Saturday, May 05, 2007

WESTWORLD


Genre:
Electronic
Style:
Acid House, Breaks, Electro


















WHERE THE ACTION IS (1987)

Tracklist :


01 Where The Action Is
02 Sonic Boom Boy
03 Rockulator
04 Psychotech
05 Silver Mac
06 Fly Westworld
07 Ba-Na-Na-Bam-Boo
08 Mix Me Up
09 Injection 1-2-3
10 Cheap'n'Nasty
11 Joyrider
12 Painkiller
13 So Long Cowboy
14 Sonic Boom Boy (original)
15 Ba-Na-Na-Boomerang


Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/29668697/where_the_action_is__192_kbs.rar.html

"I bought this back when it originally came out. It rocked then as much as it does today. Kinda Joan Jett-ish but a little softer. If you want something to test the bass in your audio system, try Painkiller. It'll really BOOM! There isn't a single song I would call crap. They're all equally great in thier own special way. "

"Westworld were a British band who played a strange combination of rockabilly & punk pop music, with a guitarist from Generation X and a spunky female singer. All the tracks live up to the 3 minute punk single ethic; short and sweet with catchy tunes and a singalong chorus. The biggest British hit on the album is `Sonic Boom Boy', which still has me pogoing around the kitchen and playing the air guitar! The rockabilly guitars drive nearly every track and each one could easily have been a single.."



















GREATEST HITS : BEATBOX ROCK 'N' ROLL (1997)

Tracklist :

01 Sonic Boom Boy
02 Where the Action Is
03 Beat Box Rock & Roll
04 Psychotech
05 Rockulator
06 Silver Mac
07 Ba-Na-Na-Bam-Boo

08 Mix Me Up
09 Injection 1-2-3
10 Cheap 'N' Nasty
11 Joy Rider
12 Painkiller
13 Johnny Blue
14 Everything Good Is Bad
15 Dance On
16 Break Your Heart
17 Big Red Indian
18 Whirlwind Girls
19 Ultimate Westerner
20 Cadillac
21 Paper Skyscraper
22 Supersly
23 Fly Westworld


Links to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/29660084/beatbox_1_192_kbs.rar.html

http://rapidshare.com/files/29660722/beatbox_2_192_kbs.rar.html

"Westworld are one of those bands seemingly destined to be remembered as one-hit wonders thanks to the success of "Sonic Boom Boy" the biggest and most widely remembered of their hits in the late 80's. Whilst that song is indeed very good and gives a flavour of the other great music that Westworld were creating at that time, it is far from being their best song and they deserve recognition for more than one great pop song. Their 1987 album "Where The Action Is" is present here in its entirity and that alone is reason enough to purchase this CD. The sound of Westworld is simple but effective; 50's style rock n' roll and rockabilly style guitars married to the then-current hip-hop drum machine sound with hooky pop vocals over the resulting clash of old and new styles. Interestingly enough "Derwood" and Elizabeth from Westworld still work together today under the name Moondogg(spelling is correct, and they are not to be confused with at least two other acts that go by the more traditional spelling of Moondog) and have kept the core of this idea but taken it to new and more contemporary/old fashioned shapes by combining a more rootsy blues guitar feel with modern drum n' bass influenced electronic music. The other tracks which consist of their unreleased 2nd album and other assorted offcuts show that the band maintained a high quality control throughout their brief career and there are many gems to be uncovered by fans of their fist album like myself. Highlights of the CD include "Mix Me Up" and "Cheap N' Nasty" both originally from "Where The Action Is" and later single "Everything Good Is Bad". Try and enjoy a band that were doing something original which still sounds unique today, or just as a great 80's pop record with hooks that stay imbedded in your ears for days after you hear them. "

