Dead Moon was formed in Portland, Oregon. They existed from 1987 to 2006, Featuring the talents of singer/guitarist Fred Cole, bassist Kathleen “Toody” Cole, (Fred’s wife), and drummer Andrew Loomis. The Band toured Europe’s mainland which is where most of their support was to be fair.
They announced that they were breaking up with the last gig at the Vera club in Groningen late 2006. Fred and Toody owned and operated their own guitar shop, Tombstone Music, for 30 years and also ran the Tombstone General Store in Oregon for about eight years.
Sadly drummer, Andrew Loomis, died on March 8, 2016. at the young age of 54 then little over a year later Frontman Fred Cole died in the November 2017 at the age of 69 the band recorded just under a dozen albums as well as numerous live and compilation records and a heap of singles.
Nineteen of those tracks have lovingly been interpreted by the likes of The Hellacopters who do a stunning version of ‘Rescue’ to open up proceedings and take ownership doing a really neat Hellacopters job on owning the song. In fact of the bands I already knew well like Sator, Chuck Norris Experiment, “Demons”, Nomads, Lovesores, Marys Kids and King Mastino there were others I’ll hold my hands up to not being too familiar with and mixing up the bands is a great way to discover more ways to spend money on records.
As I disappear down the wormhole that is Dead Moon tribute album I’m not disappointed with the likes of Nomads who breath new life into the songs with passion and stunning interpretations of great tunes. By the end of the record, I’ve come to the conclusion that maybe Dead Moon was one of those bands who were overlooked but clearly left something on a scene and have managed to have a chunk of their catalogue rediscovered by others who dare I say it made the tunes better! There I’ve said it.
Side B featuring “Demons”, Fellow Portland rockers Lovesores, The Nomads, The Boatsmen and Monomen steal it on the line with the strongest performances (not that this is a competition I know that) but I love this group of songs and each performance is different and excellent. There are one or two that didn’t sing to me like some of the others which I guess is natural some of the more Grunge interpretations maybe on side C like Dirty Coal Train and their take of ‘The 99’s’ reminds me of Sonic Youth but I loved La Secta and Buffalo with a dark garage take on ‘Dead In The Saddle’. The Brooms went psychedelic whilst Suicide Notes blew me away with ‘Johnny Got A Gun’ before King Mastino wrapped it all up nicely with a great ‘War Is Blind’.
If your not familiar with Dead Moon or any or many of these bands then I suggest you get involved quickly and check this out. Ghost Highway always delivers quality and this is the latest in a long line and a wonderful journey of discovery it is too now we’ve given you the heads up what are you waiting for? Get out of here!
Hailing from Houston, Texas, The Satanic Overlords of Rock ‘n’ Roll have arrived to unleash their debut album and to apparently let us know that the soundtrack in hell is filled with punk n roll anthems with plenty of guitar solos and hooks. Several bands came to mind while enjoying this album with their sound based in both the spirit of punk n roll bands like the Hellacopters, Electric Frankenstein, and Gluecifer, but they go deeper than that by also bringing to mind 70’s hard rock bands and at times the New Wave of British Heavy Metal across these 8 songs. I need to get my butt out of the house to catch one of their live shows.
‘Devils Law’ rides the flames up to Earth first with a brief intro giving way to a ‘1,2,3,4’ and before we know it we are hit with a lightning fast riff that throws up against the wall. One of the areas where this record suffers a bit is the band were recording this on probably a tight budget so Cheech’s drums don’t hit as hard as I am sure they will on future recordings. One of the ways I have found to address the sonic “limitations” is to crank it up really loud and get immersed in the songs. Donnie Stokes’ has the perfect voice for punk n roll as it carries with it an attitude and roughness that also gives way to an ability lay down some great vocal hooks in the choruses of these songs. Bill Fool and John Tolczyk lay down some awesome riffs and solos in this one before the band hit us with another chorus. ‘Glass Eye’ features a hook filled chorus but does not connect with me as much as most of the other songs here. The tempo feels more restrained, and the guitars are buried more in the mix here with only the solo really getting a chance to rise above it. Hearing this one live might change my mind though as I imagine it hits a lot harder in that environment.
‘Blood on the Backdoor’ unleashes the guitar riffs again and hits the sweet spot that Electric Frankenstein does so well by laying down multiple hooks between the music and the chorus to make the song immediately feel like an old friend. I can’t remember what listen it was when I started singing along to this one, but it seems like it was really fast. The guitars are high in the mix here with plenty of room to carve into your brain. This one also wastes no time and is segueing into side one closer ‘The Worm’ before you even know what hit you. The guitar riffs initially don’t erupt as much here but hit the mark with the sound feeling very much like you hear on those classic NWOBHM albums. Another huge chorus designed for audience participation, and the guitars get more of a chance to shine near the end of the song.
