Rating: *** (3 stars)
Title: Hands of Jack the Ripper
Company: Cotillion
Catalog: SD 9049
Year: 1972
Grade (cover/record): VG/VG
Comments: small saw cut bottom left corner
Available: 1
Price: $12.00
1972's "Hands of Jack the Ripper" was a live collection recorded at various UK clubs. Musically the set offered up a mixture of 50s' rock classics (lots of Chuck Berry and Little Richard numbers) and sound-alike originals ("Gotta Keep a-Rocking" and "Country Club"). Thankfully Sutch didn't seem to take himself too seriously; the album going a long way to underscore the fact he didn't have a great deal of personal talent at his disposal. Elsewhere, the title track was cheesy and goofy, sounding like it was lifted from an old Screaming Jay Hawkins album. Luckily there's an impressive cast of backing support, including guitarist Richie Blackmore (who turns in some blazing solos on tracks such as "Good Golly Miss Molly" and "Great Balls of Fire", and Procol Harum keyboardist Matthew Fisher - both whom had previously supported Sutch as members of The Savages. By an odd coincidence, a week after we picked this one up, namesake Lord Sutch was found dead in his London home.
"Hands of Jack the Ripper" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Gotta Keep a-Rocking (Lord Sutch) - 4:26
2.) Roll Over Beethoven (Chuck Berry) - 2:0
3.) Country Club (Lord Sutch) - 3:16
4.) Hands of Jack the Ripper (Lord Sutch) - 9:15
(side 2)
1.) Good Golly Miss Molly (Charles Calhoun - Hill - rang) - 4:40
2.) Great Balls of Fire (Jack Hammer - Otis Blackwell) - 3:50
3.) Bye Bye Johnny/Johnny B. Goode (Check Berry) - 4;40
4.) Tutti Frutti Medley - 5:06
a.) Long Tall Sally (Richard Penniman - Enotria Johnson - Robert Blackwell)
b.) Jenny Jenny (Richard Penniman - Enotria Johnson)
c.) Keep-a-Knockin' (Richard Penniman)
d.) Jenny Jenny
e.) Tutti Frutti (Richard Penniman - Joseph Lubin - Dorthy LaBostrie)