Rockin Bob – “I Bleed/Private Jet”
So some of you might not know who Bob Cenci is? (Rockin Bob)
But I assume, if you’re reading this, you’ve heard of the album “This Is Boston Not L.A.”
The first and most famous hardcore compilation from Boston.
And you probably know of the still active The F.U. ‘s who along with Gang Green, The Freeze, The Proletariat and Jerry’s Kids were the most influential bands on that comp.
Well, Bob was the guitarist for Jerry’s Kids.
And Bob is still recording and playing music. Sometimes as Rockin Bob and other times as Rockin Bob’s Punk Band. And yes, he is indeed still rockin’.
I feel Bob’s music is the truth without the bullshit, feelings without the playing on emotions sentimental crap- along with anger, awareness and mistrust of authorities and society- with a heavy dose of energy, passion and fun.
And if that sounds like a pretty good definition of punk? Well, yes it is! And that’s a very good definition of Bob’s music, too.
Let’s check out some tunes:
With the energy and excitement brewing and then erupting during the very first moments of “I Bleed”, I hear and feel every early punk band before they exploded- their emotion, frustration and elation with every note, every song they played- and here in this song I hear and feel the same.
This is rock’n’roll, this is Ramones style punk, this is Motorhead style metal blasting into your ears and colliding straight into your heart or what some may call your soul.
This is beyond terms like punk or hardcore but perfectly aligned with pure emotion, pure drive, pure feel and yes, pure heart.
A wonderfully, understated melodic chorus follows as the song thrusts forward in full propulsion. “You take one path, I take another. Where we end up, you’re still my brother.”
Such a great line and one that hits home with me as Andy and I have no brothers and though we have lived such divergent lives, I do feel we are as close as one can get of ever having a brother with each other.
And BTW- this is a great, fucking song.
“Gotta Minute?” starts out rockin’ loud, a bit like Husker Du used to do. Three slashin’, smashin’ chords with lyrics such as: “We’re running out of time. We’re running out of sight. There’s no room for the next generation, the middle class is deteriorating.” “Gotta minute, give it to me?” That last line symbolizes the greed of our society to me.
This song pounces and pulverizes like a cougar striking out at its prey. Like a venomous snake sinking its teeth into your jugular. But instead of drawing you into a poisonous demise it instead leads you onto a state pure of musical bliss.
The blues/rock guitar solo blends nicely alongside the solid, hard garage rock backing before it escalates into pure musical epiphany.
“Gotta minute, give it to me?” Gotta a few minutes for musical ecstasy? Have your ears step right into this song.
“Kamikaze Love Song” sounds like a long-lost song by The Damned just found. Or maybe an early Motorhead tune. It’s a full assault on your senses with volume, aggression and intensity.
A kamikaze was “a Japanese suicide bombing by a pilot designed to destroy enemy warships during World War II.”
This song seems to be designed to bombard your ears, excite your senses and blow your consciousness to smithereens! And succeeds in every aspect of its mission.
“Private Jet” is a great glam/glitter/grunge song that hits hard and true. “Let’s raise a glass, well above first class. Raise the sails on the mast… They’ll never catch a private jet.”
Like all of Bob’s songs this is hard to categorize but like all of his songs -is rockin’, melodic, uncompromising and fun.
About ten years ago Andy and I went to Lowell, MA to see a gig where The F.U’s were playing while Bob was playing guitar for them. It was at a strip joint called Gemstones. (Sounds a bit like Cantones but then most of you probably won’t get that early punk club I reference).
They played on the second floor of a local dive and the strip club was not one of these fancy, modern ones. Oh, no! – this was more like what you might have witnessed in the Combat Zone in the sixties. And yes- they had Go-Go cages on each side of the stage for strippers to dance in! (Check out videos of sixties TV rock shows like Shindig! or Hullabaloo to get my drift).
They also had placards on the bar advertising the strippers they had on New Years Eve and in lieu of 12 ounce beers they had 22 ounce ones.
I recall Andy complaining about how much a round cost and explaining to him, “You do realize we just bought about four beers not two?”
I proceeded to get hammered and had to interview the great Connecticut hardcore band M-13 after the show. (Check out the humorous interview on our site). And thanks to Andy for being my designated driver that night and for so many years.
But what I clearly recall in my inebriated state was Bob playing a solo during one of the songs while he was perched inside one of the cages.
And if that wasn’t punk rock? Well, what is?
And if these songs aren’t really great punk?
Well, what is?
(Slimedog)
