7in - Ambrose – Bust Your Nose / Rock And Roll Lady - Original 1978 Stock
Unplayed Original 1978 Stock Copy! Two tracks from the "Bust Your Nose" LP. Here's our review of the long-player:
Let’s go ahead and get this out of the way…this record cover is incredible. It’s just DIY enough to be endearing and just pro enough to look pretty damn tough. The band name brass knuckle drawing and the dripping-blood album title font are laid out perfectly on the black background of this tip-on jacket. The band’s own ARC Records imprint is tastefully emblazoned on the lower left corner of the jacket. It’s obviously a homemade record to the trained eye, but the uninitiated could’ve certainly been fooled, especially at the time of its release. The center labels look legit and I’m so incredibly thankful for the black-and-white photo of the band on the back of the jacket. What I wouldn’t give to have a closet full of the digs these dudes are wearing in the picture, especially that black Ambrose band tee. I’m not sure which band member is which and one of them seems to be missing from the photo because there are only 4 guys pictured and 5 band members listed in the liner notes. But that doesn’t bother me, it only adds to the mystique.
This record comes out of the gate like a punch in the face. The crunchy opening riff and the wild scream at the 7 second mark let those about to rock know that they’re about to R.O.C.K. It’s not immediately obvious that this is going to be a Southern Rock affair, but it doesn’t take long for that to become sonically apparent. The singer immediately encourages the listener to get out of their seats, rock this town (presumably their hometown of Cooksville, Tennessee), and GET DOWN! Ambrose immediately threatens to BUST YOUR NOSE with their Rock’N’Roll music and it sounds more like a promise than a threat. Any discerning ear will appreciate the heavy echo on the vocals, an effect not oft used in the genre and one of the elements of this recording that would have likely been vetoed if this record weren’t privately pressed.
Ambrose had complete creative control here and thank goodness for that. This record would have sounded much different if released on a major label, for better or worse….probably the latter. That said, Ambrose definitely had the chops to be a major label success, but them wasn’t the breaks. The band released two singles and this one fine LP and disappeared into obscurity. Bad luck for the band, good luck for collectors looking for unadulterated sounds like the eight tracks contained on this long-player. Side note: one of the 45s contains two tracks from the LP and the other is non-LP tracks. An odd move, to be sure, but one that makes me respect Ambrose’s artistic vision even more.
The casual listener would probably immediately site Molly Hatchet as an influence here, especially on the vocals, but that seems somewhat unlikely since both of these debut albums came out the same year, 1978. It’s possible, considering how quickly copycat bands got going back in the day, but like most underground bands, Ambrose was likely influenced by a variety of bands playing Hard and Southern Rock at the time.
Side two comes out blazing as well. On “Breakout” the band again promises to bust noses lyrically and then the lead fuzz guitar tone kicks ya right in the nuts. What a one-two punch. There are at least three distinct types of Southern Rock. The Hard Rock style, the Jam-Band style, and the more rural Country Rock-style. This writer loves ‘em all, but is a hard rocker at heart and Ambrose checks all the boxes. Like many Southern Rock records of its vintage, the closing track, “Annabella”, is the longest jam on the album, complete with a soaring guitar solo. It RIPS and even gets a little “Free Bird”-y. Don’t let that acoustic interlude fool ya. Ambrose gets heavy.
But don’t take my word for it, the album is reviewed favorably Acid Archives, by a contributor that doesn’t usually rate Hard Rock records highly and he says this one is “southern rock that is heavier than usual”. I agree completely and I think you will too, if you allow Ambrose the opportunity to “Bust Your Nose”. - Words by Lance Barresi
