Play It to the Death

Chinatown's only actual release back in the days was their live album Play It To The Death, containing a show played in May 1981. They had also released an 7 inch single earlier, which, along with couple of other bonus tracks is bundled together in the edition that I have.

If you are familiar with the basics of NWOBHM, then you pretty much know what to expect. Chinatown plays the standard formula of catchy, up-beat heavy metal that scores of other bands did in the early 80s. What makes this release a stand-out is the sheer quality of its production, and the fact that music is damn good. High.pitched vocals of Steve Pragnell add a nice touch to the package.

The album is a pleasure to listen, as it simply let's the music speak for itself. Ranting and chatting with the crowd is cut to the minimum. Audience is still there but won't hamper with the music. Production is much better then on most of other NWOBHM releases and works to reinforce the mellow easy-listen atmosphere of Chinatown's music.

So Play It To The Death is a consistent package. There's a compulsory drum solo on ”Rock and Roll Legend”, which is a slight filler but still manages to be very entertaining with its football chant and everything. The single and two tracks from Reading Rocks Vol. 1 are the only things recorded in the studio here. Caught On The Wrong Side definitely kicks some serious ass. Altogether this is a finer release among the scene. It is nothing special nor original, but Chinatown definitely has it all that is so good in NWOBHM.