Brownsville Station were a rock band popular in the early 1970s. They had one big hit, “Smokin’ in the Boys’ Room”, an anthem encouraging teen rebellion in the form of lifelong support for the Philip Morris group of companies. You will know it, even if you don’t know their version – it was covered, almost identically, by Motley Crue in the 1980s.
It’s okay. A rocker with no great pretence. Straight up and down, like a toilet seat.
This track, a B-side from before their big hit, is in the same vein but more enjoyable for mine. Another anthem in favour of teenage acting out, only this time it is playing loud music. The square Mister Robert, who lives next door complains about the volume; Brownsville respond by turning it up to 11. The lyrics are not always intelligible, and from the ones you can make out this is no great loss. But hey, this is party rock, and rock it does, with strong drums and some nice electric guitar.
They even tease poor Mister Robert by turning it down and going semi-classical, quite wel, before amping up again.
It would go down well in a smoky bar. Though in Australia these days, everybody knows that smoking ain’t allowed in bars …
- Artist: Brownsville Station
- Single Title: Let Your Yeah be Yeah
- Track: Side B “Mister Robert”
- Format: 7”, 45 rpm
- Label: Big Tree Records BT 161
- Manufactured in: USA
- Year: 1973
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