THE ROOSTERS Insane LP

(Nippon Columbia AZ-7129-AX), 1981, Japan

I have only Todd Mayberry of BRAIN LAPSE magazine to thank for this!!

I loved this LP from the very first second the needle dropped due to the fact that it kicks off with “Let’s Rock (Dan Dan) レッツ・ロック.” In light of the lyrics, before Cola Shock there was the “empty shock”… which is the way I feel right now without Cola Shock. (That’s an inside joke.) The only issue I have with this song is that it’s too long. No hit should clock in at 4:10. “We Wanna Get Everything ゲット・エヴリシング” at 1:36 kinda makes up for that. Lyrics like “Busted radio in my hand/Hangin’ around 42nd street” leads one to think that maybe The Roosters rubbed shoulders – and dicks – with both Dee Dee and Jonathan King ( … even though they came from the deep south of Fukuoka City). The following “Baby Sitter ベビー・シッター” with a chorus of “Hay baby shut it up/You’re behind time/ Don’t say a word anymore/I’m not your baby sitter [sic]” as spelled out on the insert is hunky dory. Still, it has a very, very slight tinge of the ol’ rock ‘n’ roll jukebox jive that blew chunks all over their 2nd LP The Roosters a-Gogo. “All Night Long オールナイト・ロング” is probably my most fave track on the whole album because it actually pulls off what they were going for with their last LP. Lead singer, guitarist and main songwriter Shinya Ohe confesses that “what I got is a bad habit,” but everything is going to be okay “if I get what I need.” Jonesing the Chu-Hi? Been there, man. The first side concludes with the instrumental filler “Flash Back フラッシュ・バック” which is just awful. Side Two consists of two songs … And yup, that should tell you all you need to know, right there. Amazingly, “Case of Insanity ケース・オブ・インサニティ” clocks in at 4:55 and basically jacks my bitch over “Let’s Rock (Dan Dan).” Although it’s super long, it’s super duper! Organ chirpin’, acoustic strummin’, electric power chord whammin’, and hopeless lyrics = YET ANOTHER THING BETTER THAN POCARI SWEAT. Sadly, that’s followed by “In Deep Grief イン・ディープ・グリーフ” which is 9 minutes and 14 seconds of utter shit.

Look, I like this LP. In fact, like I said before, I totally love it! I also recommend The Roosters’ circa ’79 self titled first … which is by no means as great as this, their third. Unfortunately, Insane not only put the kibosh on the original lineup but also the “s” at the end of their name. From here on out they were known as The Roosterz. As for the cover, with the obi (that thing on the left), I’ve always wondered about Japanese bands shooting group photos for their LP jackets. I mean, whoever is standing on the far end is going to get covered by the obi no matter how you shake it. In this case, the bassist – a.k.a., the guy behind “Baby Sitter” – got the shaft. It was between him and the drummer. Like, “No, man. I’m cool. You stay there.”

Anyway, here’s a spiffy YouTube of the young dudes

WE WANNA GET EVERYTHING

ALL NIGHT LONG

CASE OF INSANITY