Rachel Stamp “Hymns For Strange Children”

14 Apr 2023

2–3 minutes

England, glam, london, Post-Glam, Rachel Stamp, UK

I found out about RACHEL STAMP in 2001 when listening to this first official album I got from an Italian glam friend. “Hymns For Strange Children” was released in February 2000 and here it is coming back again in 2023 like the rebirth of glitter! I remember listening to “Monsters Of The New Wave”and thinking it was very original with its disco drums, new wave synths and second verse made up with KISS song titles! I was playing in SPARKLING BOMBS at the time and once in London with singer Alice, we saw a few RACHEL STAMP shirts in Camden and pictures in magazines which was all a bit confusing since it seems like just a few people outside the UK knew who RACHEL STAMP was! Why? They had the looks, the songs, the musicianship, the energy and the mystique. “Brand New Toy” and “Dirty Bone”are powerful enough to appeal to garage punk rockers or MARILYN MANSON fans, “I Got The Worm” and “Pink Slab” are fabulous heavy rock tunes and “I Wanna Be Your Doll” is catchy enough to be a hit blinking at IGGY & The STOOGES. Speaking of catchy, just listen to “Ladies & Gents”! While the world was still drowning in nu-metal, RACHEL STAMP‘s raw production was just simple, straight to the point and powerful which is why it actually stood the test of time. The album has been remastered but I think the original version would have been just fine too. Yes, the band should have been huge, their song “Didn’t I Break My Heart Over You” proves it every time you listen to it. The pop sensibility in RACHEL STAMP has always been one of their strong features and you can hear this in songs like “Take A Hold Of Yourself” and “My Sweet Rose.” The CD version comes out with 6 bonus tracks including live recordings (a speed-up version of JOHNNY KIDD AND THE PIRATES “Please Don’t Touch”, the hard rock tinged “Girl, You’re Just A Slave To Your Man”, the bluesy “Black Tambourine” and a cover of the country classic “Carmelita.” Back in London, one or two years after I started listening to RACHEL STAMP I bought their second album “Oceans Of Venus” at Tower Records and the question remained “Why aren’t they huge rockstars?!?” Anyway, now I need the vinyl version of “Hymns For Strange Children”! /Laurent C.