2021’s documentary “The Right to Rock” introduced a lot of people to FANNY, but connoisseurs admired this American ensemble’s music long before they became a symbol of feminism in rock. Still, the foursome’s fifth and final album has always been underestimated, not least because it was the first to not feature the quartet’s original line-up, with guitarist June Millington and drummer Alice de Buhr departing to be replaced – as selected by the former’s sister, bassist Jean, and keyboardist Nickey Barclay – with, respectively, Patti Quatro, the sister of Suzi, and Brie Howard. This configuration, however, managed to make their fresh songs gel into a concept work, titled “Rock And Roll Survivors” and produced by Vini Poncia for Casablanca Records. That record didn’t see a lot of chart action, apart from a couple of singles which did entered hit parades, yet now time came to reassess it.
Getting released on September 19th, the album’s deluxe edition, overseen by Patti, includes not only remixed and remastered tracks that the classic longplay comprised, including “Butter Boy” which was inspired by Jean Millington’s relationship with David Bowie, but also three covers the new collective performed during their inaugural show at “Whiskey A Go-Go” on New Year’s Eve 1974, after just a fortnight of rehearsals. More so, the reissue’s second disc is dedicated to the previously unheard, except by concert-goers, on-stage version of the album, a rock opera, and this seems the most interesting aspect of it all.
Rock And Roll Survivors /
Rock And Roll Survivors Live Opera 1974
CD 1 – Rock And Roll Survivors:
1. Rock And Roll Survivors
2. Butter Boy
3. Long Distance Lover
4. Let’S Spend The Night Together
5. Rockin’ (All Nite Long)
6. Get Out Of The Jungle
7. Beggar Man
8. Sally Go ‘Round The Roses
9. I’Ve Had It
10. From Where I Stand
bonus tracks – “Whiskey A Go-Go” – December 31st, 1974 :
11. Back In My Arms Again
12. Young And Dumb
13. Oh Darling
CD 2 – Rock And Roll Survivors Opera:
1. Apologia
2. From Where I Stand
3. Sage And Novice
4. Beggar Man
5. It’s A Trap
6. The Innocent
7. It’s A Trap
8. The Ingenue
9. Seventeen
10. The Whore
11. Butter Boy
12. The Fag
13. Man Is A Man
14. The Dyke
15. Just Like Him
16. It’s A Trap
17. Rock And Roll Survivors
18. I Believe in Myself
19. Blind Alley
20. Jungle Rock Star
21. From Where I Stand
22. Engineered
23. Rock And Roll Survivors