Getting us started on the flipside, ‘New Bomb’ rages out of the gate and hits you like a bullet train. Every listen conjures images in my head of a crowd going ballistic with this one playing, and bodies slamming into one another. ‘Unholy Ghost’ offers no reprieve with Lencho Cevallas getting to throw in a bass run to get the song going and then some more opportunities to get featured in the mix throughout the song. This has another chorus that immediately stuck to my head and has been a go-to song for me on this album. The guitar solo really provides a different feel to a song that otherwise would be right at home on an Electric Frankenstein record with Scott Wilkins on vocals.
Another hook hits us hard with ‘Sacrificial Lamb’ throwing some piano in the mix, and I must admit that I was initially singing something other than ‘Sacrificial Lamb’ when I was listening to this with no regard for song titles. My ears still pick up something different, but I am not going to project that out to any of you so these misheard words will belong to just me. ‘Demon’ ends this séance with another hook filled shot of action rock that features a simple vocal hook with the guitar riffs providing a strong hook on this epic closer. The final minute or so provides as outro that bookends the beginning of the album in a cool way.
This isn’t going to redefine the punk n roll genre or revolutionize the world, but the Satanic Overlords of Rock ‘n’ Roll make it a better world with this album now in it. Eight songs feel a little different for this style as my expectations fall more towards a 10 song album or 5 song EP. At the same time, I grew up when albums had fewer songs so they could fit on vinyl. This album has lots of evil charm, and, as I mentioned earlier, I really want to hear these songs in their natural live environment now. While it will not compete in my top albums of the year list, I can see this being an album that will continue to get plenty of plays.
‘The Satanic Overlords of Rock ‘n’ Roll’ is officially released June 7th
If you were to cross members of Nekromantix, The Brains, Stellar Corpses, and Rezurex! You’d get a batty mix of Psychobilly punk rock and roll so it’s a bit of luck that just that has waled into the ether and dropped onto RPM HQ. With special guest slots form the likes of Jyrki 69 of The 69 Eyes and Danny B. Harvey! It’s fair to say I was sitting up waiting for the air to be filled with the sound of some pretty heady rock and roll. It’s fair to say I wasn’t disappointed.
As I scan the cover I notice a few surprises in the choice of covers ranging from The Damned and some pretty famouse pop tunes given a good seeing to. With fifteen original tracks and five psychobilly-infused covers including their renditions of Danzig (“Mother”), the king of surf Dick Dale (“Misirlou”), The Damned (“Love Song”), Gloria Jones (“Tainted Love”), Portugal. The Man (“Feel It Still”), and Panic! At The Disco “Say Amen” (Saturday Night). To be fair ‘Tainted Love’ has previously been given the Psychobilly treatment from Living End and this is a very similar version. also doing Danzig isn’t too much of a stretch either seeing as both vocals are very similar. The one that really intrigued me was them taking on the mighty Damned and ‘Love Song’ and to be fair it’s such a monumental tune its never going to touch the original but as far as interpretations go this is decent. Great crunchy guitar with the drums rolling through like a steam train and whilst they remain fairly faithful its a great attempt and Damned fan needn’t look away. As far as ‘Mother’ goes this is cool as I’m not a huge Danzig fan and I guess it would have been too easy to pick a Misfits tune so this is good and once it breaks open I love it.
As for the original tunes I love the groove they get into on ‘Graveyard Girl’ and the guest vocalist work of Jyrki is suitably Gothic and dark How cool would it be if he took a bit of this direction back to 69 Eyes? to be fair twenty tracks is a lot of music to work your way through and whilst the heart is always Rockabilly there is enough variety here and with the inclusion of the covers breaks up the record. Saying that it could have been two albums six months apart but hey what do I know?
If you want a bunch of songs to pick through to try before you buy then look no further than ’50s inspired ‘She Wolf’ or the melodic ‘We Own The Night’ which is like one of the best songs the Misfits never got hold of. ‘Getaway Car’ is poptastic from the acoustic guitars it’s like a modern ‘Leader Of The Pack’ and could easily sell huge in the American alternative market and crossover. ‘The Man’ follows suit I love the dripping reverb on that guitar lick an interesting cover, to say the least.
Fans of the other bands these guys are in will be interested in checking this out as will rockabilly rebels and fans of quality Rock and Roll out looking for a whole lot of music for your money and excellent tunes they are too. Pick it up!
Douglas Glenn Colvin is better known as Dee Dee Ramone (September 18, 1952 – June 5, 2002) Arguably the main songwriter who brought punk rock to the masses, Dee Dee was and is a legend. Wielding his white Fender P well below the recommended belt buckle guideline and known as the guy who counted in every Ramones song ever 1-2-3-4 – Dee Dee had it all.
