I’m not adverse to bands doing covers quite the contrary. sometimes covers can introduce you to a new favourite band, help get where a bands coming from musically, introduce you to someone or a song you’ve never heard or maybe never appreciated. There si a world of difference to a covers album and a covers band two very different beasts. Now let me introduce you to The Streetwalkin’ Cheetahs a band I’ve been listening to fo rquite some time and a band who’ve just go ton with business regardless of whats on trend and in vocalist Frank Meyer they have one hell of a singer shit this guy can strip the paint off walls from 30 ft away he is Rock and fuckin Roll alright and boy can he sing. I’d have him up there with the likes of Larry May as one of the best vocalists for loud punk rock and roll no question about it.

Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, cover albums. Well, this offering of well over thirty songs, yup I said thirty! is all killer no filler and they manage to draft in some pretty impressive associates to help rock this record out. Fourteen people are credited with the playing and as I said some pretty spectacular guests adding their own flavour to what is already an exceptional playlist.

Kicking off with a quite brilliant take on ‘Know your Product’ with bells and whistles and horns a honkin this is the bomb boys and girls a quite exceptional opener right there. To be fair had they fucked this opener up I would be reviewing this album I’d be hunting them down. It ticks all the boxes of how to do a cover. Energy, awesome vocals, great guests, and a risky choice to open with. Confidence isn’t a problem here kids the band knows they’ve nailed this one so let’s just move on.

I’m gonna brush over some, not because I don’t want to type all day but because I want to leave some surprises for you the lucky listener who chooses to investigate this record further. Safe to say ‘Cherry bomb’ is a great version and having ms Currie on board only adds to its awesomeness.

There’s a rapid twist on the Dogs D’Amour swagger of ‘Debauchery’ which I really enjoyed diggin deep into the good stuff already. of Course ‘Faster And Louder’ gets nailed as does ‘Do The Pop’ fuck this is a whirlwind already and my heads a spinnin’ with the great choices thus far. they’ve even gone for a Motley Crue cover and ‘Live Wire’ has never been sung this well that won’t come as a shock to anyone and the riff sonds great. However, putting a Crue cover next to some Flamin Groovies wouldn’t always work but here it does as this one is sped up and rocked out.

One fo my favourite Stooges songs has always been the mega groove that is ‘Funhouse’ from that hypnotic bassline to Ron Ashtons snaking guitar licks to the saxophone honkin and to be fair this group has taken it all on board and created a heaving groovy take on a stone cold classic and managed to play it out for a full fourteen minutes and to be fair had it gone on a further fourteen I’d have been delighted.

It’s so cool they got the likes of Denis Tek in to play his considerable guitar talent on ‘More Fun’ and Bryan Smalls rocks up doing his finest Joe Perry on ‘Draw The Line’ alongside a great vocal delivery claiming a classic Aerosmith tune to be their own. Sandwiching an Aerosmith classic next to a Dianno era Maiden track only to punch it square in the face with an MC5 walk-through is genius.

Having Jimmy Zero in to play on the Dead Boys standard ‘Sonic Reducer’ is a rip-snorting ride that absolutely nails the energy of the original and evokes all sorts of emotions inside me Stiv would most certainly approve no question about it. Then to follow that with a breakneck take on the Hanoi Rocks barnstormer ‘Cafe Avenue’ with none other than Jeff Dahl snarling out the vocals is brilliant twisting my melon and turning this majestic tune on its head – class! Further, into the album there is another Hanoi classic and possibly my favourite Hanoi song in ‘Taxi Driver’ and this take has as much menace in the delivery and its great to hear just how someone else with exceptional taste takes a great song its got swagger boys and girls and shines a light on how damn good the original was/is.

I’m exhausted and there are still a dozen or so more to get through! Johnny Thunders has ‘I Wanna Be Loved’ turned on its head and slowed down and waltzed through – clever! then having Sylvain come in on two track made me choke up with so many departed legends having tributes paid to them in such spectacular fashion from Frank and the gang.

There are a few bands I still miss and daydream about what they might be doing if they’d hung on in there and lady luck had kept them alive and one of those bands is Dead Boys frontman Stiv Bators and having three tracks honouring him and his legacy is great especially when the versions are so good ‘Aint Nothing To Do’ is a killer but the take on ‘what Love Is’ is next level.

If this is a flick through the record collections of The Streetwalkin Cheetahs then bring on volume two these guys just simply get it. Their take on some classics and deep cuts is like a walk-through wonderland its respectful and right on the money. the musicians they draft in also get it and so do I. Waste no further time reading my waffle and pick this up asap. Long Live Rock and Roll and long like the Streetwalkin Cheetahs. Thank you and keep on Rockin! you nailed this history lesson right square on the noggin’!

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Author: Dom Daley