"Don't Know Where To Start" by The Primitives

There I was working on a review to appear next week and suddenly, to my surprise (but presumably not theirs) The Primitives dropped a new single "Don't Know Where To Start" which I had to play instantly.

In fact I really don't know where to start as the band have kindly provided their own review which I reproduce here: "…"Don't Know Where To Start" is a punky glam pounder with surf pop undercurrents and features all the essential ingredients of a classic Prims' track; a spirited vocal rendering from Tracy T set against unrefined slabs of fuzz 'n' jangle, all shored up by a straight-ahead, no-nonsense rhythm racket. On the flip side is a grinding, Paul fronted deja VU blast-out entitled "Till I'm Alive".."

Showing all the command of language Paul Court brings to the lyrics of the songs he writes, this concise description is both wholly accurate and needs little adding.

I'd better add some thoughts of my own in order to justify my claim to be a reviewer.

Firstly, the band have been releasing tracks for thirty six years now & since they've never produced a duff one nor filler, they presumably are incapable.

Secondly: please look beyond the hits of yesteryear: I am happy to claim that they just get better. I certainly have gone on record that their previous release "Spin-O-Rama" might be my favourite ever and before that I said much the same about "Never Kill A Secret".

Produced by Paul Sampson in Coventry earlier this year (he also seems back long term as their bass player both live & in the studio), the A Side is as they say, classic Primitives: how Paul manages to make Tracy's voice so clear over such a powerful & compulsive backing is one of the mysteries of the band which probably is best left as a secret: it also enables her to sing in a cool, restrained manner exposing the lyrics & offering her characteristic sophisticated yet alluring vocal. How can anyone resist? They are "proper" lyrics too (as they always are), telling a story & with only enough repetition to ensure their reputation as purveyors of addictive hooks remains intact. Equally, no matter how much "fuzz 'n' jangle" or "rhythm racket" Paul, Tig & Paul conjure up, the song is as melodic as all their others.

The B side however is welcome in a different fashion: certainly channelling the Velvet Underground who were so influential on the band at its point of origin, yet with a groove which the VU whatever other strengths they had, never approached: in fact I could hear as much Stone Roses as Velvets in there: perhaps reminiscent of Paul's Starpower project. In any event, this is a Primitives record where I could end up playing both "sides" equally often:  and that's far from the first of their singles I could say that about.