Initially the band’s lead vocalist, though his (then) inability to sing and play bass at the same time resulted in original drummer Joey Ramone taking over the lead vocalist duties (however, he still sang lead vocals in the band on occasion most notable ‘Wart Hog’). Dee Dee was the band’s bassist and songwriter from 1974 until 1989 when he left to pursue a short-lived career in hip hop music under the name Dee Dee King. He soon returned to his punk roots and released three solo albums featuring brand-new songs, many of which were later recorded by the Ramones. He toured the world playing his new songs, Ramones songs and some old favorites in small clubs, and continued to write songs for the Ramones until 1996 when the band officially called time on the whole circus.
Dee Dee struggled with drug addiction for much of his life, particularly heroin. He began using drugs as a teenager and continued to use for the majority of his adult life. He appeared clean in the early 1990s but began using heroin again sometime later. He died from a heroin overdose on June 5, 2002.
Born in Virgina Dee Dee was the son of a German mother and a father who served in the Military. Which was why Dee Dee found himself in Berlin until 15 then after his parents separated Dee Dee settled in Forest Hills where he first met Johnny And Tommy.
After playing in prog metal bands and getting married in 78 Dee Dee lasted until 1990 married to Vera then he married Barbara who looks over his estate until this day but had to wait until 95 when his divorce was finalised. She blamed drugs and mental illness for the strain on their relationship. During this time Dee Dee found fame (no fortune) after he named the band siting Paul McCarney as the inspiration for Ramone.
Dee Dee wrote about what he knew and where he lived. The Ramones songs are gritty and to the point and whilst one of their most famous songs was first recorded by Johnny Thunders due to Johnny not wanting to play songs about drugs but he later relented. even when he left the band he still wrote songs for them and always remained closely involved even joining in when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll hall of fame the first year they qualified to be inducted and shortly after Joey had passed away. the tragic decline of the band continued when Dee Dee himself passed away shortly after his appearance where he congratulated himself on his achievements as a Ramone.
He wasn’t only a punk rocker Dee Dee also tried his hand at Rap and became Dee Dee King if you can check out his rap work Tupac or Chuck D he wasn’t. His later years as a recording artist were scattered and chaotic with live records and eps coming out poor quality recordings and little else Dee Dee descended into skin and bones He also wrote a book Memoirs of a Rock and Roll star and tried his hand at acting. Dee Dee had it all yet he had nothing. He was laid to rest in Hollywood not far from his fellow Ramone Johnny however Dee Dee has a more modest stone with the Ramones seal and the words “O.K…I gotta go now.” engraved on the bottom. Dee Dee probably doesn’t get the kudos for his significant part he played in music, ok acting and rapping I’ll concede but as a songwriter, he was one of the best and that’s a fact the amount of songs he wrote is phenomenal although the band credited them evenly it was well known that Dee Dee was the main man and for that alone RPM salutes Douglas Glenn Colvin. May he rest in peace.
Nick Marsh 1962-2015. Most famous for being the voice and guitar player in Flesh For Lulu and later an integral part of Urban Voodoo Machine. After his diagnosis, Marsh documented the early months of his battle with the disease through Facebook. “I didn’t know how else to approach it really,” he told Classic Rock. “I just thought, ‘Here I am.’ Facebook is like an open diary if you want it to be. I just felt like I wanted to do that. I don’t know why now.”
Marsh came to the public attention in 83 when his band Flesh For Lulu crawled out of the legendary Batcave Goth Club. the following year they released their debut album they certainly got noticed and became an underground hit. IT was several years later when they got a big break when ‘I Go Crazy’ was featured in a hit John Hughes movie ‘Some Kind Of Wonderful’ which helped propel the band into the American underground where they did rather well especially with their singles as opposed to their albums. the band broke up in the early ’90s. Marsh went on to form Gigantic in the mid ’90s but that didn’t quite see out the decade which meant Flesh For Lulu was reformed just as the noughties were dawning.
It wasn’t until Marsh found a home as an integral member of Urban Voodoo Machine that he re-emerged no our radar. 2003 was the year and Marsh alongside his commitment to swinging the six string with the Blues punk Bop n Stroll merchants he also found time to record a solo album, ‘A Universe Between Us’, in 2006, revealing a much gentler side of his music, a more introspective sound that created huge soundscapes as big as the sky and quite beautiful songs they were too.
Before his passing, Marsh had been working with his wife, Katharine Blake (formerly of Miranda Sex Garden and The Mediaeval Baebes), under the moniker From the Deep who released the album to much critical acclaim. but finally before his passing, he revived Flesh for Lulu with a new lineup and plans for the future, but those plans were sidelined when he was diagnosed with throat and mouth cancer. After going through radiotherapy and chemotherapy, Marsh – feeling upbeat about his chances for recovery – launched an IndieGoGo campaign to finance the recordings and plans to tour alas that was in 2013 and then in 2015 at the age of 53 Marsh was taken from his loved ones after cancer returned. He leaves behind an impressive, versatile and above all quality legacy that his partner and two daughters can be proud of as future fans will no doubt discover his talents – Nick Marsh Rest In Peace.
