Adam West – The Beatings – With an X: The First Two – Review

Adam West/The Beatings

With an X: The First Two (The Telegraph Company)
by Craig Regala

Initial two singles from a label dedicated to both kinds of music, rock and roll. The 7″s can be optioned via subscription through the web at www.withanx.com. Good idea, huh? Luckily, both of ’em are A-OK slices. Adam West goes for a cleaned-out, amped-up riff roar that fueled both the clean-lined arena rockers – think AC/DC ’78, the couple quicker/tighter UFO tunes from there abouts, and some choice Nazareth. Also the punks-drunk-on-rock of DMZ on up through the biker-flavored leather-lung side of the spittoon of any “punk” band that sure as fuck would tour with Motörhead for beer money. Put ’em out there with Electric Frankenstein, Lollipop (R.I.P.?) and The Hellacopters and sign ’em up for a slot on one of those Fistful Of Rock comps I’m always on about and everyone’ll have happiness.

The Beatings belong in the same club, even if some of their “tone” has a tang that puts ’em closer to the freak-slutpunk contingent, as does the Gun Club cover herein. It’s gussied up with, I think, an old analog synth weaving a bit of spookiness through the tune. If you don’t know the Gun Club, you oughtta. Their first LP was a berserk punk take on hellhound blues riding a graveyard stomp. Along with the Flesheaters circa “Hard road to Follow”/”Forever Came Today” they blazed a trail too quickly overgrown.
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