{"id":8195,"date":"2019-09-14T05:00:21","date_gmt":"2019-09-14T05:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rpmonline.co.uk\/?p=8195"},"modified":"2019-09-09T00:32:21","modified_gmt":"2019-09-09T00:32:21","slug":"diamond-dogs-recall-rock-n-roll-and-the-magic-soul-wild-kingdom-records","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rpmonline.co.uk\/?p=8195","title":{"rendered":"Diamond Dogs \u2013 \u2018Recall Rock \u2018n\u2019 Roll And The Magic Soul\u2019 (Wild Kingdom Records)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Following the recent news of an upcoming \u2018best of\u2019 package and vinyl re-issues of four classic albums, Sweden\u2019s finest purveyors of glam slam boogie the Diamond Dogs are back with a new long-player of brand new music to whet the appetite.<\/p>\n

It seems you can\u2019t keep a good band down, and four years after they called it quits, following the tragic death of saxophonist Magic Gunnarsson, original members Sulo and keyboard player Henrik \u201cHonk\u201d Widen decided it was time to get the band back together. Joining the duo are long-serving guitarist Lars Karlsson, fellow guitarist Martin Thomander, bassist Stefan Bellnas and Thomas Broman on the drums.<\/p>\n

While a revolving door of band members has come and gone over the years, the sound remains the same. Let\u2019s just say, if you dig the cool as you like vintage rock \u2018n\u2019 roll of The Faces meets The Stones, then grab a Jack & Coke, drop the needle and sit back and enjoy!<\/p>\n

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Now, when I say new music, all is not quite as it seems. If you were to purchase this album on vinyl then you could say side A is Diamond Dogs originals; recalling their rock \u2018n\u2019 roll roots. And then side B is their own tribute to Soul legend Sam Cooke; six cover versions of classic cuts from the Soul singer, reinterpreted in their own classic style.<\/p>\n

While their last few studio albums have been a bit patchy, this is a banger of an album from start to finish. Their trademark rock \u2018n\u2019 roll shuffles bring to mind a golden age of early 70\u2019s British rock. Anyone from The Stones, Slade and Quo comes to mind at any given moment. You know the score.<\/p>\n

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Opening song \u2018Recall Rock \u2018n\u2019 Roll\u2019 sets the bar high from the off and sees singer Sulo in introspective mood as the band fire on all cylinders behind him. \u201cLet\u2019s turn back time and make it roll!\u201d he suggests before blasting into a euphoric chorus. The likes of \u2018Valentina (Queen Of Broken Hearts)\u2019 and \u2018Heavy Swing\u2019 have that classic Sulo chorus refrains in abundance. High energy rock \u2018n\u2019 roll, with a tinkling of the ivories and key changes that takes it up nicely to the climax. No one does Mott meets The Faces better.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a hint of sadness to the soulful balladry that \u2018Singin\u2019 With Elvis\u2019 brings to the table. Sulo reminisces about times gone by and the ghosts of the past. \u201cI walk down the street where we all used to meet, but it was all dark and quiet\u201d he sings in an almost broken rasp. Swathes of Hammond organ and great, Stones inspired backing harmonies make this essential Dogs material.<\/p>\n

The uber-cool \u2018There Is A Fire Down There\u2019 has a Black Crowes swagger, with trademark killer backing vocals and a wild n\u2019 crazy slide guitar solo. No one does rock \u2018n\u2019 roll rapture quite like the Diamond Dogs do these days.<\/p>\n

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The album is split down the middle by \u2018Soul Folks\u2019, a re-recording of a Sulo original that first appeared on his album \u2018Hear Me Out\u2019. Sulo\u2019s own tribute to his soul hero that actually comes across like an Exile-era Stones outtake. Cracking stuff indeed.<\/p>\n

Now, the Sam Cooke side of things includes a bunch of guests. First up, we have Quireboys frontman Spike lending his gravelly tones to the good time rock \u2018n\u2019 roll of \u2018Good Times\u2019. Handclaps, sax and heavenly, female backing vocals bring the soul and help get the party started.<\/p>\n

The good time boogie of \u2018Don\u2019t Fight it, Feel It\u2019 and the 12 bar blues stomp of \u2018Somebody Have Mercy\u2019 are delivered in fine Diamond Dogs style, you wouldn\u2019t even guess they were old Soul songs on first listen.<\/p>\n

They breathe new life into \u2018Keep Movin\u2019 On\u2019. Faster and more uplifting, that killer chorus introduces a song that sounds like it has always been in your head. Hellacopters main man Nicke Andersson adds his dulcet tones to this banger.<\/p>\n

Thunder frontman Danny Bowes duets with Sulo on \u2018Nothing Can Change This Love\u2019. With the lyrical sentiment and the sparse musicianship, it retains the soulful feel of the original, but it\u2019s given the Diamond Dogs treatment. \u00a0A rendition that sounds like it was recorded 50 years ago, not six months ago.<\/p>\n

\u2018Sugar Dumpling\u2019 closes the album and is my favourite of these cover versions. Featuring Swedish rapper Papa Dee, they take to another level entirely. To me, it comes on like The Dave Clarke Five meets The Archies, classic 60\u2019s pop and a surprise finale. What a tune!<\/p>\n

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\u2018Recall Rock \u2018n\u2019 Roll And The Magic Soul\u2019 will not only satisfy Diamond Dogs fan who have been craving more material, it will also remind those who forgot exactly why we missed them in the first place.<\/p>\n

Ok, so it may not be an album full of original material. But as the title suggests, this new album is a throwback to the roots and the influences of what made Diamond Dogs one of Sweden\u2019s greatest musical exports. And that is something we should all celebrate.<\/p>\n

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Author: Ben Hughes<\/p>\n