This month on RPM we have plenty of awesome albums to review as well as celebrating important players who’ve had an impact on us all.
We’ve put together another playlist championing some of the records we’ve covered or will be covering as well as tipping the hat to some of our brothers who’ve passed away and people we won’t forget and if it makes you go investigate a back catalogue or discover new music then Awesome! that’s our job done. Tell your friends – tell us – buy music and keep Rock and Roll Evil oh and stay sick!
Californian Singer-songwriter Jordan Jones has a record coming out via those good people at Beluga Records (Swe) and Spaghetty Town Records (USA) here is the first track taken from it and if it’s on those two labels then that’s good enough for us.
Whilst there is some fantastic new music coming at you this month we also tip the hat and pay tribute to some of our musical heroes who are no longer with us – the brilliant Nick Marsh, Stiv Bator and Dee Dee Ramone, Ronnie Lane and Roky Ericson who passed this month. Lives well worth celebrating I’m sure you’ll agree. What better way to remember them than to indulge in their music.
Back to new records released one of the best albums to hit the shops in June and a shift of gears from the day job, Duff McKagan released ‘Tenderness’ this month and Ben reviewed it for RPM. Whilst he rightly noted it won’t sell like GnR it’s right up there with the likes of Izzy Stradlin and the JuJu Hounds for quality so we’ve picked the title track to go in our playlist but think you should check out the whole record.
We also carried an interview with Birchy from Black Bombers who of course aren’t on Spotify neither are Gunfire Dance (both would be on our playlist if they were) so we’ve included another band he plays with currently and The Godfathers and their classic ‘Birth School Work Death’.
Back to the newer bands you might not have come across yet and for your listening pleasure, we have the stunning new album from The Sweet Things reviewed on RPM so we include one of the best songs on the album. Coming up we have the review of Dangers Of Love have a listen in our playlist then order the record – you know it makes sense. There is also a choice cut from the Bat! June seems like a good minth to review a few compilation albums so we give you the tribute to Dead Moon out on Ghost Highway Records and it seemed like as good an opportunity to play one of the original tunes so we included Dead Moon ‘Walking On My Grave’. Seeing as this week marks the passing of Stiv Bator and also the release on DVD of the movie ‘Stiv’ we’ve put ‘A Million Miles Away’ in this month.
With the sad news of the passing of Roky Erickson, we thought it would be fitting to include one of our favourite tracks from the guy so ‘If You Have Ghosts’ makes the cut Rest In Peace Roky!
Before we sign off we thought we’d leave you with another banger and one to watch out for. From the Spaghetty Town compilation record, we include RMBLR and their epic tune ‘Next Time’ so until next time go check out some Rock and Roll via our playlist but better than that we hope you discover a new favourite band and go search out the record and support Rock and Roll buy buying off the bands and labels who are keeping Rock and Roll alive. Over and out.
So click the Spotify link give us a follow and spread the word. Maybe we’ve missed someone you think should be making our playlist why not get in touch on social media or email us at rpmonlinetcb@yahoo.com
Atlanta so much to answer for… Nah, ok, so it was Manchester besides what has Atlanta got to answer for? Well, it could answer for this rockin’ bastard of a compilation. championing fourteen of its favourite (adopted) sons celebrating Atlanta’s annual Down South Showdown Festival. This bad boy plays out in just about half an hours worth of top tunage. this compilation is a fuckin’ stunner simple as that. What’s more thirteen of these tracks are unreleased or have never been put on physical media before, including a new track from Dirty Fences!
shit from the off RMBLR with ‘Next Time’ get this party started. Sure you know the history of this band (if not then off you go there’s your homework) what a barnstormer of a tune makes you want to get that feather cut and rush off out to get that throat tat you promised yourself and start flippin’ off cop cars because all you care about is the Rock and Roll and this is Rock and Fuckin’ Roll! superb.
Dirty Fences is a breath of power pop fresh air with ‘M.O.N.E.Y’ Whilst BBQT has got their foot on the monitor wedge as they blast through ‘Savage’ woohoo! like Blondie fronting the runaways on 45rpm. Then things get punky with Sick Bags and the early ’70s Dolls influenced ‘If You Can’t Join Em (Beat Em Up)’ with some mighty fine lyrics that had me smiling and that Riff- the undertones want it back when you’ve finished beating it to death. Pine & Tolliver get a little freaky with the keys on “Somethin’ More” sounding like they Od’d on Lou Read.
