Wreckless Eric “Wreckless Eric” 1978. Stiff Records (or Stiff Wrecords as the LP label says). Today, May 18th, is Wreckless Eric’s birthday (b. Eric Goulden 1954). Wreckless Eric made it to #46 on the UK charts, propelled by the album’s Nick Lowe-produced (he also played guitar and bass) single “Whole Wide World” which appeared on the 1977 sampler A Bunch of Stiff Records and was then featured on John Peel’s BBC radio show. “Whole Wide World” never charted but it has since become a classic, covered by such bands and artists as Elvis Costello, The Monkees, Paul Westerberg and Will Ferrell in the film Stranger Than Fiction.

Allmusic’s review of Wreckless Eric describes it as “a ragged, endearing collection of crude rock & roll…A muddle of scratchy guitars, pounding drumming, and snarled, indecipherable vocals, the record is pure, primal garage rock in the old-fashioned sense…a combination of catchy hooks, spirited playing, and downright rudeness. Too punk for pub rockers, too straightforward for punk, and too weird for everybody else, Wreckless Eric’s debut album is one of the small gems of the punk era.” “Whole Wide World” is definitely one of the stand-out tracks, beautiful in its raw melody and heartbeat rhythm. His cover of Ian Dury’s “Rough Kids” is rollicking fun. “Rags and Tatters” is straightout frenzied weird, weaving in a lick that crazily mimics the Benny Hill theme song “Yakety Sax.” “Personal Hygiene” has the tempo of a slow-swaying late night dance, complete with mournful saxophone, but with decidedly gross lyrics:

Push that pimple in the mirror
Scrub it and bathe it
With Old Spice and don’t scratch the eczema
Partly stifle your natural odor with underarm spray
Garnish your bottom with powder
Wipe it with paper
Wash it with embers and pumicing stones
Girls don’t forget there’s a place where you sweat
Use your feminine spray
Sluice yourself down in the bath and pray god your…keep clean

Your starchy attire is appalling
Your raw blistered red neck is burning
With strong antiseptic
You smother your body with liquids and lotions
And poisons and creams
So get down on your knees in humility
And pray to your god to keep yourself clean
Take a sniff at yourself
Examine your personal hygiene