Neurotic Outsiders ~ Neurotic Outsiders (aka self-titled) (album review) ... Supergroup of the Sex Pistols, Guns N' Roses, Duran Duran!

Style: hard rock, punk
Label: Warner Brothers
Year: 1996
Home: n/a

Members: Steve Jones, Duff McKagan ~ guitar/vocals
Matt Sorum ~ drums/vocals
John Taylor ~ bass/vocals

Additional: Jerry Harrison ~ piano/organ

I've previously positively reviewed an album by Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols, so when I saw this one album only supergroup with him, Duff McKagan & Matt Sorum of Guns N' Roses & John Taylor of Duran Duran, I couldn't resist lending an ear. First, Duff plays guitar here, passing the bass to the better bassist in John Taylor. Next, Steve & John did most of the writing, so its coming from a musical direction where you shouldn't let the name of G'N'R fool you. Expect nothing of G'N'R here. You'll find none of their melodies, or Slash's bluesy riffs, or Axl's iconic singing. Also, put aside this might be like Duran Duran, given John is penning these songs. The only thing you should expect is some gritty non-pretentious balls to the wall rock like Steve has been doing since the beginning. If you like your rock punkish & nasty, without any guitar hero antics, from the gut & not too fancy, going at full speed, than this album will likely be of interest. This is rough & tumble & loose in a way that might be compared to the Hollywood Rose days, if one absolutely needs a comparison. The solos are noisy breaks from the chugging chords. The guys rotate vocals, with nobody really being too amazing to overshadow the others. If you know Duff's vocals from his solo stuff than you'll have the right frame of mind. The rhythm section, meanwhile, is clobbering down the door with an endless belting. This is snarling rock'n'roll coming out of the punk mold, but with some interesting vocal tweaks that give it a slight '90's edge at times (i.e. "Always Wrong", "Feelings Are Good", "Revolution"). At other times its a bit cheeky & sounds like its trying to be radio friendly without losing its edge (i.e. "Angelina" & "Jerk" I could hear covered by XTC), but then sometimes its going for more of a punk vibe ("Good News" would have found a nice spot on Duff's solo debut). The fact that these musicians cover three distinct eras in music is an interesting side note, while they turn out something that doesn't really sound like any of them. The acoustic "Better Way" comes out of nowhere sounding like a David Bowie song, almost hauntingly so. Its an interesting well composed song, maybe the best on the album, but seriously is out of place on a punk driving chord slashing album. Even when the electric guitars kick in, its still a thousand times better crafted than any song on the album, & for that it stands out by light years. I would have included it as a bonus track to not mess up the rolling flow of the rest of the songs. This song has a companion piece in the slow "Story Of My Life" which is a moody melodic alt-rocker that also sounds very different than the rest of the album. But, don't think about it too hard. Don't overthink this album at all, just enjoy it as a hidden treasure by a group of guys you grew up with & having a fun time doing something different.

Steve Jones ~ Fire & Gasoline (album review) ... Former Sex Pistol is a rock'n'roll trouble maker doing it the the right way with the Cult!

