the Javes
Javes (the) – Beat Crazy
Remmi Demmi RD24 203295 [2024]
Right Now – Nero Rising – Somebody Answer – Home No More – Guardian Angel (From Hell) – Sixteen Tons – Soldier In The Night – Where Danger Lives – T.V. Quarrel – 77 Sunset Strip – Stranger Than Paradise – Jivin’ With My Baby
After almost four decades since their excellent and noteworthy first EP, TV Quarrel, the Javes are making a triumphant return.
At first glance, we might fear seeing a group reunite after so many years, even if they have stayed active in the Rock’n’Roll scene, notably with 45 RPM. Fans are torn between the joy of reuniting with old friends and the apprehension of seeing if they have aged well and not become old dorks (just kidding…).
The doubts vanish with Right Now, the first track of this highly successful album. The sound is impactful, and the carefully crafted production excellently showcases the musicians’ work. Throughout the eight new tracks, they maintain this high level of quality. The Javes chose a brief and cohesive album that eliminates any unnecessary or filler material.
Since their debut EP, the sound has become more intense, and the guitars are more aggressive. Also, the structures evolved into more complex things and melodies. The lively Neo-Rockabilly of the mid-1980s has been replaced by a darker, sometimes menacing modern Rockabilly, as evidenced by their outstanding and highly original cover of 16 Tons. At no point does the trio attempt to make us believe that we are in 1985. While their music is influenced and even codified, The Javes aim to create music for their time. In this aspect, they can be compared to recent albums by Brian Setzer (Gotta Have The Rumble or The Devil Always Collects) or Restless, one of the group’s influences at the time. Like Setzer and Restless, the German group achieves its goal by avoiding the trap of nostalgia.
When certain groups in the rock ‘n’ roll scene seem stuck in traditional ways, it would be a shame to overlook this album. The Javes, with their innovative approach, have given the genre a new twist, keeping it relevant and lively for our times. But that’s not all – this disc offers the best of both worlds. Torsten and his two bandmates had the excellent idea of including four bonus TV Quarrel tracks.
Javes (the) – TV Quarrel
Razzle Dazzle Records – RAZ 811101 [1985]
TV Quarrel – 77 Sunset Strip – Stranger than Paradise – Jivin’ with my baby
The Javes were a German trio formed by Torsten Langner on guitar and vocals, Jürgen Berger on double bass and Oliver Hartmann on drums. They released this ep with four original songs in late 1985 / early 1986.
The title track is pure neo-rockabilly in the style of Restless’ first album. Very good guitar, solid double bass and drums and screams. Both 77 Sunset Strip and Stranger than Paradise border on early Psychobilly. If you want to pursue the comparison with Restless, let’s say those two tracks would be more at their place on Do You Feel rather than Why Don’t You Just Rock. Despite what I can say, don’t believe this guys were copycats, it’s just to give you an idea of the sound.
The last track is Jivin’ With My Baby which has a superb jazz feel to it with brushed snare drum and appropriate jazz chords.
Maybe the production is a bit thin at place and a fuller sound would have been better (especially when you know that they recorded some démos for Northwood later that year with Boz Boorer.) But that’s just one minor flaw (so minor you can’t even call it a flaw.)
Both Jurgen and Torsten later joined 45rpm.
Fred “Virgil” Turgis