Lieutenant Pigeon: The Decca Years, 2CD Review

31st December 2022 0 By Jon Deaux

I recently rediscovered the TV show Do Not Adjust Your Set (the show that went on to become Monty Python) which featured the Bonzo Dog “Doo/Dah” Band. Since then I have spent a lot of time sifting through their discography and exploring the canyons of my mind.

Just the other day my postbox went splat, which was quite an unexpected noise as it normally goes moo. I digress. Upon inspection, I spied a dirty old man carrying a copy of the 2CD set of The Decca Years by Lieutenant Pigeon. After agreeing to the price of a stuffed mosquito, I managed to pry the CDs from his grasp.

What a joy this collection is. Featuring their 3 albums (Mouldy Old Music, Pigeon Pie, Pigeon Party), a cornucopia of rarities but also a brand new 50th-anniversary track in the guise of Home On The Rage which is proof that there is still life in the old bird.

This is the first time all 3 albums have been made available on CD (correct at the time of writing).

Lieutenant Pigeon came to the attention of the world when they released the multi-million-selling single Mouldy Old Dough which spent 4 weeks at No.1 in the UK. There were a few follow-up singles after but it’s the albums where the band comes to life. It was on these records that they proved they were more than the novelty act they were ‘pigeon’-holed as.

Massive honky-tonk-hook laden tracks such as Hurdy Gurdy, The Villian, as well as their take on the Jerry Lee Lewis standard, Great Balls Of Fire.

This is as experimental as Pink Floyd and as bonkers Terry Gilliam with a box of frogs.

Score 8/10

Track Listing:

DISC ONE
MOULDY OLD MUSIC
1 Mouldy Old Dough
2 Jumping Jack
3 Opus 300
4 The Monkey Song
5 Pigeon Rendezvous
6 Red River Rock
7 Scarecrow
8 Know Now I Was Better Off When I Was At School
9 Desperate Dan
10 I’m A Window Cleaner
11 Yellow Submarine
12 If Julia Sees Here
13 Dirty Old Man
14 Auntie May
PIGEON PIE
15 Happy Days Are Here Again
16 Hurdy Gurdy
17 Meet Me Off The Royal Scot
18 …And The Fun Goes On
19 The Bed
20 You’re Getting Too Old For Toys
21 Yu Da Nu Nayba
22 Hilda’s Tonic
23 Aggravation
24 Creativity
25 Opus 302
26 Oxford Bags

DISC TWO
PIGEON PARTY
1 Pigeon Party
2 Brahms’ Lullaby
3 You Are My Heart’s Delight
4 Love Inflation (INTERLUDE GAP)
5 So Deep Is The Night
6 The Midnight Swim
7 I’ll Take You Home Again Kathleen
8 After The Discotheque Is Over
9 In The Mood
10 (INTERLUDE GAP)
11 Those Were The Days
12 Great Balls Of Fire
13 Goodnight To You All
RARITIES
14 The Villain
15 Big Butch Baby
16 The Blue Danube
17 Rockabilly Hot Pot
18 Gosford Street Ra
19 Good-Bye (From The White Horse Inn)
20 I’ll Sail My Ship Alone
21 The Grand Father Clock
22 Lazy Day
Bonus “50th ANNIVERSARY” track
23 Home On The Rage
Release – 20th January 2023
Label – 7Ts