Style: hard rock, heavy metal
Label:
Year: 1989
Home: n/a

Members: Steve Jones ~ vocals/guitars

Terry Nails ~ bass/b. vocals

Mickey Curry ~ drums

Guests: Billy Duffy ~ guitar solo

Ian Astbury ~ b. vocals/tambourine

Axl Rose ~ vocals

Former Sex Pistol Steve Jones solo? I'm not a Pistols fan & have never listened to anything any member has done outside the band, not even PiL, but why not give Jones a listen & change this trend? The Pistols are iconic & given how different Johnny Rotten's music was post-Pistols. what might another member sound like? To top it off, the backing band is the drummer of the Cult, plus guests in their guitarist & singer. I'm hooked, as I'm a fan of Ian Astbury & company, who also produced the album. So, what have I found? A great rock'n'roll gutsy & gritty album I highly recommend checking out! Jones doesn't necessarily have a sound of his own, immediately recognizable, so what he crafts sounds like other bands ... but he's chosen well! I'm reminded of the bluesier end of the Cult, Ian Astbury's backing vocals absolutely contribute to this, meets the gritty street smart rock of Glenn Danzig without the glam elements, with the in your face playing of Ace Frehley, & just a touch of the energy of the Stooges. The outcome is non-pretentious good old fashioned gutter rock'n'roll. So few bands play this, as they aim for proficient technical playing over rawness, flash over guts. This album struts & grooves with a 'fuck you' attitude that few guitarists have. Is this a well-polished album? Not particularly. Its rough around the edges & borrows from here & there with abandon, even covering David Bowe's "Suffragette City". The riff of "We're No Saints" could be AC/DC. "Trouble Maker" is absolutely Brooklyn's metal trio Tired Wings. The chorus of "We're No Saints' & "Freedom Fighter" sound like the Cult stripped down, with a crazy noisy solo on the later. Yet, Jones takes it all in & makes his own, spewing out the flash & just keep the thrusting 'fuck you' action. This is very much rock'n'roll at its most basic, primal, & maybe the way its meant to be heard. Also, he covers the Sex Pistols' "I Did U No Wrong" with Axl Rose on the vocals. It sounds like early Guns N' Roses a la G N' R Lies. Axl is sloppy, a bit annoying, but rocking out like nobody's business in a way he stopped himself from doing in the highly polished Guns N' Roses. This is Jones' second solo album, & from other reviews I've read this his only outing sounding like this ... & his best solo album according to many. Listening to this as a bassist, I realized this is the type of rock I'd love to play in a band! Coming to Portland anytime soon, Steve? Likely ... not ... but do check out Steve playing solo guitar on his Instagram. The guy is totally cool.

Joan Jett & The Blackhearts ~ I Love Rock'N'Roll (album review) ... I love rock'n'roll, but we love Joan Jett!

Style: hard rock
Label: Boardwalk
Year: 1981
Home: n/a

Members: Joan Jett ~ guitar/vocals
Ricky Byrd ~ lead guitar
Gary Ryan ~ bass/b. vocals
Lee Crystal ~ drums

Additional: Jeff Peters ~ bass/b. vocals
Lou Maxfield, Sean Tyla ~ guitar
Paul Simmons ~ drums/b. vocals
Joel Turrisi ~ drums
Martyn Watson ~ b. vocals

Guest: Steve Jones ~ bass/b. vocals

I've always thought JJ made the best albums by any of the Runaways ... actually, hers might even be the best albums the Runaways never did. Listening to the Runaways is like listening to some rough pre-first album demos when you lay JJ's solo work & Blackhearts days beside them & essentially they kinda are. Though, JJ isn't the greatest guitarist or singer & her albums aren't that slick, but the attitude is there that the Runaways had but never quite gelled like it does for JJ, certainly she has better songs. Maybe its because JJ needed punk to happen to get focused. Besides both its youth anthem title track & it's ballad "Crimson And Clover" I Love Rock'N'Roll straddles cock rock, retro & punk ... & from a rock chick that makes it much cooler, though JJ has never really used her sexuality or gender to push her career. She just wants to rock with music that's stripped down seemingly three-chord rock, not too fancy & no overly fancy guitar solos that essentially she can't play. The album has the punk feeling of the Ramones (i.e. title track, "Victim Of Circumstance", "Be Straight") where JJ actually shows off her lack of singing ability. Yet it also the saunter of the Rolling Stones ... just check out the guitar opening on "(I'm Gonna) Run Away" or "You're Too Possessive" for proof on this one. What's most shocking is the amount of 50's/60's flashback, yet it fits in perfectly, including "Nag", Dave Clark Five's "Bits & Pieces" & obviously the cover of Tommy James & The Shondell's "Crimson & Clover". She makes these classic songs seem her own. Maybe that's also because she's not chosen well worn cover songs, but songs which don't get much radio play or reinterpretation. This album really is the highlight of her solo & Blackhearts discography, if not musically than its the album everyone recognizes and new fans want due to its chart-topping title track. I mean, how many new fans ask for Bad Reputation these days, even if its just as good musically. Its her first Blackhearts album, though really its just her with a named backing band but it also gives her an added musical strength she didn't have before. The final track "Woe Is Me" opens with "What happened to my heroes?/The idols keep on singing/but they don't sound sincere/oh woe is me." It's almost ironic that JJ would become an idol herself. An interesting fact to this album is it was recorded twice. Original Eric Ambel laid down the guitar parts, but the story goes JJ was dissatisfied with the result. Ricky Byrd was brought in, redid the guitar parts & essentially the Blackhearts sound was solidified.

