Over the years, this has been released in several formats on CD, with different artwork, running list,s one version had this song but not that one, etc., etc. Now Cadiz has pretty much pulled it together and released the definitive version on a very nicely packaged gatefold record with sleeve notes and bonus tracks. The usual suspects are present and accounted for, as well as some not-so-predictable artists. Its been decades since we lost Johnny in very dubious circumstances and we’ve all seen the movies and heard th ebootlegs but all his failings and vulnerable life choices the one thing that is often overlooked is the fact that Thunders had an amazing resume as a songwriter and from the Dolls through the Heartbreakers to the oddballs he also surrounded himself with some incredable bands who all managed to draw out of him an amazing repertoir of songs from sleazy rock n rollers to amazing emotional ballads to more traditional blues rock n roll songs to beautifully crafter covers and pop melodies that should have seen him rise from the underground and the figure of cult legend to a superstar Thunders had it all but like most people regarded as genius he had his flaws. The one thing this tribute album does is give him the respect he richly deserved as well as the credit he’s always been due for writing these songs.

Curated by his former bandmate Chris Musto, who managed to put this together, this new definitive version is head and shoulders the go-to version and one fans old and new should be clamouring to get their hands on. The one thing that struck me as I dropped the needle on side one disc one was how many of these rock n rollas are also no longer with us from his former bandmates in the Dolls, who offer stunning renditions of tracks like ‘Some Hearts’ from David Johansen. Gang War bandmate Brother Wayne Kramer takes the Thunders demo ‘Children Are People Too’, which was one of the latter tracks that escaped the Thunders demos after his passing, but the record opens with the ragged anthem ‘Leave Me Alone’ from Patti Palladin. The Johansen take on ‘Some Hearts’ is epic, it’s done with respect, and the song shines like a diamond, showing just how good these guys were and so underappreciated. Arthur Killer Kane and Sylvain follow sadly, all gone. It’s The Waterboys and Mike Scott who always spoke fondly of Thunders, but not someone many would associate with the pirate rocker.

Of course, it’s a no-brainer that Michael Monroe offers two killer takes on Thunder’s classics. The strength is in the varied interpretations of the track and how awesome they sound, regardless. The lounge Killer Kane takes on ‘In Cold Blood’ through the Los Lobos ‘Alone In A Crowd’, the screwballs featuring Jayne County and Glen Matlock ‘Help The Homeless’, another of those demos he did when an Oddball. The dreamy saxophone on Sylvains ‘Society Makes Me Sad’. A lot of people who worked with Thunders gathered to play these tunes from Neil X and his Montecristos, dropping ‘Pirate Love’ and Sigue Sigue Sputnik, knocking out a futuristic ‘Personality Crisis’ and just rockin’ it up and tipping the hat. But the new discoveries belong to Bones In The City, and a riot on wax takes on ‘MIA’, you could go through the entire record and name-drop the likes of Cook and Jones, or an MC5 and a bunch of Dolls, as well as Da Bruthers doing their best Ramones on ‘I Love You’. It’s a whos who’s who all-star cast who lived fast and many died young but they all knew how to pay their respects in the best possible way, and the one brightest light from this whole project is just how bloody talented Mr Thunders was and as time moves on we look for the next generation of legends and sadly they are few and far between and the likes of Johnny become more and more distant fading lights but when a record like this comes out I know I had the best of times seeing and hearing these played by the man himself and I’m always delighted to chapmion his work especially when its as good as this.

Go on, treat yourself, you won’t regret it. Go get goosebumps and a lump in your throat just listening to Monroe performing ‘So Alone’ or the finale of ‘Hurt ME’ crooned by Marc Almond, it’s the definition of all killer no filler.

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