Customer Reviews

In for the Kill

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Greetings, All!
Thanks for taking the time to read my review.

This entire album rocks--and rocks hard, baby! In fact, IMHO, this is one of those rare albums where EVERY track is a gem (and we all know how few and far between those are, eh). This is definitely one of my island classics. I agree totally with one Mr. Sullivan's review, herein.

I have been a big fan of Budgie since the mid-70's. And really, you can't go wrong with selecting any Budgie title, as long as Tony Bourge is the guitar player; once Tony left the group, they just weren't the same!

I have always loved Burke Sheeley's rocking vocals. For a while, Budgie seemed like a revolving door for drummers. Pete Boot takes the honors on this wonderful album; and, he is very, very good here.

I own the entire Budgie catalogue, and, as mentioned above, any Budgie album with Tony is outstanding, but this one (if I were forced to pick) is probably my favorite.

The reason this album is at the top of my Budgie list can be summed up in one-word--LIVING ON YOUR OWN! This, folks, is a rock classic. I will go even further and call this a "rock epic." In a way, I'm glad commercial radio sucks so bad, because I feel these special Budgie treats are all ours (the fans), and no one elses. But, that is a bit selfish now, isn't it?

So, you should definitely go out and by this before they become unavailable. And, if you are new to this terrific group, and are just starting your collection, I would advise to start here; you can't go wrong, and you won't be disappointed.

As a side note, you followers of heavy metal--Metallica is on record as having credited Budgie as their major influence. That, right there, should say it all!

So, kids, you rockin' cats--go out right now and get yourself a course in brain surgery--get IN FOR THE KILL. Your neurons will never be the same!

Rock On, Kids,
Dr. Of Style

If there was ever a Budgie Album that needed to be listened to; this is it. The title track was once covered on stage by Van Halen during their early years of touring--before they made it big.But again, you've gotta listen to the original song and the original album. If you want Heavy Metal at it's bona-fide best, you can't beat this album. Turn the volume up, and destroy your ears. It's worth it.

I always viewed Budgie as a Sabbath doppelganger and this album sounds the most like the mighty four.The title track unleashes at you with molten riff after riff.Guitarist Tony Bourge sounds like a Tony Iommi with all 5 fingers in place.Crash Course in Brain Surgery kinda sounds outta place(spawned in 1971 actually)but it still rocks mightly.I never really cared for Wondering what Everyone knows,Riding my nightmare would have been a better fit.Zoom Club is where the band really shines for all eternity,a 10 minute jam with some lyrics thrown in sparsly,Bourge really shines on this track with devestating riffing and soloing,the best song of their catalogue in my opinion,I never get sick of this stuff.Hammers and Tongs at first listen sounds like a rip-off of some zep tune i can't remember but to me it's just a logical progression and i love the mid-section of that tune,Burke Shelley is an awesome vocalist once you can get over that high baritone.Running From My Soul is a tidy and short speed rocker with tasty bourge fills.Living on your own is the second next crowning achievement on this great album.With awesome riffing from Bourge and witty vocals from Bourge this song is only second to Zoom Club as the best song of the budgie catalogue.the mid-section of the tune borrows from "beck's bolero",but it's cool to hear that kind of stuff.it melds well with the song.If you don't own this album and you want to go beyond the Sabs, zep and/or purple then do your self a favor and grab this CD,it's awesome.

Not literally, of course, but this IS the band (along with a few others) that the satirical movie "This is Spinal Tap" was modeled after. They have also been copied by many big "metal" bands such as Metallica. If you are a metal fan, and I assume you are if you are reading this, and haven't heard this cd yet, then RUN, don't walk, to get it. If you are a blues/rock fan you'll want to grab it also, because these guys really turn some blues inside out here.
This was the 1st Budgie album I ever heard, and I've heard almost all the rest since, but none are as good as this one. Every track is worthy of 5 stars except "Wondering What Everyone Knows" (what everyone actually was wondering is how this "early Beatles" sounding tune got on this album). But every Budgie album seems to have that one "La La" track anyway.
I won't elaborate on every track but I will mention that "Zoom Club" is my personal favorite, with a very innovative guitar part that includes what sounds like Tony Bourge either rapidly unplugging and plugging the guitar jack while getting great feedback or else he just had a short in his guitar cord that he knew just how to tweak. Either way it is some great stuff.

