Rock & roll is not a game for those with innocent hearts. Fortunately, there have been a few people with innocent hearts who have slipped through the cracks and brought a real sense of joy to the music scene. One of them is
Jonathan Richman and the other is
Duglas Stewart and his
BMX Bandits cohorts (including
Francis MacDonald,
Norman Blake, and
Joe McAlinden, amongst others). Perhaps these artists are not literally innocent, but the music they bring to the table is passive, pure, and carefree, not aggressive or mean spirited in nature. The
Bandits, of course, are one of Scotland's great unsung bands, sharing members with
Teenage Fanclub,
the Soup Dragons,
Superstar, and others, yet steering a clear path of their own with captain
Stewart and co-pilot
MacDonald at the helm.
Stewart's voice is a strange mix of
Mike Love,
Lou Reed, and
Richman, but works perfectly within the context of the
Bandits' music. With the sweet-voiced
McAlinden (later of
Superstar) handling lead vocals on a few tracks (and backing vocals throughout), there is a nice balance that saves the album from certain monotony (like an
Oasis album, for example). Loaded with
pop songs galore and beautifully produced by
Duncan Cameron and the band,
Star Wars is the first in a line of great
Bandits albums. From the joyful
"Come Clean," "Students of Life," "Life Goes On," and
"Do You Really Love Me?" to the heart-tugging
"Extraordinary," there is hardly a wasted moment within earshot. If you can imagine the sheer
pop genius of
Teenage Fanclub with
Mike Love singing lead, then you may have an idea of what you're in for. And if you could put wide-eyed innocent
pop back onto the charts, then
BMX Bandits would be superstars. ~ Steve Schnee
