NME August 2002
Tony Naylor
"The bastard son of Mark E Smith and Phil Oakey, a Salfordian who found sonic sanctuary in Sheffield, Adrian Flanagan makes dirty, fucked-up electronic pop, and rather grand it is too. Assisted here by a Fat Trucker Ross and a member of I Monster, this is the sound of the Addam's Family and Cabaret Voltaire beating a mad tramp to death with several large analogue synths. He calls it 'rocktronica'. We'll settle for 'ace'. Just think: if electroclash had started in Yorkshire, not New York, this is what it would have sounded like."
Seven Update August 2002
Gavin Weale
"From a label with some of the freshest electronic produce of late - and partly responsible for introducing the genius of Cursor Miner onto the world - comes another ball-bending 7" of diy punk-electro with a lick of the pop paint. Jagged vocals cut across wonky, haunted-house synth-grooves on these two bona fide future-pop anthems. So different, and wonderful for it."
4/5
The Guardian August 2003
Lauren Laverne
"Since getting a limited pressing earlier this year,this record has been hanging around all the best parties with the mischievous spirit of a bunch of errant youths swigging 20/20 outside the corner shop. Now set for a full release,it seems Adrian Flanagan(who is khla)is finally set to get inside. Scampering along the tightrope of danceability V daftness, this record has phat-ass vintage synth action to get the floor going, yet enough humour to recognise that, when one has the talents of the Human League's Phil Oakey to hand, he must sing lines like "Some machines have big Knobs/some machines have wires". Lots.
http://angryape.com August 2003 new
Andy Harrison
Strange why the excellent Kings Have Long Arms would want to re-record his
classic track, but nevertheless, the results easily surpass the original. In
fact, any similarities between the two are far and wide, this is a total
reworking of the tune.
Replacing the comical vocals that donned the first composition, Phil Oakey of the Human League makes a welcome appearance and suits the tune wonderfully.
Proving yet again that not only is Long Arms a top musician, but a leader in his field, cheesy electronic bleeps, synths and lyrics about machines with "big knobs" have never sounded so ace.
'Rock N Roll' sounds fresh, modern and is definitely a standout track of the year. With a single so killer, you just know the album will be a stormer.
www.playlouder.com
October 2003
new
Iain Moffat
Of course, we've being doing the singles long enough now to know that some
of you would probably have expected us to give the trophy straight to 'Rock'n'Roll
Is Dead' by Kings Have Long Arms, out on the excellently-named Twins Of Evil
label and, to be honest, we were mightily tempted, particularly since it
marks the second return to recording this year of one of our all-time heroes,
namely one Philip Oakey, and the even better news is that it's loads better
than 'LA Today' was too. It kicks off somewhere in the region of a very
electro 'Big Spender' with 'Madame Hollywood' undertones, always A Good
Thing, and later attempts to drown a guitar factory before some slightly
sordid crocodile-ish vocals drape themselves over a whirlpool of filtration.
Oh, and the B-side's called 'Prince Shops At Bardwells'. There's no decent
reason not to love it, is there?
www.eye.net eye November 2003 new
John Sakamoto
"Some machines have big knobs / Some machines have wires / Rock And Roll is dead." Place these English-as-a-second-language lyrics into the mouth of the Human League frontman in the throes of his best Bowie impression, and layer them with one-man-band Adrian Flanagan's squealing videogame accompaniment, and you end up with a punk-electro single so dumb, it sounds smart.
www.losingtoday.com November 2003 new
Mark X
Kings have long Arms ‘Rock ‘n’ roll is dead’ (Twins of Evil). Now I’m kind
of hacked off with this release, because I swear I’ve reviewed this before
in another time and place, obviously duh you might say, yet I’ve searched
the record shed and can’t find the single. Okay this features something to
do with I Monster, it’s from Sheffield a place not known for going through
radical renascences, only joking, famous for steel, and stainless too, oh
yeah and Pulp, and some band called the Human League. Well I never, seems Mr
Oakey erstwhile leader of said group is featured on this. Great stuff, the
kind of thing that Add N to X do but with the added charm of oh er missus
nudge nudge wink wink seaside innuendo, knoworimean, the end of music as we
know and the groove we shall all move to as we stomp all over its rotten
corpse, blimey getting a mite carried away there. We’ve probably said great
things of it in a previous review and frankly they still apply, if you love
very early Sisters and we mean very early Sisters, Fat Truckers and a whole
host of other when robots ruled the world droid rock then you’ll love this.
On the flip you get the same track fed through the remix machine.
Mark X
