65. Ugly Kid Joe - "Rad Wings of Destiny"

Right, I promised you curveballs and here comes one hell of a curveball. Yes it’s that Ugly Kid Joe of “and I hate everything about you” fame. Yes, they are still going, yes, they still wear backward baseball caps, and yes they have released an album capable of achieving a respectable mid-table placing in the hallowed hundred. Key to the success of this record is the fact that it sounds nothing like you would expect it to, it also manages to leap around various genres and styles whilst still managing to maintain a sense of coherence. 

‘That Aint Livin’ and ‘Failure’ sound like lost Bon Scott era AC/DC. We probably would be crying plagiarism if they weren’t so darn good and certainly better than anything the mighty DC have dredged up many a year. But as I said it’s a magical mystery tour through the many bands that probably influence them, ‘Not like the Other’ sounds like the Sweet and ‘Drinkin' and Drivin’ is as about an authentic a country lament as you are going to get. It all results in a thoroughly enjoyable album that quite effectively manages why we all fell in love with rock ‘n’ roll in the first place.