This is Budgie's second best effort (after "Bandolier"), great HEAVY music like "In For The Kill", "Crash Course", "Zoom Club", and "Running from My Soul". I had all of Budgie's stuff on old LP's, it wasn't until Metallica's "Garage Inc" rekindle my love for old 70's heavy music, great version's of Crash Course and Breadfan. I was always a great admirer of Tony Bourge guitar playing and Shelly's unique voice and bass playing that gave RAW HEAVY METAL a whole new meaning. Although 70's recording is not is not what it is today, I still find the music ground shaking, head banging and after all these years, unique as no HM band ever. Budgie was really, (in my humble opinion) the best Heavy band of it's time (Zep included, which I also love), guitarist Tony Bourge departure marked the end of the "real" Budgie, although I admired Burke Shelley's attempt to keep the Budgie going, it was never the same without Shelly/Bourge/Phillips.

Which is a good thing, of course, and if you don't think so, you may as well stop reading and go take a look at the John Denver catalogue.

I'll make this short and sweet. Listen to the first (yes, ONE) note of the title track. If you aren't immediately drawn into it and loving it, you have no heavy metal soul. Of course, when the riff kicks in, you'll wonder like I did why Hetfield and Co. didn't cover this tune as well as the two Budgie tunes they DID cover. If ever there was a spiritual successor to Metallica, IN FOR THE KILL was it.

Turn it up. Bleeding makes your ears tougher!

All the Budgie's first five albums are classics! This is the only Budgie album that has Pete Boot in the drums. After "Never Turn Your Back on a Friend", they made their fourth album which was a great success - but still not enough. It should have sold more - but not. This is much darker album than "Never Turn..." but it is still good stuff. I like the title track very much (it has been covered by Van Halen too, I suppose) as well as "Crash Course in Brain Surgery" which is the new version of the single track that was released during the self-titled album. This song has also been covered by Metallica. "Zoom Club" is about 10 -minute song. It has great solos and it is a great song. Also "Hammer And Tongs" is a great blantant Zeppelin riff included song. "Wodering..." is a nice acoustic ballad. "Running from My Soul" is a little bit upbeat track. "Living On Your own" is a great song too, although it lasts about 9 minutes.
Stars: In for the Kill, Crash Course in Brain Surgery, Zoom Club

This is yet another "complete" album from Budgie. By this I mean every song is good. There is not one bomb in this collection. This re-release also includes alternate versions of three of these songs and a PC video. This is great music on a very underrated album from an extremely underrated and underpublicized band that blends beautiful ballads with blazing rockers. I highly recommend this and any of Budgie's works.

The words "holy grail of" and "stoner rock" come to mind. As a clutch fan (point of reference), I like my rock way over the top. These guys deliver in molten spades and I can't wait to dig into the rest. Greatest Hits obviously has some serious material like "I cant see my feelings" and "Napolean Bona, pt 1 & 2". This music is, without being overly dramatic, an incendiary dispensation of premium butt rock dredged straight from the collective stank soul into your cornflakes bowl, right next to that ham hock. Ham hocks or hog jowls added to various dishes greatly improve their flavour. This is particularly true for cabbage, green beans and navy beans. Somebody pass me a paper towel please.
An affordable, near religious experience for rockers everywhere in any time. Head over to Fu Manchu "In Search Of" next.

`In For the Kill' was a great follow-up to what many rock fans and critics consider to be Budgie's best album. Next to "Breadfan", "Zoom Club", which was `Kill's piece de résistance, could be the Welsh power trio's best song and is definitely my 2nd favorite. The song, built around a monster, plodding Tony Bourge rift just builds and cascades to a thunderous conclusion! It is early heavy metal at its finest. That's not to say that the title track or "Crash Course" are any less rocking but you certainly get a semblance of epic on "Zoom Club". "Hammer and Tongs" which is a longish blues number is definitely Sabbathesque and may have given Budgie a boost towards their Brummie contemporaries if only they had toured the USA before 1976! "Living on Your Own" is probably the band's most Led Zeppelin like song as the middle section is very reminiscent of "Dazed and Confused". Whatever you consider a band's golden period to be, then arguments aside (since Budgie never became much more than a cult band, especially in America) the band's 1973-75 run of albums of which `In For the Kill' was in the middle would have to be considered their primetime. Supposedly Van Halen covered "In For the Kill" in their bar band days and we all know about Metallica and "Crash Course". The tributes would continue but the band's actual success would be limited which like many heavy bands from this era is a shame! Come everyone of you preachers...