The Cocksure Lads - Mad Lad Plan

The Cocksure Lads - Mad Lad Plan
2014, The Cocksure Lads

Somewhere between myth and music lies the sordid tale of The Cocksure Lads.  The Cocksure Lads inhabited the same space in time as The Beatles, Herman’s Hermits and Gerry and The Pacemakers, pumping out hits on BBC Radio One, but have somehow been forgotten by history.  Or, they are the creation of Moxy Fruvous alums Murray Foster and Mike Ford.  Purveyors of the latter theory suggest that Foster and Ford began writing songs in the 1960’s Brit-Pop style back in the mid-1990 and have continued off and on ever since.  By 2010 they had over 25 Lads songs, and decided to commit them to bits and bytes.  A year later they decided to make a video, but came away the conviction that there was a larger story to be told about The Cocksure Lads, and hence a movie was born.  Shooting on the film begins in 2014, but in the meantime, The Cocksure Lads are back with a brilliant collection of 13 songs entitled Mad Lad Plan.

The Lads kick things off with the bouncy 60's pop sound of "In London Town". You'll be humming this one for days or at least until you hear the Beatles-esque follow-up track "Mr. Man". The Cocksure Lads take on the major labels here in a bit of joyous disbelief. The joyous/campy spirit continues on "They All Wanted Me Back", with a melody that Paul McCartney would envy. Expect to move your feet even if you don't want to.

"Yes I Do" is the sort of swaying, melodic love song that recalls 1960's high school dances, and transitions into the melodic brilliance and happy outlook of "Not Today".  You won't be able to keep yourself from swaying to this tune, which might have knocked The Beatles off the charts if it were released in 1964.   "Say Uncle (Garant Said)" is a frenetic rocker detailing advice from a friend/colleague that runs from sage to ridiculous, all while speeding like a freight train hopped up on delicious guitar licks. Te narrative here is fun; you'll be swept along. The Cocksure Lads change things up with the swaying ballad "When You Walk", a somehow sad sounding yet sugary love song that will get stuck in your grille. "Paddington Way" has a dark musical timbre, but still manages to maintain a distinct pop sense with a chorus that won't let you go.

One of the quiet gems of the album is "The Surprising Thing". The Lads never quite get around to telling you what it is, but one can imagine it might be falling in love. This is pure Brit Pop gold. "Easy Peasy" has a more elemental rock and roll feel, but shares the same universally approachable motif. Sit still if you can, because this song is going to rock you. "Requiem For A Lad (featuring The Woosleywumps)" is a contemplative swayer where the melody line is whistled.  The simple arrangement and melody are memorable, and have an almost haunting quality.

The Cocksure Lads pay tribute to their stories homeland in "England My England", a schmaltzy yet moving ode of fealty full of quiet nationalistic pride. The Lads close with the light hearted ballad "Our Love Is Strong", a song guaranteed to have you dancing around and singing along. The lyrics are campy and fun, if a bit off the beaten path of songs of this sort. Nevertheless, you won’t be able to get the song out of your head.

Whichever story you might believe about The Cocksure Lads, one thing is for certain:  The Lads rock play vibrant 1960’s rock and roll with a distinct musicality that stands up against the best of that era.  Mad Lad Plan is an utter musical joy that will have you coming back again and again; a true Wildy’s World Certified Desert Island Disc. 

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more at www.thecocksurelads.com.  

Also! Be sure to check out the first video from the new album: "Mr. Man".

The Cocksure Lads - The Greatest Hits Of The Cocksure Lads: 1963-1968

The Cocksure Lads - The Greatest Hits Of The Cocksure Lads: 1963-1968
2010, The Cocksure Lads

Somewhere in the annals of British Pop history, someone once uttered the words "We should name our band The Cocksure Lads".  This individual was most likely beaten, sacked or traded to another band for a tube amp.  Nevertheless, the name sifted its way through the wormholes of time and settled itself in Southern Ontario in the first decade of the third millennium CE, waiting to be found.  Along came Moxy Fruvous alums Mike Ford and Murray Foster, who unexpectedly tripped into the name and a collection of virulent songs that would redefine pop history.  After bringing fellow Fruvous alum David Matheson into the fold, Ford and Foster added            to complete the rebirth of The Cocksure Lads.  Somewhere between The Beatles, The Rutles and The Monkees lives the memory and sound of The Cocksure Lads.  The lads are immortalized for the first time on The Greatest Hits Of The Cocksure Lads: 1963-1968.

