As long as the price is right (Dr Feelgood) (LP 2401 - 2402)

Dr Feelgood  As It Happens (CD, United Artists Records, 1979) *** 

Dr Feelgood  Live At The BBC (CD, BBC/Warner Bros Records, 2028) *****  

Genre: Pub rock 

Places I remember: Vinyl Countdown; JB Hi-Fi

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: She Does It Right (BBC)

Gear costume: Milk And Alcohol (As It Happens)

Active compensatory factors: Dr Feelgood in a live setting is always a treat.

As It Happens uses the same format as Stupidity - each side comes from a separate venue. Side 1 is The Pavilion Hemel Hempstead, side 2 is from Cros in Rayleigh (Essex) - close to where I used to live in Leigh-on-sea and work in Benfleet. Gypie Mayo had replaced the irreplaceable Wilco Johnson by this time. 

Gypie does a pretty good job nonetheless, but it's not quite the same is it.  

The BBC disc comes from the same venue (Paris Theatre in London) but from different times - 25th March 1974 (tracks 1-5), 14th January 1975 (tracks 6-12), 14th September 1975 (tracks 13-21).

This one is the real deal. Wilco brought freshness, exuberance, joy, and a certain kind of magic to proceedings. He also brought great songs like She Does It Right, Roxette, All Through The City, Going Back Home, and more.

Plus, Lee Brilleaux is an awesome presence on this set of songs. Dr Feelgood with this line up is the band at their finest.

Where do they all belong? I've realised that all of my Dr Feelgood albums are live ones. I need to grab some of the studio albums with Wilco onboard.

I'm a hog for you baby (Dr Feelgood) (LP 999)

Dr Feelgood Stupidity (Vinyl, United Artists Records, 1976) *****  

Genre: Blues rock 

Places I remember: Real Groovy Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Going Back Home

Gear costume: Back In The Night, She Does It Right

Active compensatory factors: Apart from compilations, I only own one Dr Feelgood album and this is it and it's brilliant. 

The live setting in cheapo, sleezy dives in Sheffield (side 1) and Southend (close to the band's home on Canvey Island) is perfect. I can almost feel the sticky floor and combo smell of beer, tobacco, wet carpet and spliffs on the Southend side especially.

What a band! Wilco Johnson's stabby guitar style and Lee Brilleaux's shouty growly vocals are the front line but Sparko and The Big Figure are the perfect no nonsense back line.

This went to number one back in 1976 and it's clear that the punk energy and influence - no lengthy show-off guitar solos and compact songs, suited the times.

Where do they all belong? As I said, once you've called the doctor, you should start here with the live album, branch out to a compilation or two for more if needed, and call me in the morning.

I'm gonna get some concrete mix and fill your back door up with bricks (Dr. Feelgood) #105, 106

Dr. Feelgood Roxette/ Keep It Out Of Sight (United Artists Records, K 6601, 1976)

Dr. Feelgood See You Later Alligator/ I Love You So You're Mine (Stiff, K 193, 1986)

Ten years separates these singles and it shows. While the live version of Roxette from Stupidity still blazes a trail, See You Later sounds like a pale imitation of the band.

The difference is personnel. The only original member on the '86 version is Lee Brilleaux. The band sound is completely different without Wilco Johnson's idiosyncratic guitar style. Gone is the original raw R'n'B sound!

I have a soft spot for the original band; I lived in Leigh-On-Sea and taught students from Canvey Island at King John School in Benfleet, and knowing the area helps.

Canvey is such a weird place - anyone coming from there (Wilco was born on Canvey Island and the band started life there) is going to be touched by the tough environment. It was a pretty dire place when I lived in Essex in the early 2000's so I can only imagine how rough it was in the early seventies.

Sadly Lee died at an early age from cancer and Wilco is on his way out - having refused treatment for his cancer. A great story about him appeared in Mojo recently.

Hidden gems: Keep It Out Of Sight is great - a gritty song from one of the studio albums (Down By The Jetty). All muscle guitar from Wilco and attitude from Lee. What a combination. It's the real deal - they mean it man!

I Love You blah blah is complete garbage. Hard to know why they thought this was a good idea - maybe they didn't care!

Anyway - forget that - remember them this way: