The Saints
By All Music Guide
By All Music Guide
Punk-era Saints was exactly what youd expect: buzzsaw guitars; Baileys pissed-off, nasal vocals; and locomotive rhythms supplied by bassist Kym Bradshaw and drummer Ivor Hay. After the LP (Im) Stranded became a modest hit in England, the follow-up record, Eternally Yours, showed some changes (more varied tempos, acoustic guitars) that would set the stage for their third record, Prehistoric Sounds, which combined horn arrangements into a punk-ish sort of R&B. It was at this point that the Saints were beginning to change enough to not resemble the band they were just a scant two years earlier. Kuepper left to form the arty Laughing Clowns and eventually made a number of records as a solo act. Bailey, however, got to keep the name the Saints and soldiered on, taking time here and there to record his own solo records.
To most Americans, the Saints were a dead issue, if they were still an issue at all. (Im) Stranded caught on with punk aficionados, but hardly anyone else; Eternally Yours came and went without a trace, and Prehistoric Sounds was never domestically released (neither were any of the post-Kuepper Saints records of the early 80s). So, by the time All Fools Day was released in 1987, there were many who thought the Saints were a brand new band -- and they were right. Gone were the rapid-fire guitar sound and bellowing vocals, replaced by sophisticated pop arrangements and more technically accomplished singing. The music was strong, intelligent pop that was better than much of the late-80s
ew wave. The next LP, Prodigal Son, wasnt as good, but did nothing to hurt the reputation of the new Saints. Oddly enough, Kuepper got together with Celibate Rifles guitarists Kent Steedman and Dave Morris and performed under the name the Aints. Gigging in Sydney, they generally played a set of (Im) Stranded-era material, and even recorded a couple of lo-fi live discs, all done for laughs. As for Bailey, hes a credible performer who continued to release interesting records, with or without the Saints.
