The Tights - Reviews '06
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7707 - Reviewed by Mick Mercer   8-11-06      www.mickmercer.com
THE TIGHTS
7707
Own Label

The Tights were an unusual punky pop band way back when, with their glorious singles ‘Bad Hearts’ and ‘Howard Hughes’. ‘Bad Heart’ hinted at perverse lyrical forays, with punctilious little drum bursts and gritty guitar, then on the lumpier, chanty ‘It’ they became ever more pungent, then flipped over, and over with the exquisite ‘Cracked’ which seems poppity heaven but also stirs in demented, squeezed wordplay. Somewhere between The Carpettes at their most relaxed, and either The Boys at their most cherubic, or The Cortinas at their most bitter, The Tights deserved to stick around at least until an album or two had sapped them, but it was not to be. The advancements made with the tingling, rushing ‘Howard Hughes’ showed they were en route for being immensely successful but they had no labels taking an interest. Even the pretentious ‘China’s Eternal’ is musically diverse and eddies with a surreptitious beauty.

In 1979, gone. In 2004, back. In ‘7707’ nostalgia breathes through rancid, inspired lungs, because they're still throwing slippery spanners into their own works, and haven’t returned sounding the same at all! The first song is a choppy 1977 retread with no Jam, Strummer or Ramones in 1977 (etc) but while the vocals regret angrily it


The Tights EP 7707 - Review

www.punkoiuk.co.uk
This ep is excellent, only three tracks but it takes you back to 77, baying for more. Excellent 1st track paying tribute to fallen heroes and things we just all loved, now all gone away. 2nd track has a far more gothic feel, reminding me of the Mission. 3rd track is a more 77 feel to it, just close your eyes and slip back to 77 and live our dream. This is a truly excellent ep, with 77 written all over it. A must for all true punks of the 1st generation, and it will also appeal to all melodic seeking punks of today. Rip roaring guitars giving the feeling that I can do that. Fab vocals, no nonsense edge and bam bam stix. Let’s see more of this early energy sound to our scene. I am sure the Tights will continue to build on the past and present success, not just here but all around the globe.
5 out of 5
Review by Andy


HussieSkunk Punk Radio review of 7707 
The Tights, a late 70s punk outfit, has reformed into the same that they left us with so long ago. This album features three tracks of the band's brand of not quite pop punk, and just short of '77 punk rock. Belting out catchy lyrics, upbeat tempos and the energy of a band half their age, The Tights have, well, a very tight release on their hands. The opener, "7707", I believe is a timeline or walk through history with the band as they recount the past thirty years in the punk rock realm. Again the music is great, it's classic punk rock with real meaning and emotion. Even the final few seconds of the song allude to the band's excitement, vigor and happiness with being back in the scene. The second track, starting out a little darker than the others, titled "State Of Nature" reveals the bands viability within the modern punk landscape. The song is very dancable, similar to some of the good stuff coming from Blanche Davidian and company, with just a little mellower groove to it. The final track on this three song sampler, "I Can't Sing" reminds me of the band Ugly American from the early 80s. The sing along chorus is classic punk rock, that only solidifies The Tights real influences throughout their off then on career. I really dig "7707" and hope that if and when a full length is cut, that many of the tracks feature the same excitement and power found on that track. -MG


The Dirty Water Club  -  27. 1. '06    www.punkoiuk.co.uk
....The Tights had to follow that and they certainly did. Funny band really, two highly promising singles in "Bad Hearts" and "Howard Hughes" and then nothing. This is their first London gig for 28 years and they obviously must be fondly remembered because there's not a bad turnout in the place.
Sometimes in the rush to slag off reformed bands we sometimes forget that it could be a chance to catch a great band we may have missed along the way for one reason or another, a glimpse at the abilities that never came to fruitition in their original phase. The Tights are one such band. Sounding absolutely spot on, better than the singles even and exhibiting plenty of attitude, they played a relatively short set of about 40 minutes, but in this case less is more. They could have padded out the set with covers (one only: an excellent version of the Ramones "Poison Heart"), but that wasn't the point was it? It means we get the lean cuts without any surrounding flab (is this anyway for a veggie to talk! ).
What they did do was all their recorded canon (the fine songs from the Cherry Red singles "Bad Hearts", "It", "Cracked", "Howard Hughes" and China's Eternal") plus some songs that I'm taking as original 77 era material that never got put on vinyl, like (I'm really not sure about this title) "I Don't Know About You" and they were all very played excellently and with a thorough conviction. Never an out and out thrashy Punk band (though "Bad Hearts" played for a second time as an encore, is as good as any of that type), there's a neat playfulness and subtle experimentation that would have seen them do well in the Post Punk days, had they survived. There's the kind of controlled mania in there songs that Joy Division specialised in a year or so later, but the Tights weren't so po-faced and laced each song subject with humour and energy. It sounds trite but they really should have made it back then, though I'm just happy they did decided to come back and give us a second bite at the cherry (red). A fine, fine performance and a new LP would be great!!
Reviewed by Ian PTP