Jezebel by Yakety Yak: A Raw, Unapologetic Rock & Roll Rager from '84
Let’s cut the crap—this album hits hard. Released in 1984 by UK rockers Yakety Yak under Eron Enterprises, Jezebel is a no-frills punch to the gut that screams Rock & Roll with every track. This ain’t your polished stadium anthem; it’s gritty, raw, and unfiltered like a pub brawl on a Friday night.
The band lineup? Solid as hell. You’ve got John Tilt belting out vocals like his life depends on it, Paul Blackaby shredding guitar riffs that’ll make you wanna smash something, Steve Taylor hammering away at the piano like he stole it, and Alan Jordan keeping the beat tight behind the drums. These guys didn’t come to play—they came to wreck shop.
Now let’s talk tracks. First up is “Johnny Remember Me.” Holy sht, this one sticks with you. It’s got that haunting vibe mixed with an almost desperate energy. The lyrics claw at your brain, demanding you remember someone—or maybe forget them forever. Either way, it's impossible to ignore. And damn if those guitar licks don’t rip right through your skull. Every time I hear it, I feel like I’m back in some smoky dive bar where everyone’s too drunk to care but still feels everything too much.
Then there’s “Jezebel,” the title track that grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go. That opening riff alone could start a riot. The song builds into this chaotic frenzy of passion and fury, with Tilt howling about betrayal and heartbreak like it’s personal—and maybe it was. By the end, you’re breathless, wondering what just happened. But hey, that’s Rock & Roll for ya. Messy, loud, unforgettable.
Look, not every track here reinvents the wheel. Songs like “You’ll Never Know” and “Bad Boy” stick closer to classic formulas, but they do it well enough to keep your head banging. There’s no filler here—just straight-up, bare-knuckle rock.
Here’s the kicker though: listening to Jezebel feels like finding an old leather jacket in the back of a thrift store. It might be worn-out and smell kinda funny, but once you put it on, you realize nothing else fits quite the same. This album isn’t perfect, but it’s real. In a world full of overproduced nonsense, Yakety Yak reminds us why we fell in love with Rock & Roll in the first place—it’s messy, alive, and dangerous as hell.
So crank this sucker up and let it rip. Just don’t blame me when your neighbors call the cops.
