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<\/a><\/p>\nDuring a recording career that is spanned in this 3CD box (1979-1982) U.K. quintet The Inmates managed to enjoy the succulent taste of chart success for a short but sweet moment. The band didn\u2019t actually boast a unique sound for the time yet they successfully carved out a special place in the hearts of many post pub-rock music fans on both sides of the Atlantic. Considering the overt Dr. Feelgood\/Rockpile vibe going on with this band they still had a lot going for them and that is what should get your money flowing in the direction of this set as soon as possible.<\/p>\n
The box contains the first three albums in reproduction album jackets along with a 20-page booklet. Both \u201cFirst Offence\u201d and \u201cShot In The Dark\u201d were commercially available at the time of their release but third album \u201cHeatwave In Alaska\u201d was only released in France due to a record company change at the time. As CDs the trio have only ever been available in Japan so to have them all together in one neat unit is a boon to fans, myself included. Each disc has bonus material.<\/p>\n
\u201cFirst Offence\u201d contains their only (U.S.) hit single in the cover of The Standell\u2019s 1966 garage rock stormer \u201cDirty Water\u201d. The album was produced by the legendary Vic Maile (Motorhead, The Pirates, Dr. Feelgood, The Who) and there is no doubt that he felt the band under his guidance could become the new, younger Dr. Feelgood sans the personality and songwriting challenges that band presented. With guitarist\/songwriter Peter \u201cGunn\u201d Staines heavy on the pen \u201cMr. Unreliable\u201d is a real standout here as it reaches back just enough to sound like old school garage rock yet has enough modern attitude to get high marks. The overt slow blues of \u201cIf Time Could Turn Backwards\u201d finds the band in a distinctive mode yet one in which they sound completely comfortable and right. The album also features The Rumour horn section on a few tracks including the Feelgoods\u2019 homage \u201cLove Got Me\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cShot In The Dark\u201d (1980) continues the themes of balancing Staines originals with fittingly cool cover songs. Obviously \u201cTalk Talk\u201d (origin. 1966 The Music Machine) was geared to replicate the success of the previous album hit \u201cDirty Water\u201d. While the song is wonderfully done here it couldn\u2019t duplicate the path cleared by the previous work and when the band was touring behind the album in the U.S. the murder of John Lennon found \u201cSITD\u201d pulled from playlists due to its unintentionally insensitive title. With their momentum stalled The Inmates returned to the U.K. to find that their label Radar Records had been folded into the monolithic WEA brand. There are a lot of great songs on this album including this writer\u2019s personal favorites \u201cTell Me What\u2019s Wrong\u201d, \u201cWhy When Love Is Gone\u201d and the memorably charming \u201cCrime Don\u2019t Pay\u201d.<\/p>\n
1982\u2019s \u201cHeatwave In Alaska\u201d was only released in France likely due to the aforementioned label change leaving the band absorbed into a sea of talent that kept them at a tier below new label mates and heavy-hitters Rockpile, Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe. It\u2019s a solid album nevertheless. The songwriting expanded to include drummer Jim Russell (\u201cThree Little Sisters\u201d) and bass man Ben Donnelly for the album opener \u201cShe\u2019s Gone Rockin\u2019\u201d. Gunn\/Staines again offers the albums\u2019 best tracks: \u201cBroken Hearted\u201d a soul blues blend that singer Bill Hurley nails perfectly and the similar tough\/tender \u201cUnhappy Boy\u201d. There are signs of the band extending their reach just a little here and new producer Stuart Colman (Shakin\u2019 Stevens, Jeff Beck) did a good job attempting to modernize The Inmates.<\/p>\n
In the end, as always, it comes down to being in the right place at the right time and The Inmates, sadly, missed those occasions by a hair\u2019s breadth. For fans this box is a pleasant reminder of what could have been and a testament to the solid songwriting and sound of this band.<\/p>\n
(Disc 1 \u2013 First Offence: 44 minutes\/15 tracks, Disc Two \u2013 Shot In The Dark: 50 minutes\/17 tracks, Disc Three \u2013 Heatwave In Alaska: 44 minutes\/14 tracks)<\/p>\n
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