Danny Kustow

Well and good, but what about 1977 and 1978? That's when the Tom Robinson Band were in their real heyday; a time when TRB were as widely publicized and admired among new music fans as bands like the Jam and the Clash. Forget about the Winter of '79 for a minute; in the summer of 1978 there were two albums for me; the Jam's "This Is The Modern World" and TRB's "Power In The Darkness". I played these two records relentlessly until they were totally worn out and I had to get new copies of both. To this day I rate them both among the top ten records ever.Of all the politically oriented punk bands of the era - the Clash, Stiff Little Fingers, Gang Of Four, and whoever else you want to name - none was more political than TRB. Robinson's lyrics burned with apocalyptic visions of coming revolution and they seethed with real anger and resentment over injustices of all sorts. Robinson understood class distinctions and his suspicion of the ruling class at times neared what today seems like a pitch of paranoia, but in England, 1977, seemed all too believable.But it wasn't just words that made TRB songs so great. The tunes were flat out mind blowing. There's nothing the Clash ever did that can claim any superiority to tracks like "Up Against The Wall", "Long Hot Summer", or "Don't Take No For An Answer". TRB songs powered with the new found fury of punk rock, but also had a fine musical touch. Danny Kustow played searing, blues influenced leads but also knew when to lay back and play rhythmic fills. The teenaged Mark Ambler added dramatic flourishes of rich Hammond organ, trading licks with Kustow in all the lead breaks. The complementary sounds of Kustow's guitar and Ambler's keyboards were perhaps what made TRB stand out the most.Dolphin Taylor was one of the most solid drummers around with a propensity for thundering rolls that heightened the drama of the songs. "The band's engine room", is how Tom describes him. "Usually drenched in sweat by the second number and too exhausted to speak by the time he staggered off stage at the end of the night. Dolphin also provided a healthy dollop of mockery, good humor and common sense." And while Tom himself always downplayed his bass playing, he contributed not a few very catchy lines to their songs. These guys were simply above the bulk of the field in ability.