo to the "Demons" -- it's cheating to bogart more disc time than anybody else by doing a medley!Radio Birdman were like a gang that created their own universe and invited the world inside it...like the early Who and MC5. Rock'n'roll doesn't get any better. These volumes are just a hint of how widespread their influence remains, 20 years plus since they crashed and burned. Kudos to Jake 'n' Dave for making this happen. Me? I'm ready for another volume, starting off with, say Holy Curse's great version of "Cryin' Sun"...but in the meantime, this'll more than suffice. Grab these while you can -- they'll make you wanna do the Pop AND the Moving Change - Ken Shimamoto