Lisa Marie Presley ~ Now What (album review) ... Elvis's daughter & a Sex Pistol take the stage!

Style: alt rock
Label: Capitol Records
Year: 2005
Home: California

Members: Lisa Marie Presley ~ vocals/programming
Michael Lockwood, Stuart Mathis, Robert Bishop, Nick Lashley, Lyle Workman ~ guitar
Zak Rae, Eric Rosse, Roger Manning ~ piano
Paul Bushnell, Chris Chaney ~ bass
Matt Chamberlain, Josh Freeze, Abraham Laboriel Jr., Joey Waronker ~ drums
Drew Hester ~ percussion
Howard Willing ~ drum effects

Additional: Suzie Katayama, Larry Corbett, Cameron Stone ~ cello
Mario De Leon, Armen Garabedian, Berg Garabedian, Julian Hallmark, Audrey Solomon, Josefine Vergara, John Wittenberg, Joel Derouin ~ violin
Matt Funes, Evan Wilson ~ viola
LMP ~ voice

Guest: Pink ~ vocals
Steve Jones ~ guitar

There's a group of musicians who took to the stage largely under their influence of famous musician parents. That's not saying they wouldn't be otherwise, but how many of them would find other careers if their parents had anonymous 9-5 jobs or a non-disposal income not created from royalties. These childstars tend to fall into a couple broad categories, briefly: A) they're a talented musician on their own who largely follow their parents music style if not the same instrument (i.e. Anoushka Shankar, the Pizzarelli family, Dweezil Zappa, Arlo Guthrie, Hank Williams, Jr.), or B) a talented musician on their own & demonstrating it by playing music different than their parent (i.e. Wilson Philips, Jakob Dylan, Rufus Wainwright, Norah Jones) or C) a musician who seemingly has little to offer in terms of individual style (i.e. Kelly Osbourne) or just hasn't developed it yet (i.e. Alexa Ray Joel, Dhani Harrison) but largely gets the gig because of the name. This last category are the questionable folks who one hopes eventually move into another category. Sadly, regardless of musicianship or style fans always look at these musicians in terms of their parents. Is Alexa Ray Joel as good of a song writer or pianist as her father Billy? Norah Jones might not play the sitar like her near guru father Ravi Shanker & half-sister, but is she as dedicated to her respective craft? Does Dhani Harrison have anything to say other than the spiritual meanderings of his father George? We shouldn't ask these questions but it's hard not to. Of course, it's nearly impossible to look at Lisa Marie Presley in light of her father who had not just a very individual sound & image but also helped create rock'n'roll. The gender difference is almost trivial. So, given such a shadow one is forced to look at LMP via her own efforts & merits. Personally, if it wasn't for her name I probably wouldn't pick up this album in the first place. It's multi-layered studio created moody power pop a la Pink, versus a band hacking it out in the clubs. For those that enjoy such music you can do a lot worse than checking out this follow up to her debut. For those looking for something a little more original disappointment will abound. Ignoring the long list of studio musicians the album sounds like a group of top-notch group of musicians & producers, including former 4 Non Blondes singer Linda Perry as co-writer on a majority of the tracks, got together to craft something big & bold in an Alanis Morissette sort of way but without the jagged edges to disguise LMP lack of any original or sound of her own. Her voice is mellow but not with any great range or distinguishable features, almost ironic considering who the co-writer is. It's almost too easy to write the affair off & miss the fact that LMP wrote all the lyrics & has actually attempted to put some personal gusto behind it all. The title of the album says a lot towards the mood, as does the opening song "I'll Figure It Out" with the line "It took me all my life/to finally figure it out/that i'm not in the mood/to be anything like you" which very well could be a nod to the shadow of her father. This is not a happy album with the songs largely ranting against those who've hurt her or tried to make her into something she's not with numerous cuss words to make the point & meriting a parental advisory sticker on what one might expect to be a tame affair following her debut. Also features, within the theme, Don Henley's "Dirty Laundry" & the Ramones "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow" featuring Sex Pistol Steve Jones on guitar. LMP's lyrics & message make this a much stronger album than it first appears, sadly the music remains far too unoriginal to match & dulls down what could be a much raunchier affair. Now What is a better then LMP's debut To Whom It May Concern with a harder edge but next time make it harder & less polished, until then LMP is a child star who has something she wants to say but hasn't figured out the right format. Don't give up hope on her though cause she's trying. Actually, I'd hire her a lyric writer to some other musician.

