Girl: Sheer Greed/Live In Osaka ’82

A quick glance at the cover of Girl’s Sheer Greed debut and you’re left in little doubt that this was an act revelling in the heyday of the 70s British glam scene… or were they? With their 1979 debut released just before the glam decade evolved into the more metal fixated 80s, Girl seemed like a band out of time; future members of Def Leppard and LA Guns looking like they were clinging on to a scene that had already slipped away. But listen to the urgency of their debut album’s “Hollywood Tease� and “Little Miss Ann� and the impression you’re left with is actually that this band saw the future way earlier than everyone else. Don’t get me wrong, The Sweet were an influence on this album, as evidenced by a cracking homage work in the shape of “My Number�, which Girl would also release as a single, but taking into account exactly what was about to explode on to the Hollywood Strip that this band alluded to, Sheer Greed now feels more like an unnoticed crystal ball collection that cleared a path for a sound that was about to dominate world wide airwaves.

With a guitar line-up of Phil Collen, who would go on to replace Pete Willis in Sheffield’s finest, Def Leppard, and Gerry Laffy, who would go on to work with the likes of John Taylor and Ultravox, the Girl attack was an intentionally ramshackle explosion brimming with danger. Add in future LA Guns and Tormé man Phil Lewis behind the mic and the snarling bite and attitude of the low slung “Strawberries� and romp-along of “Take Me Dancing� was hugely assured. Apart from the aforementioned Sweet love, a less impactful run through of the KISS classic, “Do You Love Me� also gave a strong indication of Girl’s intention, while The Kinks’ “You Really Got Me� appears as one of three interesting bonus cuts on disc one of this excellently presented reissue - although some contextual liner notes would have been preferable to the nifty, if disposable, ‘poster’ that, even unfolded, doesn’t live up to that billing.

Coming in a tasty four panel digi-pack the music does, however, speak for itself, with the sharp riff of “What’s Up� mixing glam sheen to punk snot, while “Heartbreak America� showcases a chorus that’s part hip thrusting nonchalance and part sharp, crafted class. Of the other two bonus cuts a second version of “Little Miss Ann� is impressive as it found its way on to the b’side of the single to what is now the third bonus; the Russ Ballard penned cover of “Love Is A Game�, which matches anything on the main album.

A record that didn’t quite deliver as much as it promised, Sheer Greed was still wholly unfortunate to arrive too late for the UK glam zeitgeist, and yet, somehow, too early for the US rebrand of that scene that landed around five years later.

Having been reissued numerous times over the years, this latest version of Sheer Greed also houses the live show, Live At Exposition Hall, Osaka, Japan, May 1982, by which time Girl were pushing second album, Wasted Youth, while teetering on the brink of ultimate implosion. Apparently taken from a soundboard recording that neuters any crowd noise, and then subsequently released in 1992, by the stage of this rather sonically challenged recording, Collen had seen superstardom in the Def Leppard distance, while Simon Laffy and has bassist brother Simon ploughed on with Collen’s replacement, Pete Bpnas, Lewis and drummer, Bryson Graham, who had replaced Sheer Greed’s Dave Gaynor, who had subsequently been usurped by Pete Barnacle (Gillan, Yngwie Malmsteen and many more). It’s an energetic inclusion here and well worth a few listens, but in truth, hardened fans of this band will already have this and the scattering of disc one bonus cuts in their collection. If, however, Girl passed you by, Sheer Greed itself is well worth your attention, even if it was, back in the day, a hard hitting, sleazy glam album that somehow arrived both a little too early and just too late.

Track Listing
DISC ONE: SHEER GREED
1. HOLLYWOOD TEASE
2. THE THINGS YOU SAY
3. LOVELY LORRAINE
4. STRAWBERRIES
5. LITTLE MISS ANN
6. DOCTOR DOCTOR
7. DO YOU LOVE ME
8. TAKE ME DANCING
9. WHAT’S UP
10. PASSING CLOUDS
11. MY NUMBER
12. HEARTBREAK AMERICA
BONUS TRACKS
13. YOU REALLY GOT ME
14. LOVE IS A GAME
15. LITTLE MISS ANN

DISC TWO: LIVE IN OSAKA ’82
1. WASTED YOUTH
2. MAKE IT MEDICAL
3. MY NUMBER
4. HEARTBREAK AMERICA
5. LITTLE MISS ANN
6. ICE IN THE BLOOD
7. FAMILY AT WAR
8. MAD FOR IT
9. TUSH
10. OLD DOGS
11. STRAWBERRIES
12. STANDARD ROMANCE
13. PASSING CLOUDS
14. 19
15. OVERNIGHT ANGELS
16. HOLLYWOOD TEASE
17. THIS TOWN

Added: November 24th 2019
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Sheer Greed @ Cherry Red
Hits: 1020
Language: english

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