Date: 05 Nov 1992 11:41:15 -0500 (EST)
From: MATT SUROWIEC - CROWEHEAD 
Subject: IZZY STRADLIN REVIEW PART 1
To: alexa@county.lmt.mn.org
Organization: University at Buffalo

well, here's the review y'all requested, if anyone knows how to post
this in vnews, would they please do so?

|------------------------------------|
| IZZY STRADLIN AND THE JU JU HOUNDS |     a review by CROWEHEAD
|------------------------------------|

first of all, i bought the CD the day it came out.  i had already made a
tape of all of Izzy's stuff from both Illusions albums, and from Lies and
Appetite.  i like Izzy for a number of reasons, he doesn't mince words in
his songs, his voice is a lot easier to listen to than Axl's, and he worships
Keith Richards.

last i heard (Rolling Stone), Izzy is planning a tour with his new band,
the JU JU HOUNDS.  the article also explained why Izzy didn't show up for
the video shoot for "Don't Cry" and how he was pissed off at Axl for not
showing up on time for shows, and for not having a definite schedule for
the recording of "Use Your Illusion I + II"

the cover of the CD is all in gold tones, of water, and natives dressed
in harvest costumes, wearing stilts and walking above the water.

by the way, this is my second attempt at sending this, the
first one was 300 lines long and got eaten


so track by track, here we go------>

SOMEBODY KNOCKIN'   A
----------------

the lyrics are about Izzy's quest for privacy, which was glamorized in
the one Rolling Stone article about him having his own bus, traveling
without being recognized:

"Somebody, somebody's knockin on my door
 Somebody, somebody that wasn't here before
 What's that, the police or C.I.A. ?
 Could be some magazine, could be some lost friend,
 i could not say...
 there was a time, i would not mind"

it's a Stonesy slow rock tune, but Izzy is able to create his own
"clean guitar" rock sound, like the Crowes did, and like the Stones did.
critics who judge a book by it's cover can't see that, and they'd be
quick to dismiss the sound as a "retro-Stones-Faces" sounds, but
conossiuers (sp?) can tell the difference.

this one flows very smoothly, and Izzy's voice is smoother than on
"Double Talkin' Jive" or "Dust N' Bones"

a great opening song


PRESSURE DROP A+
-------------

this is one of two songs that Izzy didn't write.

it's a borderline speed metal song, but it doesn't sound metal at all,
more like speed rock, reminiscent of the speed of the original version
of "You're Crazy" off of "Appetite for Destruction".

it has the "Knockin'" chord sequence (G D C) albeit VERY FAST:

"Pressure drop, oh pressure, oh yeah pressure got the drop on you..."

"When it drops, oh, you got to feel it, oh what you been doing wrong..."

the rest of the lyrics are pretty much indistinguishable

and for a twist, it ends with a reggae beat

TIME GONE BY  B+/A-
------------


the return of the "Brownstone-Bo Diddley" beat
his one's all acoustic, reminiscent of "You Ain't the First"
B

it's a self-analyzation song, Izzy thinking back to his days with GNR

 Trying to think back
 (?)
 Not much come back
 one thing I
 do remember
 remember words were said

 time fills the pages
 turn the page
 time will not stop
 it will have it's way on you

 received a letter
 from over sea
 said if you come back
 would you like to see me
 then i recognized
 that time has changed my face

 time fills the pages
 turn the page
 time will not stop
 it will have it's way on you

[ excellent slide solo here ]

 time fills the pages
 turn the page
 time will not stop
 it will have it's way on you

 saw my brother
 last week today
 said what's going?
 he said the same old thing
 do you remember?
 when time was all we had?

 now i count the hours
 didn't count the days
 didn't stop to wonder
 what time would bring


SHUFFLE IT ALL   A+
--------------

this song has been getting a lot on airplay in Toronto, mostly on Q-107,
and 97.7 HITS-FM.

if you cross breed "Beast of Burden", "Tumbling Dice", "Bad Luck Blue Eyes
Goodbye", and "Bad" by U2, and throw a Wurlitzer organ in with them, you'll
get this song.

the bass, guitar, and organ blend incredibly on this song, each instrument
has it's own riff, and they create an awesome sound.

if you get the chance, listen to this song while watching the sunrise,
it has that kind of feeling to it.

it's a slow rocker, slower than "Somebody's Knockin'"

the lyrics kinda tell a story, possibly autobiographical

"Boredom saturation
 is a never ending clue
 isn't just a field of time when
 there's nothing else to do

 boredom out of New York
 (he had an open sing ?)
 and driving just thru Texas 2 days
 she ended up in L.A.

 Shuffle it All
 Pack up your life again...


the next verse deals with the hardships

the bridge is excellent, and i'll let you hear that for yourself

finally:

 feel the motors winding on
 it ain't no news
 If you see those old friends out there
 tell them that I send my love

 wake up time to leave again
 try to find my shoes
 put the luggage in the van
 (?)

 Shuffle it all

over all an excellent song, this one's been on MTV

one comment though:  i keep waiting for Mick Jagger to start singing along
on the "Who-hoo-hoo" s

BUCKET O'TROUBLE  B+/A-
----------------

another speed rock song, with a very punkish edge

"I say what
 do you want
 I said lies

 I think you better go
 with a ride to London (?)
 the time come to blow
 tell you one more sundown (?)

 you wanna know the score?
 it's just a bucket o' trouble
 you haven't got a clue
 face set to rumble (?)


excellent get pumped song, or one to just blitz your mind


PART 2 (the last five songs) will follow soon, mid-terms are over
        so i have more time now

later!

"There's no logic here today
do as you got to, go your own way
i said that's right
time's short, your life's your own
and in the end we're all just
Dust n' Bones, Dust n' Bones"

....and a whole lotta soul man, a whole lotta soul


CROWEHEAD

"i've got a head full or sermons and a mouth full of spiders"



Alex Alexander           alexa@county.lmt.mn.org
LaserMaster R&D          CIS - 71005,506
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