Fixed Faces ‘The Call’ is a slow burner then when they get going and the Riff kicks in sounds like a late night getting kicked out of Max’s and hitting CBGB’s on the wrong night mixing Toilet Boys with a lethal dose of Jayne County is some serious Rock and Roll for anyone and luckily it fits right in on this compilation. MAMA rock out with a slice of Thin Lizzy in a pair of creepers with a feather boa draped over the mic stand as they go for the ‘Sugar Burn’ another great tune it would be remiss of me to gloss over any of the bands on here.
Flip it and Austins Trouble Boys barge in with ‘Ricky’ in tow and if things hadn’t turned ugly before then once these punks rock up it might just be the match that lit the fire. If Donos Boys are asking if we’re ready or not then obviously we’re ready willing and able as they do their best Ramones whilst pogoing. RPM always has time for Ravagers and their muscular punk rock n roll. ‘#They Live’ has the gang bv’s we love and turn in a bruiser.
We loved the Criminal Kids when we had their album to review and ‘Run For The Police’ proves they have more to offer and that rollicking barroom piano is working a treat as they kick up a shit storm and turn in the highlight of the album along with RMBLR. Only leaving The Uppers to rock out with ‘Bulldozer’ and a new band on the RPM radar is a welcome addition as I’m sure it won’t be their last coverage if they have more to offer that’s half as good as this rocker and I love the breakdown.
Bad Sons won us over when we had one of their singles hit the 45 RPM round up so we were excited to hear what ‘Hammers’ was going to sound like and it didn’t disappoint at all with their aggressive slice of punk n roll. Which only left Cheap Tissue to sign off this absolute belter of a compilation. ‘Up My Sleeve’ isn’t a quiet goodnight but lights flashing and horn honkin’ rev of the engine and like the getaway car in a robbery this is the wheels spinning swift exit middle finger out the window you would expect. Do not tell me you love rock and fuckin’ roll and pass this by. I can only apologise for not getting to this sooner it will be to my eternal shame that I wasn’t on the button with this review but it’s better late than never besides like all good things come to those who wait or he who rocks last rocks longest or something like that. Just flippin’ buy it!
June 04 1990 was the date that I lost one of my Rock and Roll heroes. Born Steven John Bator in Ohio back on October 22, 1949, Stiv passed away on this day in June almost thirty years ago! Shit is it really that long? Bator was taken to a Paris hospital but reportedly left before seeing a doctor, after waiting several hours and assuming he was not injured after being hit by a car near his Paris home. Reports indicate that he died in his sleep as the result of a traumatic brain injury. Dave Tregunna said that Bators, a fan of rock legend Jim Morrison, had earlier requested that his ashes be spread over Morrison’s Paris grave and that his girlfriend complied but not after some friends of Stivs snorted some of the singers ashes it was later revealed in the movie about the singer (‘Stiv’) Which was released yesterday as it happens (pick it up Here)
Stiv not only fronted the amazing punk rock legends The Dead Boys back in the mid-’70s but after he split he had a successful solo career releasing the amazing ‘Disconnected‘ album back in 1980 Batos then went on to front the punk supergroup the Wanderers who managed one very underrated album ‘Only Lovers Left Alive’ along with Dave Parsons, Dave Tregunna and Ricky Goldstein but that was short lived and it wasn’t long before BAtors was onto his next project with help from Tregunna he formed another supergroup – The Lords Of The New Church featuring Brian James of The Damned, Tregunna from Sham 69 and The Wanderers and Nicky Turner from The Baraccudas. The band released their first self entitled album in ’82 and arguably their finest work. Over time it has to be considered a stone wall classic.
The Lords continued for the next half a dozen years and some before imploding onstage that fateful night at the Astoria when Stiv came onstage for the encores wearing the t-shirt of the advert that James and Tregunna had made to replace Stiv. I was there that night and couldn’t believe what I’d seen but it was pre-internet and pre multi news updates so it wasn’t until I had it confirmed in Sounds that what I’d thought happened really did. gutted to see one of my favourite bands bite the dust was an understatement, to say the least.
It was then that Stiv moved to Paris and embarked on his next phase and a solo record. The rest is history. There were no reunions and Stiv passed in such tragic circumstances. He has been the subject of the much-covered movie ‘Stiv’ and his Legacy is the records and concert footage and memories he has left with us all. Stiv Bator Rest In Piece you were one of a kind and should be remembered as a legend. That certainly what RPM will look back and think when his name is mentioned.
Ronald Frederick “Ronnie” Lane (1 April 1946 – 4 June 1997) was best known as the bass guitarist and founding member of two English rock and roll bands: The Small Faces followed by The Faces. With Small Faces, he was nicknamed “Plonk”. After their breakup, reorganisation and Lane’s losing the band’s frontman slot to Rod Stewart, he earned the nickname “Three-Piece”.
