Rockets Beaucoup

Had some requests to reup the Rockets links but decided rather to give you the first six studio albums in one post. Partially because I love you, partially because I am lazy, and don't feel like writing a whole lot today. Either way, you win.

Rockets

On The Road Again

Plasteroid

Galaxy

Pi 3, 14

Atomic

Venus Gang

Venus Gang was another creation of French superstar genius producer/composer Jean-Pierre Massiera, who was affiliated with Cosmic Hearse favorites, Rockets. For three decades Massiera masterminded a number of brilliant conceptual musical entities with a fondness for schlock sci fi and funky beats. Venus Gang was Massiera's attempt throw his beret into the ring of disco. Galactic Soul was Venus Gang's only album, but a number of minor hit singles ensued. Play this at your next future-of-the-seventies coke party and watch silver space panties hit the dance floor.

Here

Rockets

Back when I posted Rocket's "best of" collection titled Galactica, some of you expressed some interest in hearing more from the greatest French new wave, space rock band ever... so here is their debut album from 1976. This one shows Rocket's more prog and hard rock leanings than their later '80s stuff. Perhaps this is why it is the Rockets album I reach for most often.

Here

Universal Band

I guess they were huge in Europe and Russia but, alas, most Americans probably never heard of the ultimate in French space rock/new wave/prog, Rockets. It was an Italian friend of mine who turned me on to this truly bizarre band, explaining that they were really popular amongst kids, kind of like KISS was in the U.S. Comparisons don't end there, Rockets were known for elaborate stage productions and their trademark silver make-up and campy sci-fi costumes. Upon hearing Rockets I was hooked and immediately set out to get my hands on as much of their recordings as possible. Victory came in the form of a Russian box set found on eBay containing their first six albums on three cds. I learned that Rockets had a career spanning 10 years in which they morphed from a more rocking prog band to a full-on robotic new wave concern ala Gary Numan, Kraftwerk or DEVO. It was a tough call which album to post here as they are all jaw-droppingly amazing, but in the end I opted for "Galactica", a 1992 best of collection that mostly focuses on the bands '80s new wave stylings. I feel it is a good introduction to Rockets, even if it completely ignores material from the bands's first three albums. If people are really interested in hearing this older material I would gladly post some of those as well at a later time. Here:

Here

Here's a video for "Ideomatic" from 1980