Released By : Spitfire Music
Release Date : 13th August 2013
Link : http://www.thedeaddaisies.com/home/
Line Up:
Jon Stevens (Noiseworks/INXS)
Charley Drayton (The X-pensive Winos/The Cult)
Richard Fortus (Guns N’ Roses/Thin Lizzy)
Darryl Jones (The Rolling Stones)
David Lowy (Red Phoenix/Mink)
Dizzy Reed (Guns N’ Roses)
Tracklist:
01. It’s Gonna Take Time
02. Lock ‘N’ Load
03. Washington
04. Yeah Yeah Yeah
05. Yesterday
06. Writing On The Wall
07. Miles In Front Of Me
08. Bible Row
09. Man Overboard
10. Tomorrow
11. Can’t Fight This Feeling
12. Talk To Me
The review you are now reading is actually the fourth version that was written of it after three full-edits. The reason for this is simple…With each edit I attempted to make the review sound less and less biased until finally succumbing to the fact that a review written without personal bias is actually absolutely pointless and terribly, terribly difficult. So here is the complete and unabridged version of my review of an album that hit me in all the right places for more reasons than one.
THE DEAD DAISIES were quick to become a well-known name, and while some have been touting the term ‘super-group’, to me it just seems like a bunch of very experienced musicians pooling their talent and coming out the other end with a very natural collective sound that just simply works. Led by powerhouse vocalist, Aus/NZ sensation, Jon Stevens (NOISEWORKS, INXS) and well-respected guitarist David Lowy (THE ANGELS, RED PHOENIX), the pair are joined by members of world travelling bands such as WHITESNAKE, GUNS N ROSES, ROLLING STONES, COLD CHISEL and more. The most exciting thing about the future potential of THE DEAD DAISES is that even with the who’s-who of people that each member has worked with there doesn’t seem like a single ego trying to stand out above the others and there is definitely a brotherhood feel going on here.
The album itself take elements of seventies-style blues-rock, a slight hint of eighties style hard rock, some funk, some soul, and mixes it together with a bit of a contemporary groove and has a timeless feel to it that could potentially be enjoyed by fans of any era of straight-up rock music. At times you can almost hear BAD CO. trying to come through from the back-ground and then there are a few definite Keith Richards-esque guitar passages too. Another comparison I would like to make, but one that may not mean a lot to some of you is with an unfortunately long-forgotten Aussie band called THE TRUTH, who had a similar vibe to a large portion of this album.
The vocals of Jon Stevens are absolutely stellar across the board here whether it’s the rockier moments or the few occasions where the pace slows down a bit, every word he sings is dripping with soul and is basically a master-class on how to be a rock ‘n’ roll singer. LOCK ‘N LOAD is a track that gained momentum in part due to the fact that the iconic guitarist SLASH makes a guest appearance, and his signature sound is easy to spot and as enjoyable as ever. It may have been SLASH’S contribution that introduced a lot of people to THE DEAD DAISIES, but their ever-growing fan base is proof that the band have staying power. While in it’s truest essence, this album is straightforward rock there are plenty of little nuances that rear up throughout. IT’S GONNA TAKE TIME has a LENNY KRAVITZ vibe to it, WASHINGTON brigs back memories of Stephen Stills’ LOVE THE ONE YOU’RE WITH. YEAH, YEAH, YEAH has a guitar groove straight out of the KEITH RICHARDS play book, YESTERDAY has a slight soul groove reminiscent of the last JON STEVENS solo album, the verse sections of MILES IN FRONT OF ME could easily be mistaken for KINGS OF LEON. The intro to BIBLE ROW has an ANGELS (ANGEL CITY) vibe to it. TOMORROW sounds a little like DIESEL (MARK LIZOTTE). Even with all of these clear influences though, the album as a whole definitely works together with plenty of colour and variety, but enough similarity to ensure a great flow.
I can understand that some will get less out of this album than I did, but I cannot possibly give THE DEAD DAISIES anything less than a perfect score. Classic rock music with hints of blues, soul and funk that touches on all eras, soulful and meaningful lyrics, a guest spot from one of the most influential guitarists of our age and lead vocals from one of my absolute musical idols and strong ties to my homeland…to be honest, this is everything I could possibly want in a record in this modern age, and I feel that the rock music landscape as a whole will benefit by having these guys around. Anyone who calls themselves a fan of rock music should be able to get at least something from this album, I know I did.
Written by Zeezee
Ratings Zeezee 10/10
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