In the late 1970s, he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and was supported by charity projects and financial contributions from friends, former bandmates and fans. After suffering from the disease for 21 years, he died at 51.
born in Plaistow Maternity Hospital, to Elsie Lane and Stanley Lane, a truck driver. Lane later described his father as a “saint”, who would work a long work day, and then return home to nurse his wife and two sons, all of whom were diagnosed with M.S. Doctors assured Lane as a child that the destructive disease was not necessarily inherited, although he found out later in his life that he had indeed inherited it.
After leaving school at the age of 16, Lane met Kenney Jones at a local pub, and they formed a group they named The Outcasts. Initially playing lead guitar, Lane quickly switched to bass. When shopping for a bass, Lane visited a Bar (shock horror), where he met Steve Marriott, who was working there. Lane bought his bass and went to Marriott’s house after work, where Marriott introduced him to his record collection. Lane and Marriott set out to form a band, recruiting friends Kenney Jones and Jimmy Winston, who switched from guitar to organ. Marriott was chosen to be the frontman and singer.
The name “Small” was chosen as they were all under 5’5″ in height. They made their debut in 1965, with Ian McLagan replacing Winston in November 1965. Lane and Marriott began writing hit songs consistently, including “Itchycoo Park” and “All or Nothing”. At least a dozen successful songs credit Lane, and the 1968 concept album ‘Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake’ features songs co-written by Lane with one exception. The band imploded in 1969 as Marriott left the group.
In 1973 Ronnie Lane moved to Fishpool Farm in the village of Hyssington, Montgomeryshire, Wales, just over the border from England, off the Shrewsbury to Bishop’s Castle road. With Ronnie already beginning to feel the effects of MS, he moved back to London in the late 70s After leaving the Faces, Lane formed his own band, Slim Chance.
Lane emigrated to Texas, USA, in 1984 (first to Houston, then Austin), where the climate was more beneficial to his health and he continued playing, writing, and recording. He formed an American version of Slim Chance, which was, as always, a loose-knit conglomeration of available musicians. For much of the time, membership included Alejandro Escovedo. For close to a decade Lane enjoyed “rock royalty” status in the Austin area. He toured Japan but his health continued to decline. His last performance was in 1992 at a Ronnie Wood gig alongside Ian McLagan.
In 1994 Ronnie and his wife Susan moved to the small town of Trinidad, Colorado. Jimmy Page, Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood funded his medical care as no royalties from the Small Faces work was forthcoming – until Kenney Jones and Ian McLagan were eventually able to secure payments, by which time Steve Marriott had died in a house fire and Lane had also died.
Lane finally lost his life due to pneumonia, in the final stages of his progressive multiple sclerosis, on 4 June 1997 and was buried in the Masonic Cemetery in Trinidad, Colorado.
A street was named after him, “Ronnie Lane”, in Manor Park in 2001and if you’ve got an hour spare check out this beautiful documentary on Ronnie. Rest In Peace both – Legends
Remaking albums can often go spectacularly wrong as the artist often runs into a barrier that cannot be overcome- the nostalgia factor of fans. Following up the brilliant ‘In Vino Veritas,’ Tyla and his Dogs have unleashed a celebratory new version of ‘A Graveyard of Empty Bottles’ that will be my new go-to version of the album. I know there will be some that will think I have to be wrong as the original version was perfect back at the end of the 80’s. For you, I ask that you approach the album with an open mind and give it a listen. While Tyla also redid the album back in 2012, this version soars above it by essentially finishing what that one started. The 2012 version now sounds like a painting that wasn’t complete with Tyla saying as much in his notes about this penultimate version.
This album originally came with a note that these were ‘soft songs for hard people’ as they were all largely acoustic and the best unplugged album that ever existed. This version contains the same 13 songs that made up the 2012 version and did make me start wondering what people would think if the band had changed the running order. The vinyl version will contain the original 8 songs though which would have likely made it impractical to change the running order on the other platforms. Lead song ‘I Think It’s Love Again’ should have been a hit single back in the day and sounds as magical today as it did 30 years ago. An excellent production and mix allow every instrument to be heard with a nice bit of guitar by Gary added into the chorus here. Tyla sounds excellent and like he is having the time of his life. ‘So Once Was I’ slows the pace (as most of you already know) with the piano (by Scotty) being a nice addition to the darkness and serving as a great complement to the slow bluesy guitar licks. Some haunting backing vocals give the song some additional depth.
