The raucous, charged rock and roll of Dr. Feelgood comes straight out of the mid-‘70s UK pub rock scene. The rhythm and beat drive these songs like very few others in rock history; guitarist Wilko Johnson attacks his instrument like it’s a drum kit, chopping out riffs with brutal precision, while vocalist Lee Brilleaux snarls his lyrics with bile and bite.
Dr. Feelgood took their name from an old blues song, and blues tropes run throughout their music. There’s also a fair amount of male piggishness in these songs. There’s only so far this stuff can take you—but it can take you there, fast.
A CD-length blast of Dr. Feelgood is sure to make you feel just that. So here one is.
I knew nothing of Dr. Feelgood until the retrospective listening project which has since become this website. They deserve a more prominent place in rock history than they had when I grew up.
Cover Art:
- Down by the Jetty: Source, Discogs.com, Fair use.
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