The “Rock ‘n’ Roll Farm Report” was a short-lived review column that ran on our Alt.Culture.Guide™ website for almost a year until we closed the site, not due to lack of readers, but from lack of time and money to continue the project. Still, as these columns show, we reviewed a diverse range of music...
THE ALARM MMVI – Under Attack
Nothing reminds me more of the ‘80s than MTV, Lester Bangs and, well, the Alarm. Of course, the “music television” network is anything but these days, Lester wrote his final earthly record review over two decades ago and the Alarm, well…ahem…actually, they’re alive and well. Going under the name the Alarm MMVI (for their 26th year?), the band has released Under Attack, its first U.S. album in 15 years. Don’t mistake this for some sort of faux reunion and blatant attempt at a fast cash grab, folks. A few years back, frontman Mike Peters assembled a brand-new version of the Alarm that includes U.K. rock veterans like guitarist James Stevenson (Generation X), bassist Craig Adams (The Cult) and drummer Steve Grantley (Stiff Little Fingers).
With this crew backing Peters’ tunes, Under Attack is a fully-realized album that rocks hard and takes no prisoners. Peters has delivered some of his strongest lyrics ever, the guitars ring loud and proud – with just the right amounts of fuzz and feedback – and a building falling on yer head wouldn’t hit as hard as Grantley’s explosive, punk-styled drumming. This isn’t throwback ‘80s rock, but rather a lean-and-mean collection of classic rock songs that are timeless, ringing true in any decade. (Eleven-Thirty Records)
DARKBUSTER – A Weakness For Spirits
The Reverend has to admit a soft spot in his heart for old-school punk bands like Darkbuster that mosh up their jams with some Celtic flavor, a dash of ska, and more than a few Clash influences worn on their collective sleeves. A Weakness For Spirits blows through your stereo speakers like a tornado ripping through the Kansas countryside. Vocalist/guitarist Lenny Lashley delivers intelligent tunes that boot you in the ass and leave you asking for more while the band props up every song with a delightful recklessness that makes you want to scream “Oi! Oi! Oi!” If too much sugary pop-punk has begun to rot your dentures and petrify the brain, check out Darkbuster for some high-octane, ultra-energetic punk rawk tunes like Grandma used to jam to. Oi! (I Scream Records)
Everybody but his mother gave up on Petey a long, long time ago and the one-time wunderkind became just another dino-rock flash ‘n’ the-pan whose greatest hit sits on your grocer’s shelf collecting dust while awaiting rediscovery. Well, the Reverend sez that the time is now and the album is Fingerprints! Since nobody expected Frampton to come alive again anytime during our lifetime, Fingerprints hits like a minor revelation. Getting his instrumental groove on, Frampton kicks it with a dash of funky strutting on “Boot It Up,” waxes Latino on “Ida Y Vuelta,” and goes all Belew on us with “Grab A Chicken (Put It Back).”
He even breaks out his rusty old vocoder for a run at Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun” with pals Mike McCready and Matt Cameron from Pearl Jam. Petey invited some other friends, as well, with Warren Haynes kicking in on the roots-rock cut “Blooze” and childhood idols Hank Marvin and Brian Bennett from the Shadows joining Pete for the jazzy “My Cup of Tea.” This is the instrumental album that we always knew that Frampton had in him, and it smokes the house with rockin’ soul, dirty blues, and jazzbo flourish, sounding fresh and vital and ready to roll. Forget all about mopes like Vai and Satriani and plug into the original six-string prodigy, Peter Frampton. (New Door Records/Universal)
That used car you just bought lost half of its book value five minutes after you drove it off the shyster’s lot…and it broke down a week later. Motörhead, on the other hand, has been kicking your ass solidly for better than a quarter-century. The great thing about Lemmy and his hand-picked roster of instrumental madmen is that although no single album that Motorhead has ever released is GROUND-BREAKING or even varies much from a simple amps-stuck-on-eleven FORMULA, they’re always consistently ENTERTAINING. Motörhead’s latest disc, Kiss of Death, doesn’t fail the smell test, every song choking on musical mayhem, screaming guitars, and Lemmy’s acid-drenched, drunken-geezer vocals. Steroid-dusted cuts like “Sucker,” “Devil I Know” and “Christine” follow the band’s tried-and-true sonic blueprint, fitting comfortably into the Motörhead milieu.
Just because they consistently rock harder than pups half their ages, however, doesn’t mean that Lemmy can’t conjure up a SURPRISE every now and then to spice up the mix. On Kiss of Death it’s the social commentary of “God Was Never On Your Side,” an almost bluesy acoustic ballad that explodes into a wicked guitar solo, blistering lyrics attacking religious hypocrisy. The punky rave-up “Ramones” closes out Kiss of Death with a gabba, gabba hey! Lemmy has always remembered who his friends are, and, being the consummate showman that he is, he never forgets his audience, either. Nobody mixes heavy metal thunder and punk rock fury better than Motörhead, Kiss of Death just another reason why Lemmy K and his leather-clad thugs deserve a place in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, whether the hall is ready or not… (Sanctuary Records)
For almost twenty years now, King’s X has been one of rock music’s best-kept secrets. ‘Tis a damn shame, too, ‘cause the three guys behind the King’s X name – Doug Pinnick, Ty Tabor, and Jerry Gaskill – have consistently produced music more daring, progressive, and hard rocking than just about any other band that comes to mind. The band members seemingly pay no mind to fleeting commercial considerations, however, each one of them readily diving headfirst into various side projects and solo endeavors even while working together to keep the music of King’s X vital, original, and entertaining.
Tabor’s Rock Garden is the talented guitarist’s third solo album and his fourth major musical project in three years (behind King’s X’s excellent Ogre Tones album, solo efforts from bandmates Pinnick and Gaskill, and the cool Jelly Jam disc). One might think that behind all this studio work and the recent King’s X tours, Tabor might be suffering from artistic burnout. No way, Jose! Behind the inspired guest vocals of Pinnick and Wally Farkas of the Galactic Cowboys, Tabor has created a veritable tapestry of sound and energy. Drawing upon his love of Beatlesque melodies, psychedelic instrumentation, heavy metal muscle and the musical freedom that rock ‘n’ roll provides, Tabor has gone into his sonic kitchen and whipped up eleven perfect examples of his enormous talent.
Tabor’s innovative guitar style and mastery of the instrument allows him great latitude in the type of material he composes, from the cosmic space-rock of “Play” to the staggered metallic-soul of “Ride,” or the rootsy, riff-driven “Take It Back.” Any one of these cuts would sound better on the radio than the latest dreck from Godsmack or Buckcherry. King’s X might be rock’s best-kept secret, tho’ it’s not for lack of effort – there seems to be no end to the exciting and entertaining music being created by Ty Tabor and his erstwhile bandmates, Rock Garden included. The Rev sez “check it out!” (Inside Out Music)