Picking up the pace with ‘Comfort of the Devil,’ the band hits an awesome groove with an excellent bass line by Matty given plenty of space to burrow into the brain. This was one of my favorites 30 years ago and has become even better over the years. Back on the 2012 version, I felt that ‘Saviour’ truly lost something in its incarnation there. The additional instrumentation here, especially the prevalence of the piano has created something very special as the pace is increased too. It has a very different feel from the original with it feeling more like a midtempo rock song than the ballad on the original. Simon’s drum work is outstanding, and it provides an outstanding close to the first third of the album.
Old school side 2 opener ’Errol Flynn’ has been a constant in the setlist and for good reason. This version burns nicely with the band in exquisite form. Another one that has been a fixture is ‘Bullet Proof Poet.’ This is another one where the added instrumentation is used to great effect. There is a haunting feeling to the music with the added piano and drums. This paean for Charles Bukowski contains some of my favorite lyrics by Tyla. He paints a portrait of this character with his words that makes him extremely real and relatable.
One of the biggest changes back in 2012 was on ‘When the Dream Has Gone’ which went from a short acoustic song, essentially a coda to ‘How Come It Never Rains’ into a full band song that almost doubled the length of the song. The 2012 version serves as the jumping off point here. Tyla sounds excellent, and the bass line by Matty remains as catchy and sharp as barbed wire. The spacing in the song helps it grow with the refrain from ‘How Come It Never Rains’ being an excellent reward for the listener. Original closer ‘Angel’ has been a constant on my Dogs and Tyla mix tapes and CDs over the years. While I really enjoyed the 2012 version, there is a charm with the original for me that it did not quite capture. The changes they have incorporated here bring back that charm though with aplomb. I cannot even imagine how many times I have listened to this song over the years. These first eight songs by themselves formed a classic album which has lost nothing in this awesome remake.
We received the added bonus of 5 additional songs back in 2012, and those same songs are also included as a bonus here. The piano based version of ‘Just an English Outlaw’ has been even further developed to create the penultimate studio version of the song. It branches out from the 2012 version at the first chorus when the drums and electric guitar make themselves heard. There is a depth to the mix here too that has found me hearing new things with each listen. The guitar work by Gary and Tyla compliments the song perfectly, and it maintains the momentum of ‘Angel.’ When the 2012 version was released, ‘Gone Are All the Angels’ was an immediate hit with me in this format. After hearing only an acoustic version for years, the full band version was a revelation. They have improved it even more here for my tastes. Tyla’s vocal performance sounds like it was lifted from the early ’90s or late ’80s. There is a positive energy in this band that just exudes out of the speaker. It was apparent on ‘In Vino Veritas’ and just as evident here. ‘Died Fore She Got Young’ could have easily got missed in the big shadow of the previous songs as the band slows the pace back down at the start of the song. The pace picks up nicely though as the song progresses. The electric guitar licks are well placed in the mix, and the hook in the song locks onto you like gum on your favorite shoes.
‘Stealing from the Devil’ provides an acoustic bluesy showcase and really serves as the curveball epic to the album. The band plays with a delicate touch that conjures images of dark deserted buildings with only hints of flickering candlelight. The backing vocal really helps take the song to a whole other level with how it is placed in the mix. The story in the lyrics reminds me of local Texas legend Ray Wylie Hubbard. In some ways, I am surprised they did not make this the closer of the album as it casts a very different feeling, but ‘Won’t You Let Go’ then feels like a sunrise coming over the ridge after a dark cold night. There is a tangible warmth in the music that soothes the soul and lets the listener know that things will be alright.
I am quite aware there will be a handful of people that will not take the time to listen to the album and cling to the original. The original is a classic album, but this version by the current Dogs is also a classic that does not copy the original. In some ways, this feels like the electric version of the album as it carries a bit more of an edge. The additional songs add essentially a side 3 to the record and can stand toe to toe with the original 8 songs. It is a special time in Dogs D’amour camp as these 4 gentlemen have amazing musical chemistry. I may need to find a way to change the rules I impose on myself around Album of the Year nominees….
‘A Graveyard of Empty Bottles MMXIX 30th Anniversary Edition’ is available Here
There was always more to Duff McKagan than just being the punk dude bassist from Guns n’ Roses. That much was evident on ‘Believe In Me’, his first solo album, released way back in 1993.
That album was recorded on downtime during the massive ‘Use Your Illusions’ world tour. Similarly, ‘Tenderness’ was written and recorded during Guns recent ‘Not In This Lifetime’ world tour. The difference? 25 years of sobriety, 25 years of losing friends to addiction and depression, and 25 years of life experiences and raising a family in a world that is increasingly dangerous and more fucked up by the day.
As the title suggests, ‘Tenderness’ is a much more sombre and reflective body of work than anything Duff has ever recorded. Observations of life on the road during Guns world tour gave the inspiration, and musically, it’s stripped bare. A rootsy, rock record, more akin to Exile-era Stones than the sleazy, Sunset Strip that made the band (and the man) famous.
