With
Prehistoric Sounds (the last record of the band's original lineup),
the Saints provide the textbook by which to make a great rock record where horns play as much of a role as guitar. Further extracting themselves from the limitations of punk, the band retains the attitude and turns it into a smart, bluesy, gutsy combination of controlled power. There's more dip in the hip and additional swagger. The days of "(I'm) Stranded" might have been long gone, but the varied tempos and sophisticated songwriting don't sacrifice the band's intensity at all. The horns are the real treat, a central element to the record's solidity. They don't make
the Saints sound like
Chicago, and they don't make them sound like a faux '70s soul band -- they don't make them sound like
the Doors of "Touch Me" or the
Bowie of
Young Americans, either. Whether used for the basis or just punctuation of each song, the tasteful use of saxophones is a genuine masterstroke. The dynamic "Brisbane (Security City)" -- which is like an update of
the Stooges' "1969" and "1970" in terms of subject matter -- is the high point. After two minutes of
Chris Bailey's
Iggy-like lament on his hometown, the medium tempo shifts into high gear, thanks to rhythmic overdrive, charged guitars, and (of course) the ubiquitous horns. Other bright spots include "Every Day's a Holiday, Every Night's a Party" and an energetic cover of
Otis Redding's "Security," where
Bailey sounds so much like a young
Van Morrison that it's scary. ~ Andy Kellman