It’s been a while in the making but it’s finally here, Steve Vincent has assembled a cast of reprobate Rockers to assist in pulling this together and apart from writing and playing a lot of the instruments himself, he’s accentuated a lot of the tracks by drafting in the likes of Danny McCormack from the Wildhearts and Steve Conte from Michael Monroe band as well as Miqu December from Plastic Tears who also has a writing credit on a track he duets on (‘Fallen Wheel’).

Hailing back to a time when Grunge killed off glam and all strands associated rightly or wrongly struggled with the association people like Steve survived and moved on but never lost the passion and love for Rock n Roll. In a time (the early 90s) when London was alive with real rockers and genuine great bands like Gunfire Dance, Kill City Dragons, Cheap and Nasty to name a few who stood a fighting chance but never quite fitted in with the punk rock crowd nor the glam rock dandies it was a more gritty mid 80’s feel going on, Steve kept going with his band Paradise Alley who were also out of step with what was considered Glam and what would have cut it as punk.

The band limped on in various states playing towns and cities from America and beyond but burrowing away at home writing and recording Steve kept his powder dry and long after Grunge ate itself, Steve appears like a genie from a bottle (of thunderbird wine no doubt) and delivers a solo record that deserves being championed from these here pages as I wonder how or why it’s taken so long to get all this music out there. Steve does a sterling job on the harmonica he blows on up-tempo opener ‘Yesterdays Man’ with its layers of sound from the picked guitar and Danny McCormack throb on the bass. That sleazy Hanoi Rocks inspired swagger of ‘All I Wanna Do’ has Steve wheezing on that harmonica again for a barroom sing-a-long with some decent guitar licks courtesy of Mattias Johansson and some most welcome joanna tinkling courtesy of Matt Connor adding to a feel-good rocker. The late night come down flip side of ‘All I Wanna Do’ is ‘Last Train To Babylon’ with a laid-back tempo and groove with some tasty guitar playing courtesy of former New York Doll Steve Conte which seems apt as the New Yorker adds some real Noo Yawk flavour to the mix about the city that never sleeps.

Steve swaps his pixie boots for a pair of two-inch creepers and puts his foot to the floor for ‘Can’t Bring Me Down’ as the lyrics take a darker turn so does the groove – it shows a side that isn’t just good times and parties but real issues and a riff to boot on this well-constructed darker song.

Once dubbed as the “happy song”, ‘Falling’ is a standard rocker wearing a big smile and it shows – you certainly feel it. ‘Fortune wheel’ is co-written with Miqu from Plastic Tears and works well. Left to ferment from the 90’s it reached its vintage and this toe-tapper leads the charge into the home straight.

The penultimate song ‘Sleepwalking’ is a self-confessed homage to Stiv Bator who I’m sure would have approved of the songs meaning and story he’d also have enjoyed the meandering guitar work that underpins the riff that oozes glam punk not some powder puff Sunset Strip Glam Rock but a gritty authentic Punk Rock slice of Glam grafted from mid 80s wardour street to the here and now, excellent stuff.

To close off the album is the gentle and considered acoustic ballad that is ‘Lost Boys And Fallen Angels’ dedicated and inspired by a former bandmate who lost his life a decade ago and to people everywhere who’ve lost someone with a PMA and kind soul that’s never coming back – it’s a fine and fitting end to a really impressive album showing that Steve Vincent has many strings to his bow and an ability to write and record some excellent rock and roll. Long live real Glam Punk Rock n Roll and keep on keeping on Steve – this is a record that deserves to be heard and hopefully just the start.

Buy Here

Facebook

Author: Dom Daley