ALBUM REVIEW: Cottonopolis limited coloured vinyl compilation

Yet again Vinyl Revival have struck gold with their latest release entitled Cottonopolis, a collection of obscure and unreleased tracks by Greater Manchester bands all of which never gained the fame their music deserved, with this strictly limited release their music is re-examined for your listening pleasure.

Limited to 300 smoke coloured vinyl copies, with artwork a fitting homage to the 1800’s Cotton Mills of Oldham designed by Oldham Gallery, the compilation features the likes of The Delaplains, Death To The Strange, Rambo and Leroy, The Broadcast, The Children and Asia Fields.

4 further bands also feature; Proud Mary, Omerta, The Fayre and Rubber Orange. Proud Mary were Greg on vocals, Jacko on bass, The Ya’s Ya’s Paul Newsome on lead guitar, Chink on rhythmn guitar and Craig Gill, of Inspiral Carpets fame, on drums. Their track Autograph Hunter is a Buffalo Springfield type Sweet rock n roll grinder straight out the top draw.

Omerta featured Aaron Starkie on vocals, drummer Neil Turvin, guitarist Nick Moylan and bassist James Ryan. Taking their influences from a varied and wide ranging musical breach including The Killers, Radiohead and Primal Scream, their track Synchronise Your Smiles mixes Spacemen 3 and Bridewell Taxi’s at their hypnotic best, Its no wonder The Smiths drummer Mike Joyce was a huge fan of the band.

The Fayre certainly add spins, twists and candy floss sweetness to the album, the band played Glastonbury Festival in 2008 and its little wonder why the fields of Somerset wanted to have these young scamps adorning their lawns with their rapid Arctic Monkeys anthem Linda Boom, the track also has glimpses of The Housemartins and Supergrass.

Finally, Rubber Orange were Lee Severin vocals, Lee Dransfield guitars, Warren Wrigley bass, Andy on Drums and David (Dids) Gill on keys. Formed from the debris of The Jerks. The band toured extensively throughout the early 1990s releasing on their own Zest label the Rubber Orange EP in 1991. The release was initially given a harsh review in NME, only to be more favourably reassessed when it was discovered that critic, Barbara Ellen had played the record at the wrong speed. Their track Magnetized is top draw tunage, mesmerising psych, with enough swagger to equal anything the likes of the Gallagher’s have released In recent years, truly a track that needs to be heard to be believed.

Cottonopolis is released on Friday 22.3.24 with pre-orders from Vinyl Revival now open.