Review Summary: A hidden gem amidst the juggernauts of punk, The Members' debut showcases all the strenghts of the genre, while giving it a twist at the same time.
Seeing as how it was actually reggae that claimed the title of 'Soundtrack to the British punk revolution', it's no surprise that many bands incorporated elements of the genre into their music. The Clash immediately springs to mind here, but let’s not forget the likes of The Police, The Slits or The Members. The history of that last band is that of a typical punk band in those days: they released a highly successful single ("The Sound Of The Suburbs"), followed it up with a promising debut album (At The Chelsea Nightclub, the subject of this review) and then recorded several albums who couldn't live up to the first.
Which is quite a shame, because At The Chelsea Nightclub is downright excellent; a shining but hidden gem amidst all the London Callings and Never Mind The Bollocks the revolution brought forth. The Members bring a mix of raw punk and reggae, while at the same time not forgetting the importance of melody in their compositions. The album plays out as a best-of of all the styles punk bands at the time were playing: you have hard and fast riffage in "Solitary Confinement" (surprisingly also the longest track on here) and "The Sound Of The Suburbs" - which wouldn't be as irresistible as it is, if it weren't for that catchy and poppy guitar line in the chorus. The reggae influences are most apparent in "Love In A Lift", "Stand Up And Spit" and album opener "Electricity", so from the start the listener is aware this isn't your typical three-chord punk band. And then you have the poppy hooks in "Sally", "Phone In Show" and "Frustrated Bagshot", which give a nod to the mod style of bands like The Jam or The Who. In other words, while The Members may not be really technical (this is still mostly no-frills punk after all), At The Chelsea Nightclub is far from lacking in variety.
This is also the case for the lyrical content: "Solitary Confinement" is a striking portrait of the loneliness of the big city, whereas "Sound Of The Suburbs" is about the boredom of living in the suburbs (duh). "Sally" is a clever commentary on the problem of prostitution (
She’s on the street now/Her life is really hell/She sells her body/To a different clientele), and "Phone In Show" has hilarious lines like
Look momma, daddy passed away/stayed up all night, I lost my job today/My sister Irene is pregnant again and her husband can't/run off with her best friend.
At The Chelsea Nightclub really showcases all the strengths of the British punk scene in the '70s: witty lyrics combined with fast guitar chords, while also paying homage to their main influences. The album was released in 1979, the same year as London Calling and Unknown Pleasures; by that time the revolution had already subdued in England and that's probably the reason this record has seemed to slip under the radar of many punk enthusiasts. Nevertheless, while the album wasn't really relevant anymore on its release date, the music itself has aged very nicely and any fan of punk rock should do well to check this out.