Iggy Pop & the Stooges ~ Nude & Rude: The Best Of ... (comp) ... He just wants to be your dog!

Style: classic 60's/70's, hard rock, punk
Label: Virgin
Year: 1996
Home: Michigan

Members of the Stooges: Iggy Pop ~ vocals/guitar
Ron Asheton ~ bass/b. vocals
Scott Asheton ~ drums
Dave Alexander ~ bass
James Williamson, Ron Asheton ~ guitar/b. vocals

Additional: Waddy Wachtel, Jay Joyce, Eric Schermerhorn, Phil Palmer ~ guitar
Leigh Foxx, Charley Drayton, Laurent Thibault, Hal Cragin, Chuck Domanico, George Murray ~ bass
Kenny Aronoff, Paul Garisto, Dennis Davis, Michel Santangeli ~ drums
Nicky Skopelitis, Seamus Beaghen, Jamie Muhoberac ~ keyboards
Scott Hackwith, Sweet Pea Atkinson, Sir Harry Bowens, Alex Brown, Ray Mitchell ~ b. vocals
John Harden, David McMurray ~ saxophone
Kevin Armstrong, Ricky Gardiner ~ guitar/b. vocals
Malcolm Burn ~ guitar/keyboards/harmonica
David Lindley ~ violin/mandolin
Tony Sales ~ bass/b. vocals
Hunt Sales ~ drums/b. vocals
Scott Thurston ~ bass/guitar/harmonica/keyboards/b. vocals
Brian Glascock ~ percussion/drums/b. vocals
Erdal Kizilcay ~ synthesizer/bass/drums/b. vocals

Guests: Kate Pierson, John Hiatt, Henry Rollins ~ vocals
Jeff Bova ~ programming
John Cale ~ piano/sleighbell/viola
Larry Mullen, Jr. ~ drums
David Bowie ~ keyboards/guitar/saxophone/xylophone/b. vocals
Carlos Alomar ~ guitar/b. vocals
Steve Jones, Slash ~ guitar
Duff McKagan ~ bass

I have mixed feelings on Iggy Pop. He's such an interesting character, an obvious showman, intimately tied up with my favorites the iconic Lou Reed & David Bowie ... but other than his work with the Stooges I've found his solo output to be often unlistenable if not just tedious experiments in poor lyrics & musical boredom. A few albums are good but none are really great. For every great song there's a couple that drown in shallow waters. Iggy is to me an ongoing musical experiment with no identity of his own, though he does a great Bowie imitation. So, with that in mind I both joyfully & disappointingly recommend this album for those wanting to hear what all the fuss is about. I'd prefer to have a studio album rather than a compilation to recommded, which is the disappointing part. But, all the hits are here & he had many, though maybe recognizable songs is a better phrase than chart-topping hits. This collection goes right through his solo career to the 90's, while opening with the Stooges (i.e. "I Wanna Be Your Dog", "Search & Destroy", "Gimme Danger" & "No Fun"). The Stooges stuff is some of the strongest with the rest being a demonstration of someone with multiple personality syndrome trying to discover themselves while retaining all the energy & unpredictability of youth. The first time I heard the guitar solo on "I Wanna Be Your Dog" I was in love with the Stooges. I've always loved following favorite musicians out of their bands & into their solo careers & it's always been disappointing that I've not been able to come to terms with Iggy's solo career outside this one greatest hits collection. As long as you're okay with the fact that if you like one song there probably won't be too many more that sound like it, you're probably going to greatly enjoy this collection. I'm sure you'll even like the album so much that you'll fall into the trap of wanting to hear the individual albums. I did. Don't imitate me. Stick with this introduction & you'll have the essential Iggy. & definitely check out the Stooges. Though the interesting thing about this album is it totally skips a few albums unlike other bands' comps that pull something from every album. Hmmm. What's that say about his solo work? Though ... if you really want the best of Iggy hit youtube for some live concerts. That's where the magic really is, let alone the fact this guy just keeps going with no letting up.