“Hand on Heart“ will most likely be the last album of the icon COCK SPARRER. Founded in 1972 and having released 14 albums with “Hand on Heart“, this band is one of the few remaining bands from the early days of punk.
COCK SPARRER is particularly a staple among the older generations. Nothing surpasses them; COCK SPARRER is a rock in the surf, knows what it's about, and is the soundtrack of generations, especially in the Oi genre.
52 years of band history is something that few bands have achieved.
Currently, 4 out of 5 founding members are part of the band lineup.
It’s incredible how quickly time passes and how many people come and go. COCK SPARRER remains.
I wish there was a classic, old-school book about this band, so to speak, the memoirs of a band that has experienced everything.
In this short article, I will focus on the album “Hands on Heart“.
The ten songs on the album are all top-notch in production. It’s a production that perfectly matches the band's sound. The recording is neither too fat nor too thin. The sound of COCK SPARRER is perfectly captured.
There are ten songs that come in the classic '77 punk and old-school Oi style. Driving drums, easily understandable vocals, guitar and bass a bit further back, but present and powerful.
Lyrically and in terms of arrangements, there are no surprises, but who expects them? It’s a solid album. No, much more, it is the essence of the band.
Younger generations might dismiss the band's sound as somewhat boring, smooth, and simply as rock music. This is quite understandable without the underlying context.
Every band, every sound has its generations. Which is not a bad thing, because when the band and fans grow older together, then everything is fine. It’s like twenty years ago in front of the stage, and even if we all become a bit calmer with age, the heart still beats and the attitude is still right.
In this sense, “Hand on Heart“... “Here we Stand“!
