Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
Paying homage to your own past is an art form that many cannot possibly emulate, no matter their success in previous times, something always hangs back, a moment of brilliance may be lost forever into the ether and stamp of approval that was hard fought for, becomes sadly less that illustrious, opening up to the possibility of anything that may hamper that sense of beauty, of punk filled anger and the fraternal and sororal bonding that occurs, in spirit, in the love and hold of Blood Brothers and blood bound sisters.
It is not a question that Rose Tattoo have to face, the music still has the hard edged, ever-lasting dynamo that cannot be tamed, it cannot even be cultivated or domesticated, why would anyone ever want to have that thrust upon them when they have gone out of the way to be absolute, to be a blaze so hot to handle; and yet even in that imagery, carefully managed, fully endorsed, what remains is the approachability of the band and despite it all, with the sad passing of many of the group over the years. Rose Tattoo have always welded a musical weapon so large that the inclusion of Blood Brothers as a re-issue is not in the question of seeing homage paid with faint regard, it is absolutely indispensable listening.
The re-issue, which includes several live versions of the song as a welcome addition, sees Rose Tattoo once again pound the stage as if they were locking a demon into Hell, as if they ready for the fight ahead whilst still being bloody from the last scrap.
Even without those members who sadly passed on to their own great gig in the sky, the Australian plan of Rock and outrageously cool is always passionately adhered to, is always in the image of its long-term vocalist Angry Anderson and is always sublime to listen to.
Whether in the studio or in the presence of a room full of acolytes and the wonderfully zealous, songs such as Black Eyed Bruiser, 1854, Man About Town, Creeper, Lubricated, Sweet Meat and the truth found in Nothing To Lose, Rose Tattoo across any age are happy to shake the hands of those willing to mix with them, to mingle and combine, to let the lifeblood flow and the kinship be felt. A thought-provoking and noteworthy reissue, the vaults always overwhelming, have now released this giant back out into the world.
Rose Tattoo release the re-issue of Blood Brothers through Golden Robot Records on the 18th May.
Ian D. Hall