"Although billed as a 'Greatest Hits' package, this is actually Westworlds 1st album 'Where The Action Is' combined with their unreleased (by their record company at the time BMG - why I don't know) 2nd album 'Beat Box Rock'n'Roll'. Also included are some singles that were released. All the 80's hits are here, 'Sonic Boom Boy', 'Silvermac', 'Ba Na Na Bam Boo' (!) and 'Everything Good Is Bad'. Derwood's guitar playing verges on the rockibily at times and Elizabeth's singing is truly powerfull, making this a truly great album. The only grumbles I have with this CD are the sloppy artwork, the complete lack of any explanatory sleeve notes and the fact that there's an extra track on here that isn't even named. Westworld (not to be confused with a currently named US band) were always a strange mixture of retro and futurism and were even compared to Sigue Sigue Sputnik at the time (another underated band). This was always unfair for their sound was unique. After the 3rd album 1993's 'Movers And Shakers' was released in the US only, the band seemed to disapear although 'So Long Cowboy' from that LP showed up on the 'Point Break, soundtrack. If anyone knows what they're up to today, let me know. What we're left with is an outstanding album of tightly constructed pop rock'n'roll packed full of previously un-released tracks that should move and shake you in any decade. DAVID TURNER"

About Westworld
Westworld was founded by former Generation X band member Bob "Derwood" Andrews in London back in 1986. Generation X had consisted of such prominent members as Billy Idol and Tony James (who created the amazing Sigue Sigue Sputnik.) As lead vocalist Bob chose american singer Elizabeth Westwood. Third original band member was Nick Burton. Westworld had a fantastic "cartoon" image (just take a look at the cover of their first album) and a great sound of beatbox and electronic drums meets classic rock'n'roll guitars. Pretty lightweight some may argue but entertaining and great pop music never-the-less. They started off with the single "Sonic Boom Boy" which became a rather big UK hit and paved the way for the first album "Where the action is" (which was also released in the US under a different name "Rockulator".) One year later a second album "Beatbox Rock 'n' roll" was released. However the album somehow didn't sell enough to please the record company and this album was only released in a limited market(Scandinavia, France, Australia and New Zealand). A new album "Movers and Shakers" wasn't released until 1991 and only in the US. For this release the band had been reconstructed. Nick had been replaced by Gary Young and Tracey O'Conner(T.J.) After this record I believe the band pretty soon split up and that was the end of Westworld. Rumour has it that a fourth album "Coming through the Rye" exists, however this album may also have been the beginning of Moondogg and not a Westworld album? Also mentioned is a solo album by Elizabeth called "Don't Believe a Word". If this will ever be released is also unknown.

More info:
http://www.klavs.net/Web_Westworld/AboutWestworld.aspx

http://www.klavs.net/Web_Westworld/Links.aspx

12 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thanks so much for Westworld!!!

7:36 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm so happy to listen to this lost gem again! I was only 16 in 1987 and Westworld was a perfect band for teens. I was in love with Elyzabeth!

Thank you VERY MUCH!!!

4:54 PM  
Blogger cdsearcher said...

Hello! Great Blog!! Just to let you know WESTWORLD's second album was released (1988) I have the CD. Confusingly, it is titled BEAT BOX ROCK 'N' ROLL like the greatest hits CD. Here is a like for it:

http://rapidshare.com/files/28416505/Westworld_-_1988_-_Beatbox_Rock__n__Roll.rar

All the Best!!

1:22 PM  
Anonymous Cruden Chris said...

I really must say a huge thank you to your very goodself for sharing these timeless classics. I have been looking for "where the action is" for a very long time. I really cant thank you enough. I am extremely grateful and extatic to have found this. Cheers.

3:41 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

@cdsearcher thanks!!!:)

@Cruden Chris
youre welcome:)

cheers
salty

3:52 PM  
Anonymous Nick Burton said...

Hello Saltyka
This is Nick Burton. Thanks for what youre doing and nice to see some of these photos again after so many years

6:20 AM  
Anonymous Biker Leather Jackets said...

Leather Jackets, Leather Skirts, Men Leather Pants
Interesting one..

11:17 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Recently, "Sonic Boom Boy" was playing in my mind just as in 1987 and began searching for Westworld. In college, doing workstudy at a TV studio, I saw Elizabeth hosting an episode of the "Nick Rocks" show on Nickelodeon. Remember it well!

4:35 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thanx a lot!

8:29 AM  
Blogger savageYHS said...

Thank you so much for *Where the Action Is*! What a fantastic album!!
It lit a fire under my butt when I first heard it, and it still does today, 20 years later! Peace and Happyness to you guys!*-)

6:31 AM  
Blogger savageYHS said...

All 3 original WESTWORLD albums! - http://80-e.ru/lofiversion/index.php/t851-250.html

7:58 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

i have FOUND it - thank you sooooo much - been looking for months now \0/

8:04 AM  

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