What Kind of Rock 'n' Roll?

The Crybabys' main claim to fame is that they are led by Honest John Plain, who once was guitarist for the Boys. They play good-time rock & roll with a drunk and woozy feeling that places them in the same ballpark as such other fine, long-haired, bandanna-sporting bands as Dogs d'Amour and the Rock City Angels. This collection on Castle compiles the Crybabys' first record, 1990's Where Have All the Good Girls Gone, which featured songs like "Hijack Your Heart," "Crawling Over Your Doorstep," and "F****d Up," titles that pretty much speak for themselves. Deep thought, no. Rockin' good times, yes. The second record was slated to be released in 1992, but the label didn't like it and the band never really recovered from the blow. Now, over a decade later, the record is reissued here. What Kind of Rock 'n' Roll? is the same kind of straight-ahead Jack Daniels-swigging rock that the first album was. Maybe the label wanted the band to sound more like Oasis. That's the story of rock & roll — the honest, hard-working bands always get shut down by the man. Oh well, at least fans of the Crybabys' can hear it now in all of its lunkheaded glory. The disc also contains the single version of "Where Have All the Good Girls Gone" produced by lunkhead-in-arms Jim Lea of Slade and three live tracks recorded in France in 1991.