Customer Reviews

Down in the Bunker

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

THANKS TO JOHN TOBLER AND THE WONDERFUL FOLK @ ROAD GOES ON FOREVER RECORDS THIS HAS NOW BEEN REISSUED. AND WHAT A WONDERFUL JOB THEY DID ON THE REISSUE! ADDITIONAL TRACKS INCLUDE THE "BUNKER TAPES" AND AN ADDED BONUS OF "TULANE". STEVE GIBBONS IS THE MOST UNDERRATED ARTIST IN ROCK N ROLL. HE'S ONE HIP AND SAVVY PERFORMER, AND IT SHOWS IN HIS MUSIC, ESPECIALLY THE LYRICS. HE CAN BE LIKE EDDIE COCHRAN IN "EDDY VORTEX" OR LIKE BOB DYLAN IN "GRACE" OR "BIG JC", AND ALL DONE WITH A SLICK SENSE OF HUMOUR. HOW ELSE COULD YOU EXPLAIN THE SONG "NO SPITTIN ON THE BUS"? IF ANYONE EVER FIGURES OUT WHAT "DOWN IN THE BUNKER" REALLY MEANS, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. IN THE MEANTIME, PLAY THIS LOUD AND ENJOY. STEVE'S ONE COOL DUDE, AND THIS IS HIS BEST!

This was the first Steve Gibbons album I ever heard, and now that I've heard quite a few others, I can tell you that none of the rest come close to this one. Although it's solid from start to finish, the highlight is clearly the title track, "Down In The Bunker". The imagery mixes "bunker" as used in military terms with the golf version of the word. Somehow in the midst of this strange world halfway between a golf round and a wartime battle, a nude woman appears in the bunker to tempt our hero. While all of this is going on, ultra-tasty guitar leads fill the gaps between vocal lines, very much in the style of Dire Straits' "Sultans Of Swing". It's a great song, highly recommended especially for Mark Knopfler fans. If you like Gibbons but don't have this album, then absolutely, you must get it. If you're curious about Gibbons, this is the best pleace to start.

Gems are not always known - they may shine in the backroom only, ready to be re-discovered.

If you love straigh-forward, honest bluesy Rock n'Roo, this one is for you. Steve Gibbob's voice is one of the rare ones - once heard - never forgotten.

Why, for heavens' sake, did he never make it "big"????

I first got this album when it came out. I remember hearing it on a local FM station that played new albums at midnight. The first song, "No Spitting on the Bus," is what grabbed me. I recently "rediscovered" this album as I was cleaning out some old vinyl and forgot how much I liked it. Gibbons has often been called the "English Bob Seeger," though he seems to have more in common with Bob Dylan in his delivery and writing style. Eight of the tracks are top notch, the rest not so much. The title song is a classic, filled with golf and naughty metaphors mixed with a good dose of humor. Some of the songs such as "Mary Ain't Goin' Home Anymore" sound a but dated, ("Allow me to hip you to Leroy Black / He was a natural mover and a native cat", but it's still cool nonetheless.

The musicianship is top notch of the "no extra notes" variety. No one showboats here, they contribute and play what is needed tastefully. I'm not sure how to classify the sound, as it is urban yet has lots of folk and rock elements. Maybe it's just a guilty pleasure.

The bonus material, the "Bunker Tapes" or whatever it's called, I haven't been able to really get through. It's not bad, it's just not all that good, at least not as good as the original album.

I loved having this CD. I have had the cassette tape since 1979 and now it makes it easier to listen to it anywhere else. Also loved the extra songs on it. Steve Gibbons Band are wonderful

Way back in the '80s, my husband heard "Down in the Bunker" on WUNH, the University of NH radio station. Searching diligently, he located a vinyl. My guess is the reference to losing balls, apparently a golfing problem, was misconstrued by some. Either that, or its release in 1978 was still too fresh on Vietnam. Regardless, the pop world missed out on a beauty. Moving lyrics and incredible guitar make this song one easy to dance to, with evocative imagery and sensual tempo. If you let yourself fall all the way into the story of a frightened soldier, the emotion may take you to the front, with "handicaps all around, but I had to get into that hole in the ground". Although not much of a country music fan, most of the other songs are quite enjoyable, such as "No Spitting on the Bus". His knack for rhythm and pensive way with words make Steve Gibbons one of my all time favorite artists. My husband says he hounded Tower records years ago for the CD release. And between you and me, I AM the girl in the bunker!! (at least in my own mind!)