Oh sure, there's no way this is
gonna be an objective review 'cos hey, there's a new Dead Moon album out and I'm
absolutely thrilled. So are you, or you wouldn't be reading all this. Let's go through a
song-by-song review to get you an idea of the album; for those who already have it, you
can see of you agree with my rantings. Here goes:
RICOCHET. We know that one from an earlier 7". Good to see this song re-surfacing! Andrew starts the song off with a no-frills steady beat, guitar anb bass come in, and Fred comes with a cool melody line. Guitar strings damped in the downstroke riffs makes a great drive - a couple of lead guitar notes dropped in inbetween the vocals is trademark Fred Cole songwriting. The chorus, with Fred and Toody in unison, makes this a great album opener.
THE WAY IT IS. Fred and Toody both do lead vocals simultaneously over a guitar riff with a subtle Diddley-feel; it's a mid-tempo two-minutes gem.
ONE WAY TICKET. "Lovesick! Can't kick it! Came in - on a one-way ticket!" A two-chord riff that's spiced up with syncopic drums, very basic songwriting here but very affective. Reminds me of early recordings, the Rats but a hell of a lot tighter despite the off-the-wall ending.
THESE TIMES WITH YOU. Lead vocal by Toody. Damn, this is the kind of gentle tune that in a universe with just a bit more justice would be recognised worldwide as a #1 brilliant lovesong, better than the entire backcatalog of all these so-called r&b 'lovesong'-producing artists. The anthem-like chorus ("I wanna live these times with you") is instant classic with Andrew giving it plenty of raw power. The lead guitar halfway has a blue note that breaks your heart. I warned you!
SHADOWS OF THE NIGHT. Not a tribute to the good old Shadows Of Knight, no - it's about the apocalyptic 'modern age'. How can Fred keep coming up with these "I-wish-I-had-thought-of-it-and-so-will-AC/DC" guitar riffs? Double-stringbend solos and all, this will no doubt be a live favourite in no time.
40 MILES OF BAD ROAD. In atmosphere this is vaguely similar to songs like 'Going South', i.e. up-tempo 3-chord songs with a touch of despair; "Down a shaft of ratholes, lowered by my ankles, where dead dogs lie in the afterglow". And how can Andrew come up with new drum patterns that, everytime, differ from the standard 4/4 beat without being flashy? I mean he doesn't turn it into 5/4 jazzrock (hey!) but he answers the straightforward guitar riff with a new drumpattern for every song. (An extra achievement if you see the limitations of Andrews drum setup.)
OUT OF REACH. Not unlike "To Nowhere Down" in atmosphere although comparisons are always risky. Do we hear some good old tape hiss in the intro? Sure! We're well into the 21st century but Dead Moon records are still recorded with heart and soul - and pink/white noise evry now and then. The intro and the outro give guitar tab writers a run for their money.
NEVER AGAIN. "I got demons to face, I just can't run away" - and that's how Freds lead vocals sound too; a pretty straightforward song, the verse reminds me of 'Running Out Of Time' but the chorus is completely different (and 'reminds me' does not mean 'sounds like'!). The song clocks in at 3'51" proudly.
JANUS. Ah! Yes! Now I've got it! I've been going over and over the first couple of notes of the melody and now I know: take the first couple of notes from "Paint It Black", twist it around, give it the Fred-&-Toody-sharing-lead-vocals treatment... and turn it into a totally different song immediately, 'cos no way it's a Stones rip-off, mind you. Still it does remind me of something Fred once said; the way he and Toody sing in harmony that's slightly off isn't unlike Mick and Keith used to do it: slightly out of tune and with a little 'careless' difference in timing, making it a scorching sort of beauty. The lyrics take up the 'Dagger Moon' sci-fi inspiration.
SABOTAGE. The 'title track' is an up-tempo loud one (in the 'Poor Born' vein - you know, Fred screaming out his anger), with Toody joining in with the chorus.
SHOT AWAY. It seems every Dead Moon album has at least one special track on it that's not loud, not angry, or maybe angry: yes, but not screaming out the anger and yet very moving - can't think of any other word. This is the 'quiet' song on "Trash & Burn" (an album that's dedicated 'to all of those who shot away and all of you who've stayed'); what I read in it is a requiem for the ones that fell away. Besides, I love the subtle "Rumble" guitar riff quote in the chorus!!
Last but not least, the album sounds very good. No, no, it's definitely a Fred Cole production, don't worry! But you can hear everything very clearly, with Toody and her beautiful basslines coming through loud and clear, the drums direct and powerful, the overall sound being just fucking excellent. Hats off!