Rock Rarity Review: Steve Swindells: Fresh Blood (1980)

A while ago, I revelled in the process of digital remastering old 1970s music, enjoying it crystal clear in 2024. And the album I used as an example was Steve Swindells (wiki link) and Fresh Blood, along with a smattering of links (also included here). This is such an obscure release that, especially in remastered form, I thought it deserved further treatment in the form of an actual review. Albeit 44 years after release!

Being a huge 1970s Hawkwind fan, I was aware of Steve as a member of the band from 1978-1979, and particularly his use of Hawkwind's Simon King (of whom I'm possibly the biggest fan on the planet) and Huw Lloyd-Langton (for whose web site I was webmaster for a decade circa 2010) as backing musicians for his own (second) solo album Fresh Blood. Also playing on the album was Van de Graaf Generator's Nic Potter.

Steve was hailed as 'the next Springsteen' in some quarters, thanks to his lyrical prowess - all the songs are lyric heavy - and songwriting output. While comparisons to The Boss are a little silly, I can see what the hail was getting at. Steve's songs are perhaps a little depressed, in that he's usually moaning about things or trying to escape a situation - much like Bruce, I guess.

Steve knew Simon King from Hawkwind at the time, with at least one full blown set of sessions with him at Rockfield Studios in 1979, plus some studio time during the Hawklords sessions the previous year, describing his drumming as 'typically hypnotic, powerhouse', the sheer speed, metronomic accuracy, feel for the song, and those round the kit fills. And Simon knew Huw Lloyd Langton, who was about to rejoin Hawkwind after a gap of almost a decade, as a tremendous guitar talent. I've no idea where Steve knew Nic from, but he fitted in nicely.

And so the music. The remaster follows the original vinyl accurately, except for including the single version of Shot Down in the Night rather than the longer album version. Which is odd, given that CDs afford more audio space! I'll come back to this track below.

Much as I love Steve's ambition, song writing, and choice of musicians(!), it also has to be said that his at times over-enunciated singing and delivery, along with the subject matter (urban life, anger, authority, loss, etc.), rarely makes the music 'happy and catchy' enough to trouble mainstream charts (as indeed it didn't). However, for the rock fan, this is clever, thought-provoking indie music with plenty of the engine power of Hawkwind underneath. And that is immensely interesting - to me, at least.

Turn it on, turn it off

Introduced with power chords and keyboard riffing, the lyrics pour out densely, mostly double-tracked with Steve singing an octave above, but slightly quieter. The song perhaps describes escapism through TV - though as usual with Steve Swindells, you never really know! He launches into a very decent composed keyboard solo and then there's an abrupt but satisfying finish.

"Slinking in the shadows, like a tom cat on the prowl, king of silent streets, until the city moves its bowels..."

Fresh Blood

The title track opens with double-tracked 'Thin Lizzy' style guitar parts and the six-string assault doesn't let up, with Steve's keyboards just floating along in the background. The song is about apathy and wanting to break out - I think. It's catchy enough and I can see why its title became that of the album, even though it's far from my favourite here. More double-tracked guitars follow a Huw Lloyd-Langton solo and then there's a false stop before a Springsteen-like "1,2,3,4..." and a satisfying outro fade featuring a couple of stellar round-the-kit rolls from Simon King.

"Walking in this town, I don't get no thrill, all I see are people losing the will to live..."

I feel alive

The cry of someone young arriving in the big city (London? New York? Yes, more probably), set to the usual rollicking beat and a set of of keyboard riffs, then wailing synth and guitar solos to fade. Go Huw!

"Like a wide eyed kid, who's hanging round backstage, I'm waiting for some names to fill my page"

Low life Joe

Guitar riffs this time, set to the straightest rocker yet, with Simon King keeping Huw company and absolutely powering this along, with blistering speed and rolls around the kit and mixed in stereo. The song's somewhat 'down' in that it's about the homeless and downtrodden in London, I think. But the music's way more upbeat, so let's just enjoy that. The outro sequence in particular is fabulous, with the biggest power chords from Huw, pounding drums, and a wailing synth.

"Here's a fag if you want a drag, I've smoked up all the rest I had, I know you're proud, but your eyes tell me you're very sad"

Bitter and Twisted

Piano and synth riffs introduce this tale of the seedy underbelly of English society. The doubled vocals get a bit wearying after a while, but it's lyrical enough to stay interesting and it taps along at a decent pace.

