Relive the glory days of the sleazy, leather-clad era of glam rock
Let it be known that Allan Jones broke out the spandex and headbands on the 10 March 2017…
Sometimes, an album comes out that’s a throwback to an earlier age. In this case, it’s 1987, Sunset Strip, where the guitars wail and the vocal soar and the trousers are made of spandex.
Rockin’ out like it was three decades ago, the band have defiantly set out their stall to relive the glory days of the sleazy, leather-clad era of glam rock. And, for the most part, they succeed in their goal, too. At times sounding like an amalgam of the best bands of the era, they manage to bring that old party atmosphere along for the ride. They’ve definitely bought a ticket to rock, and we’re all invited along on the ride.
Sure, they’re not doing anything even close to new and different. There’s no attempt to spin it off into something modern – even the guitar sound goes right back to the 80s cock-rock signature sound with the slightly thin Strat tone screeching over the top. They’re basically reveling in the good old days, and the guitar riffs are filthy and dirty and fun, with vocalist Pfister belting it out with aplomb. But who cares when it’s this much fun?
Everything comes out slightly dirty and fun, with the bluesy ‘Lust & Love’ alternating between bluesy harmonica and breathy vocals to full-on hard-rock screeches and guitar solos being a perfect case in point. When they follow that up with the utterly glorious ‘Leaving For Tomorrow’ you realise that these guys know exactly what they’re doing every step of the way.
Is it going to please everyone? Of course not. It’s a love-letter to a bygone time, and in some ways only those old enough to remember it will really appreciate it for what it is. But does that matter? Hell, no. This kind of music was never about being liked or even popular. It was about having fun, and the album’s a blast. Yeah, production could be a bit tighter in places, and the lyrics sometimes go from being catchy into just being repetitive. But all of that can be overlooked in favour of the sheer exuberance and playfulness of the album.
7 out of 10
Track list:
- Ticket to Rock
- Girl Next Door
- House of Nothing
- Lust & Love
- Leaving for Tomorrow
- Wrong Side
- Good Vibes
- What Was
- Wild Child
- Hard Rockin’ Man
