Chain of Rocks
www.roadhousedogs.com
To : Mick Martin – KXJZ Radio, Sacramento
Hi Mick,
Here is that album I mentioned to you, by the Roadhouse Dogs. This copy is signed to you and if you wish do put a cut or two on your Blues Party radio/internet Saturday afternoon show ( as you know, we can hear that here from 9 pm on Saturdays).
Just to recap, my pal Dave Ruffy of The Ruts told me about a band called The Gas who were opening for them at an early Eighties gig. This trio led by Donnie Burke were explosively creative, the drummer never stopped playing throughout their set and we were blown away. They also made one of my favourite 80s albums ‘Emotional Warfare’, their only English competition being The Screaming Blue Messiahs, for edge.
When Googling the name Donnie Burke to find out what he might be up to, we found he was leading a hardrockin’ London fourpiece playing original rock/blues compositions heavily influenced by his travels in the States, mayhem, alcohol, treacherous women and voodoo. So I thought of you, ha !
I was at the launch of this new studio album last week and the songs already sound like old favourites. I know you dig the old English gems like ‘Street Fighting Man’ and ‘Midnight To Six Man’ so listen to the songs on this set, it ain’t just The New York Dolls who have made an album that plays like a vintage Stones set !
Jason Emberton caught the depth and ferocity, I think. The actual lineup is Donnie on rasping, booming vocals and guitars, Terry Hamid on guitar and vocals (his style being spiky and often like an old Clint Eastwood Western film soundtrack sampled) plus Simon Minney on bass and another great voice. Drumming like he’s auditioning for Bob Seger is Terry O’Sullivan.
Spooky opener ‘Tom’s Blues’ has an eerie desert-at-night ambience then it’s into the acoustic/electric trucker’s tale ‘No Justice’ feel that power held back to be unleashed ! Burke spits out the story with focussed venom and tears into a harp run halfway through. You’ll hear a kinship with the electric onslaught of The Inmates, Mick. ‘Rumblestrip Boogie’ is a monster boogie, mix this one in with Z Z Top and The Red Devils ? Next up ‘I Came For Water’ as a song could have come from the Pretty Things’ ‘Get The Picture’ album !
As for ‘Drivin’ With The Park Brake On’, this surely IS the contemporary blues lyric ? At a ‘Hitch Hike’ tempo ; Burke truly does have that blue-collar writing leaning that connects. Title track ‘Chain of Rocks’ is a song you cannot resist singing along to when they play it live..need I say that they can do this stuff live, no problem ? Of course they can..as for ‘48 States’, dig that post-Stones swagger and two-guitar raggedy mesh over the bass pump. If you play this album in a broadcast, I’ll pass any audience reaction you get back to Donnie here in the capital.
When you played with our own band in London, you mentioned to the audience between songs that bands like England’s The Animals originally turning you on to roots American music..maybe it’s about to happen again ?!
Pete Sargeant www.fairhearing.co.uk