"Getting off on guilty minds, turning on to what's not allowed, nothing real or nothing kind, tell me how you ever feel proud"

Don't wait on the stairs

Another tale of feelings of being overwhelmed in the city and needing to press on. This was famously covered by Roger Daltrey (with Steve playing keyboards), but it's my least favourite tune on the album and one I usually skip. The arrangement is monotonous and the insistence on straight 4 for the floor beat is - again - wearing. Look, Steve, you've got bloody Huw Lloyd-Langton and Simon King - USE them. Sorry, rant over! 

A crying shame, really, as the lyrics are terrific. Roger Daltrey was obviously impressed, but there are SO much better songs here that he could have covered...

"Feel the heartbeat of the city, as it pounds inside your head, you've got danger in your eyes, you want a stranger in your bed"

Is it over now?

Ah that's better. Back to eighth beats on the hi hat and some decent momentum, even though the subject - again - is somewhat depressing, too many details, too many hassles, low finances, 'dead city losers', casualties, and so on. Another cheery Steve Swindells lyric then!

The music is nicely arranged though, by 'Stairs' standards (see above, and don't worry, things keep getting better and better towards the end of 'side 2'), and we even get tasty Huw guitar licks and a solo running through the outro. 

"And endless trail of beer and cigarettes, in memory of the things you never get..."

Down on Love Street

Drastic change in mood here, with a slow piano fade in, and a song about love, or rather the difficulty in finding it. This is Steve Swindells, of course, so it doesn't end happily, or even optimistically. I believe he's gay and this was 1980, so that may have had something to do with the lyrical slant. Unusually for this album, it's just piano and synths, layers of them, and all very melodic and well done.

"I've lived a lot, you know, I've been around, a little bit wise to what's going down, from the rooftops of the underground, down on love street"

Figures of Authority

Bam. The band's back, Simon's whacking the drums and throwing in rolls, Huw's adding power chords and lead overlays, and Steve's dripping with sarcasm in his attack on the police and puritanical authorities (again, this was 1980, so bear that in mind, think Tom Robinson and Glad to be Gay, and so on). It's powerful stuff, lyrically and in the music - this is my favourite on the album by some way. Huw's lead lines keep popping up on top of the chord changes, while at about the 4 minute mark, in the extended vocal outro, Simon King fills and fills and fills. It's all very exciting.

"Figures of authority, so full of fear, dealing out the punishment, it's a fine career, figures of authority, distorted view, high up in their offices, dropping bricks on you"

Shot Down in the Night (single/extended/other)

So far so good then. And it gets better, in that this song was so good that Hawkwind adopted it. There are versions with them playing it without Steve ('Live 79'), with Steve (Rockfield sessions, spring 1979), and then there's Steve, Huw, Simon, and Nic doing it here. Except that there are two versions here as well. The original vinyl had the 5:11 minute masterpiece, while the CD remaster shown below has a 3:31 single edit.

What's wrong with this? Well, those extra 100 seconds are rather good and make the track more significant than a mere chart-attempting single. Oh well. For my digital copy, I did a DIY remaster of the vinyl original and that's what I'm reviewing here. The shorter version on the CD is obviously slightly crisper and  cleaner, but oh boy everyone buying the album deserves the full version.

Musically, it's power rock, with an intermezzo/staccato section, plus fast guitar solo, while Simon King powers through a classic - as he does in all the other versions mentioned above. Lyrically it speaks of themes of surveillance and resisting authority (again), which I'm sure appealed to Hawkwind in their own tussles with police and the record industry. Steve is in good voice as he snarls his way through the words and I'd guess that this is the main attraction on the album for most listeners.

So yes, seek out the extended original - and/or seek out Steve playing it with Hawkwind in the studio, which has imperfect audio but which is utterly stonking and includes a bona fide Swindells synth solo, plus Dave Brock riffing away.

"The secret's only for a few, super-power looks down on you, someone watching every move"

So a slightly inconsistent album overall (notwithstanding the single edit inclusion at the end) but one which I enjoy every time. Just thinking about Simon and Huw playing their hearts out in bringing Steve's songs to life fills me with anticipation - and then I put on the headphones and enjoy (most of) it all over again. 

It's now one and a half decades since the CD remaster, so if you see it then snap it up. Or buy in MP3 form on Amazon, not as satisfying but you do then get the audio immediately!