Castle Music UK
2002
Live At The Paris Theatre, London 1976
About This Album
If ever a band's name put the wrong impression of their music across, it was that of Britain's Widowmaker, whose diversified blend of '70s rock rarely sounded vicious enough to do such an intimidating moniker justice (unlike the American bunch led by Twisted Sister screamer Dee Snider in the '90s -- they fit the bill). The Straight Faced Fighters anthology is the ultimate proof, collecting virtually every song issued by the troubled almost-supergroup during their altogether brief, two album, two year ride. Disc one starts off reasonably enough with their eponymous debut from 1976, but surreptitiously sneaks in a non-album track, the bluesy rocker "Such a Shame" -- ahead of the record's original, limp-wristed excuse for an opener, "Pin a Rose on Me," which waffled on with post-hippie sentimentality over a countrified acoustic guitar base. This odd combination is replicated throughout the LP, with both improved ("Straight Faced Fighter," the gospel-flavored "Shine a Light on Me"), and impoverished results ("Leave the Kids Alone," the unbearably insipid flower-power muck-about "Got a Dream"); but Widowmaker manage to keep nap-time at bay with another electrified blues ("Ain't Telling You Nothing"), a few simple but energetic hard rockers ("On the Road," the standout "Running Free"), and a meticulously shambolic stab at Faces-like barroom decadence called "When I Met You.
Track List

Disc 1 (try tracks 1,3,4,6 and 7)

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Disc 2 (try tracks 7,8,9 and 10)

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