Hooking up with Shooter Jennings to produce and shape his first solo album since those hedonistic days was a masterstroke. Like he did a couple of years back with Leroy Virgil from Hellbound Glory (check out the marvelous ‘Pinball’ album), Shooter used his own backing band to help sprinkle Nashville style magic all over the album.
Now, this backing band is like a modern day version of The Band, proper cool cats. I saw them perform 2 sets in a night at The Whisky-A-Go-Go, one with Hellbound Glory and then another with Shooter. They will be doing the same on Duff’s forthcoming European tour. When this rhythm section of bassist Ted Russell Kamp and drummer Jamie Douglass get together with fiddle player Aubrey Richmond and John Schreffler Jr on guitar, some sort of magic happens. It’s no surprise they are Shooter’s go-to guys. He knows what sound he needs and they deliver.
The title track opens the album and sets the scene. “Blackened days, we’ve lost our way” sings Duff over Shooter’s haunting piano, it sets the scene for the next 45 minutes. The country-tinged arrangement is perfection and the sentiment delivered with sincerity. The sparse musicianship never overplayed, just enough in all the right places to accentuate the melodies and the vocals.
By the time the last chorus is played out, you already have the desire to gather the ones you love and sing along in unison. Moving stuff indeed.
The social commentary Duff is laying out is perfect for these trying times and it’s something we can all relate to. “Turn off the screen, take a long walk and meet your fellow man…it’s not too late’ he sings on the following ‘It’s Not Too Late’, delivered with sincerity over mournful pedal steel and heartfelt violins.
The juxtaposition of the sweet music and the honest lyricism is on point and Duff is not afraid to tackle any subject, from addiction and homelessness to school shootings and abuse. Take ‘Last September’, a hard-hitting, yet beautifully delivered countrified look at the ‘#metoo’ movement. A lone acoustic breaks the silence like a ‘Nebraska’ outtake, before haunting, choral backing vocals join the lead vocals. Fragile, almost to the point of breaking. “She said no, he said yes, he held her down and choked her neck”. The hard-hitting lyrics are brutal and to the point, sung over laid-back, bare-bones Americana.
On a personal highlight, Shooter teases out Duff’s Johnny Thunders influences on ‘Wasted Heart’. The soaring vocals and sweet brass courtesy of The Suicide Horn Section (featuring Duff’s brother Matt McKagan on trombone) is sublime to these ears.
The hard-hitting ‘Parkland’ name-checks the schools affected by shootings and highlights the crazy US gun laws. It could have easily come across as being cheesy, but it’s handled in just the right way by someone who has bought up daughters in that environment. The more upbeat ‘Chip Away’ has a killer Rolling Stones vibe, as Duff drawls about smoking crack over Hammond organ, skiffle beats and handclaps that take us to church…divine.
Elsewhere, the hickey, hard luck story of ‘Breaking Rocks’ is brilliant in its simplicity. It fits the bill nicely, as Duff’s wavering vocals meet in a great duet with Shooter himself. Mental wah-wah guitars seal the deal. A song to sit on the porch and drink moonshine too.
The album closes with the reflective ‘Don’t Look Behind You’. Riding on acoustic and sparse accompaniment, before veering into almost lounge territory as the brass section are left to their own devices, with even a saxophone solo for good measure.
Duff McKagan has nothing to prove. He’s been there and done it all. He’s been (right next door) to hell and back and survived to become a better man. But every great musician needs to create and right now Duff has something to say and recording this album is the best thing he could’ve done.
For me, it’s as good as, if not better than Izzy’s Ju Ju Hounds, and it’s up there with Gilby’s ‘Pawnshop Guitars’.
As with past Guns n’ Roses members solo albums, ‘Tenderness’ will go largely unnoticed by the music buying (or streaming) public, which is a crying shame, as it is one of the finest releases this year and probably the best thing the man has put his name to since ‘Appetite For Destruction’.
Ok first up this Monday is a video from Texan Rockers the Satanic Overlords. Coming on part Toilet Boys and part sleazy stooges ‘Superficial Lamb’ is taken from the new album reviewed soon on RPM.
Next up is a video off the brand new ‘Bat Album Bat Music For Bat People’ and Bat release ‘Villain’. But who are those masked men?
Rounding off this weeks three videos try the brand new Virginmarys for size
I know it’s only sposed to be three but when this dropped from White Reaper how could we ignore it. Call it a gift from RPM it’ll bring the sunshine this Monday
Dead Moon was formed in Portland, Oregon. They existed from 1987 to 2006, Featuring the talents of singer/guitarist Fred Cole, bassist Kathleen “Toody” Cole, (Fred’s wife), and drummer Andrew Loomis. The Band toured Europe’s mainland which is where most of their support was to be fair.
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