If you're a fan of British Pop born of the 1960's, and don't mind a bit of Python-esque (or Fruvous-esque) humor, then The Cocksure Lads are for you.  Opening with "You're A Cocksure Lad", the band makes a startlingly authentic impression.  The music is insanely good, full of the sort of arching melodies British Pop is renowned for, and even capturing some of the grittiness of recordings done in the early 1960's.  The Cocksure Lads manage to take the music seriously even as they lace it with freshly dated wit.  "A Case Of The Dropsies" is highly danceable rockabilly with a memorable melody line.  You'll want to dance so bad you'll grab the next person who walks through the door.  "Ships Ahoy!" is part Paul McCartney silly little love and part sea shanty.  It's an amazing musical conglomeration with a pirate fixation that involves a love affair, a trip around the world and highly questionable seasonings.  The Fruvous lads always had a knack for high value entertainment and tunes, and those qualities bloom here.  Try as you might, you won't be able to get this one out of your head.

"Umbrella Girl" sounds like an authentic 1960's ballad, but is in fact an old FruSong that has never appeared on an official release before.  If you're not familiar with FruSongs, they are tunes written about hard core Fruvous fans who had attended a significant number of shows.  This mock up of the song works exceedingly well.  "Ticky Boo (Look Though My Window)" leans a bit more to the Monkees side of the equation; a delightful bit of 1960's fluff pop that's indescribably, infectiously catchy.  The energy and pizzazz continue on "That's Any Good".   If you had to pick just one song from the album to drop into rotation circa 1965 and get a hit, it would probably be this one.  With a killer melody, positive outlook, and just a hint of Austin Powers-style cheese ball humor, "That's Any Good" would be a can't miss single.

"You Gotta Stay Cocksure" is stereotypical of the songwriting styles of the time, when record labels pushed artists to re-use ideas that worked previously to max out capitalization of the label's profit.  Accordingly, such songs often had a re-tread air.  The Cocksure Lads manage to avoid any such feel with a brilliant pop tune that stands on its own.  Things get a bit strange on "The Car Boot Light That Never Quite Shuts Off", as the title might suggest.  It's an exploration of self sung over funeral-style organ.  Drawn in its own apparent contradictions, the tune is funny in a slightly disturbing manner.  Mike Ford contrives a singing voice here that's part Ringo Starr and part Wakko from The Animaniacs.  "Admiral Trafalgar" is a fun, historical nod to Admiral Nelson, the British Commander at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.  This one is done in the style of Ford's Canada In Song series, but dressed up in a 1960's pop arrangement that's fun. 

"Mushy Peas" celebrates home, wrapping up the singer's affections in the symbolism of a meal of mushy peas and spam.  There's really nothing else to say.  "I've Already Been Loved, Love", is pure Beatles pop with an R&B backbeat; a treatise on not getting to the buffet table of love too late.  The faux-bass lead vocal line is perhaps the funniest part of the song.  The Cocksure Lads close with "Wellies In The Bath", an amusingly jaunty little tune about one man's predilection for wearing knee-high waterproof boots while bathing.  It's an odd close, but amusing nonetheless.

The Greatest Hits Of The Cocksure Lads: 1963-1968 is one wild ride.  Humor born of both intelligence and kitsch abounds, dancing its way amidst melodies that would make the Queen Mother proud.  These sorts of concept albums often fail and fail horribly, if for no other reason than the idea behind them usually sounds better in discussion than it does playing out across a full length album.  The Cocksure Lads will make you believe that the British Invasion isn't over.  The reunion of 3/4 of the Moxy Fruvous lineup features hints of that band's musical and comedic prowess, but builds on the individual members continued growth to create something wholly memorable and fun.  The Greatest Hits Of The Cocksure Lads: 1963 - 1968 is essential listening.  You won't be able to get The Cocksure Lads out of your head.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about The Cocksure Lads at www.facebook.com/cocksurelads.  The Greatest Hits Of The Cocksure Lads: 1963-1968 is available digitally from Amazon.com and iTunes.  Those of you who prefer your music dizzy can pick up the CD at MapleMusic.com.