Review: The Darkness – Permission To Land… Again (Singles, B Sides & Non-Album Tracks)

Warner Music (October 6^th, 2023)

Reviewer: Grant Foster

Phew, a lot to get through here. Who would have thought that you could squeeze so much excess out of one album?! Ahem, it’s just me being a sceptic isn’t it? Or do fans actually buy this for completing a collection or actually play the extra discs? Answers on a postcard……..

Anyway, on with the review!

The first three tracks are from the 2002 version. ‘I Believe In A Thing Called Love‘, ‘Love On The Rocks‘ and ‘Love Is Only A Feeling‘. And they sound as wonderful now as they did back then……..Seriously, what am I supposed to say about them?!

Next up is the 2003 ‘clean’ version of ‘Get Your Hands Off My Woman‘. The words ‘coconut’ being used to replace ‘James Hunt’ and ‘Mother Father’ to replace Motherfucker.’ I suppose even back in 2003, there was someone who was going to be offended. The song still rocks though and you can always sing the original words loudly and piss off the neighbours.

‘The Best Of Me‘. An enjoyable, almost 12 bar romp. Could it have ended up on the album? I’m surprised it didn’t end up as a bonus track on a tour edition, but then again, the powers that be thought that bleeding the archives dry might not be the best idea, even back then.

I’m going to pass on the single version of ‘I Believe In A Thing Called Love‘. Why? Because it sounds remarkably like the bloody album version, that’s why. Cracking tune mind.

‘Out Of My Hands‘. I wish it was. Ahem, I digress. A slower mid paced tune. Justin crooning about a love lost. Think Journey meets Queen hanging around with Angus and Rick Parfitt.

Now what the hell could ‘Makin’ Out‘ be about? It starts like a souped up guitar tribute to Thunderstruck and then continues in true AC/DC fashion. The chorus is a joy. Check out the lyrics.

‘‘Making out
Its getting better and better
Making out
The back seats gettin’ wetter
Making out
I think I’ll take off my sweater
Making out
Get me a book of french letters’’

Why wasn’t this on the original release?!!!

Making it a double dose of sex songs, next up is ‘Physical Sex‘. Frankie brings things in with a throbbing bass note. So AC/Dcey. Personally, I  like it when The Darkness do their best to sound like Angus and the boys. Because they don’t overdo it. You know the guitar riff, but when Justin starts up, its The Darkness. You can’t fail with ‘’A fuck should be multi sensory‘’. And just when you have it all pegged out, there’s a middle part that almost goes all Zeppelin mystique. I think this should have been on the original release as well. On the Supershaggers edition obviously.

‘Bareback‘, should be named, Isn’t That the Guitar Riff From High Voltage? It’s actually one of the first tunes I heard from The Darkness. No vocals, but a hell of a song to put on as you get lathered up ready for a night on the piss. I think students call it pre drinking now. Hold on, ‘Bareback‘. Another sexual innuendo. Atlantic missed out on that FantasticFuck edition you know………..

‘Planning Permission‘. A song about the rigours of going through local councils in trying to build a two up, two down in Basildon.

No, seriously! Justin is a gentleman and he wants to ‘mix the cement’. I’ve heard it all now.

Justin has to be one of the best lyricists in English rock music for decades. He has the ability to make you laugh out loud one minute and then to think wistfully the next.

The next one had me reaching for the history books. Who was the Tollund Man? A naturally mummified corpse of a man who lived in the 5th century BC, found in 1950 in Denmark apparently. It starts with an almost Western outlaw feeling, but then very Pagan, before it rolls back into the Western feel once more. It’s a mad tune, you really need to check it out. Possibly only The Darkness could carry this off.

Bonkers!

I’m gonna pass over the clean and explicit versions of ‘Get Your Hands Off My Woman Again 2004‘, for obvious reasons. One is rude, the other has rudeness removed.

Which leaves us with ‘I Love You 5 Times‘ and ‘Christmas Time (Don’t Let The Bells End)‘.

The former is a syrupy ballad, but not without the usual Justin humour in the lyric department.

The latter should have been a number 1, probably the best rock Xmas song since that Slade tune. It should be played constantly over the festive season. The accompanying video is a joy and a hoot all at once.

So there you have it. I’m off for a lie down!

Tracklist:

01 I Believe In A Thing Called Love (2002 Version)

02 Love On The Rocks With No Ice (2002 Version)

03 Love Is Only A Feeling (2002 Version)

04 Get Your Hands Off My Woman (2003 Clean Version)

05 The Best Of Me

06 I Believe In A Thing Called Love (Single Version)

07 Out Of My Hands

08 Makin’ Out

09 Physical Sex

10 How Dare You Call This Love

11 Bareback

12 Planning Permission

13 Curse Of The Tollund Man

14 Get Your Hands Off My Woman…Again (2004 Explicit)

15 I Love You 5 Times

16 Get Your Hands Off My Woman…Again (2004 Clean)

17 Christmas Time (Don’t Let The Bells End)