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Mick Farren - "Half Price Drinks"

By 1978, Mick Farren was looking for a different sort of thrill--possibly even turning a buck from this music thing. He'd spent a lotta time away from the stage in the '70s, working as an underground journalist. Vampires Stole My Lunch Money was his return to the recording studio after an eight year layoff. Coming off the success of Iggy Pop's one-two punch from 1977--Lust for Life and The Idiot--Farren's brooding guitars and guttermouth as heard on "Half Price Drinks" seem right at home with the times. This isn't to say that Farren didn't deserve to borrow from someone else for a change; afterall, his original group, The Deviants, more or less jumpstarted England's punk scene in the late-'60s with their brand of amateurish, haphazard, psychedelic blues.

If you're keeping notes at home, that's ex-Pink Fairies axeman Larry Wallis on guitar and Chrissie Hynde on background vocals during the bridge of "Half Price Drinks". As a whole, Vampires--which features some memorable cover art to say the least--is a bit varied, but remains a rock and roll record through and through. It bounces from the Chuck Berry-inspired "I Want a Drink" to the bizzare, Richard Hell-ish "Zombie Line" to the hard-nosed, harmonica-laden blues of "Let Me In, Damn You". For the fan of '70s blooze rock-cum-punk, this one is a must.