by Jo-Ann GreeneHaving bloated up to an 11-piece on their 1987 Skaboom! album, The Toasters had slimmed down to an octet by the time they recorded Thrill Me Up a year later. And while losing two horn players was a shame, the end result was an even tighter, cleaner, and more finely honed sound. And it certainly didn't dampen the group's enthusiasm, creativity, and, in a couple of places, outright chutzpa. That's the only way to describe "Johnny Go Ska", a sensational homage to the Chuck Berry classic, where Bucket's blistering guitar leads actually take second chair to John Dugan's swaggering sax solos, the rocking-ist horn you'll ever hear! But for sheer insouciance, "Rhapsody in Bluebeat" takes the cake, a high octane version of the evocative George Gershwin classic, that careens from cartoon-ish to James Bond- esque through slamming Two Tone. "Frankenska" skanks phantom like through the opera, while "Ska Killers" brings rock-abilly to Jamaica. "Decision at Midnight" just rocks, in Sixties pop-rock fashion, albeit to a syncopated beat; which makes its tough take on inner city life lyrics all the more surprising. "Haitian Frustration", meanwhile, tackles the terminally corrupt elite of that island nation, across a drum and bass fueled roots backing, shot through with chorale vocals and sharp brass. But mostly, good times are to be found here, notably on the easy-going title track, flush with harmonies and sweet melody. Equally sparkling is "Go Girl" which shifts from reggae- licious to ska'rific, while "Don't Blame Me" brings a lilting touch of calypso to the party. In fact, the entire album sounds fantastic, a reflection of Joe Jackson's enthusiastic production. [The Celluloid label went belly-up soon after this sensational set hit the shops, but thankfully The Toasters reissued it on their own Moon Ska label in 1995. The new edition added a remix of "Haitian Frustration" that was slated for an EP of remixes from the original album; both sides of their debut 7" "Beat Up" single; as well as "No Respect" which the band under the alias Not Bob Marley contributed to the 1988 Mashin' Up the Nation! compilation.]