DANGER DANGER
"The
Return of the Great Gildersleeves" (Low Dice)
Reviewed by R. Scott Bolton
"The Great Gildersleeves," according to the liner notes, is a tribute of sorts to the club where bandmembers Steve West and Bruno Ravel discovered their love for the rock'n'roll they would eventually wind up playing. Says West in the liner notes: "Our favorite bands were KISS, Cheap Trick, Aerosmith and Alice Cooper before they were household names as well as some bands that would never achieve that status. I'm talking about Angel, Starz, The Babys, Piper, Derringer, Susan, Trigger. The list is endless."
I list that litany of rock band names because the influence on those bands on Danger Danger is so apparent throughout "The Great Gildersleeves." You'll hear a little bit of each of them throughout this CD, blended in with the unique sounds of Danger Danger as well. There's the darker sound of "Dead Dog," the anthemic "Grind" and "Walk It Like Ya Talk It," the cheap sex tunes ("When She's Good She's Good, When She's Bad, She's Better," "Cherry Cherry") and the party hearty songs ("Dead, Drunk & Wasted.") There's even the schmaltzy ballad - "She's Gone."
But Danger Danger, perhaps surprisingly, isn't just a blending of the bands they idolize. Sure, those influences are there, but the band's talent is equally obvious. The songs are well-written, the musicians sharp, the band tight.
If you like 80s rock'n'roll, you need look no further than this CD. It's about as pure a sound from that era as you're likely to get (despite the fact that this CD was released in 2000).
Danger Danger: Steve West; Paul Laine; Bruno Ravel. Also performing on "The Return of the Great Gildersleeves" are Andy Timmons, Tony Bruno, Lance Quinn.
For more information, check out http://www.dangerdanger.com.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
Copyright © 2002 by R. Scott Bolton. All
rights reserved.
Revised: 04 Mar 2024 13:27:28 -0500
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