The Dirtbombs Album Reviews

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Horndog Fest (1998)
Ultraglide in Black (2001)
Dangerous Magical Noise (2003)

Horndog Fest (1998)

7

Vixens in Space / I Can’t Stop Thinking About It / Granny’s Little Chicken / Bittersweet Romance Song / Armageddon Double Feature (Lovesick Blues #4) / She Blinded Me with Playtex / A Brief Treatise on the Discovery of Antimatter / Pheremone Smile / My Heart Burns with Deeps of Lurve / Burnt to Cinders / Fox Box / Shake!! Shivaree

Horndog Fest The Dirtbombs must be one of the coolest bands in existence. They’re not only led by Detroit’s very own Shaft (Mick Collins), already a legend in his lifetime, but they defy every imaginable rock ‘n’ roll convention, never losing their sardonic grins, sunglasses or peers’ respect in the process. They’d already released approximately 3 million 7”-singles (all of them probably owned by a few dozen garage rock collectors) when they were picked up by In the Red Records. From the swell artwork to the hilarious liner notes, song titles and overall attitude, it’s clear these guys are in it for one thing: fun. They’re not about to make thoughtful statements, display their most precious thoughts or trying to come off trendy (if anything, they preceded the whole goddamn thing). On the contrary: they wanna rock AND roll, tear through several decades of black AND white music history with a healthy disdain for separatism: The Stooges, Sly & the Family Stone, The Sonics, Barry White, Sam & Dave, … , in some way or other, all these influences end up in The Dirtbombs’ blender. However, this release is much scruffier than the stylised soul-tribute Ultraglide in Black or the latest album Dangerous Magical Noise. Twenty seconds into album opener “Vixens in Space,” and you’ll know why they’re on In the Red, because that’s exactly what all the meters do. Even though soul and garage rock are at the core of the album, you might as well call it lo-fi noise, fuzz-punk or semi-demented R&B: drummers Chandy and Ewolf lay down a rumbling foundation over which layers of fuzz and screeching guitars try to outdo each other.

No matter how much fun it is to threaten to dissolve into white noise, the band is at its best when dealing with less harmful matter: the strutting, sex-mad “I Can’t Stop Thinking About” for instance, has them employ that characteristic strut (it fits the album cover perfectly) while the ‘chicken scratch & fuzz’-fest of “Granny’s Little Chicken” tears R&B inside out, complete with heartfelt yelps and call and response-nonsense. Other tracks, like “Bittersweet Romance Song” and “Pheremone Smile” are enjoyable slabs of garage rock (the latter with ear-piercing organ) in the vein of their current stuff, but it’s obvious that the band didn’t exactly know in which direction to head at this point. Whereas “Burnt to Cinders” is a dead ringer for Damaged-era Black Flag (complete with reference to “TV Party,” I think), the lengthy (well, a four minute-song is epic on a 30-minute album) “My Heart Burns with Deeps of Lurve” sounds exactly like something only The Butthole Surfers would think of in the late ‘80’s … during a very bad acid trip, on a very bad day. So, the album’s certainly not without its flaws: repeated listens reveals songs like “Fox Box” to be quite slight and the live cuts “She Blinded Me with Playtex” and “Shake!! Shivaree” aren’t nearly as impressive as they probably were when they were recorded (“messy” is the key-word), but hey, it was never intended to be flawless, as songs sometimes come to an end when they collapse under their own chaotic impulses and screeching feedback. Horndog Fest is certainly an acquired taste, but if you dig blood-raw, lean and mean rock ‘n’ roll from one of Detroit’s finest, they might just be what you’re after.

Ultraglide in Black (2001)

9

Chains Of Love / If You Can Want / Underdog / Your Love belongs Under A Rock / I’ll Wait / Livin’ For the City / The Thing / Kung Fu / Ode To A Black Man / Got To Give It Up / Livin’ For The Weekend / I’m Qualified To Satisfy You / Do You See My Love (For You Growing)

Ultraglide In Black exudes Detroit. Detroit is all over it, in capital letters. The leader of this band is Mick Collins, formerly in semi-legendary garage-punk-blues outfit the Gories, a bass-less trio that churned out a few albums and – conform 60’s garage aesthetics – loads of singles of wild and primitive rock ‘n roll. After the break-up of that band, Collins played in several other bands (Blacktop, The Screws, etc), contributed to albums by ‘the Black Godfather’ Andre Williams, and finally, formed The Dirtbombs, initially a band with an ever-changing line-up of Detroit’s finest. The line-up on this album (13th line-up, second album), consists of Collins (vocals, guitar), Jim Diamond (‘regular bass,’ and also producer of the first two White Stripes-albums), Tom Potter (‘fuzz bass’), Pat Pantano (drums), and Ben Blackwell (drums). Yes, indeed, two bass players and two drummers. The result sounds as a crossover of primitive garage punk and stylish 60’s soul, as if Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels made an album with Otis Redding and members of the MC5.

The album contains 12 covers and 1 original. Most of the writers of the songs are pretty well-known (Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, Curtis Mayfield, etc), but there are also some more obscure songwriters involved (J.J. Barnes, Johnnie Bristol and a certain “L. Bright”). “Chains of Love” immediately sets the party tone: Collins has an impressively gritty soul voice (not unlike Otis Redding), and the track is a fine example of bouncy party-soul. It takes some time to get used to the ever-present fuzz (which sounds as if trying to imitate a dentist’s drill), but after a while you’ll accept it as a part of the deal, and it works. Other joyful-sounding tracks are Smokey Robinson’s “If You Can Want,” which has jangly guitar chops, a fuzz solo, handclaps and crowd noises you also hear on Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Goin’ On”; and Sly Stone’s “Underdog,” a rave-up with infectious “yeah yeah yeahs” and with Collins proving he can play a mean soulful guitar, which is one of the album’s highlights. Collins’ own song, “Your Love Belongs Under A Rock” sounds like a lost Nuggets-track, with upfront a typically cheap-sounding organ. Another Nuggets-track could be ‘The Thing,” a raunchy and wild track that’s over before you realize it. That Collins & Co. do not only play songs by American 60’s and 70’s soul icons, is proven with a song of Irish black man Phil Lynott; “Ode to a Black Man,” a hard-rocking and simple track that’ll have you in a good mood in a split second (and just listen to those three bass notes before the bands kicks out the jams).The album’s not all soul-punk, however, as the band frequently slows down to incorporate some more mellow stuff (George Clinton’s “I’ll Wait,” which has great 60’s Motown backing vocals, and Marvin Gaye’s “Got to Give It Up”), some more mid-tempo stuff (a soulful version of Stevie Wonder’s “Livin’ for the City” that stresses the grittiness of Collins’ voice and has an amazingly melodic fuzz-solo), and an extended slab of noodle-soul (Curtis Mayfield’s “Kung Fu,” with fine ‘chicken scratch’-guitar and percussion, but in a version that should’ve been a bit shorter). The album ends with two tracks full of sexual innuendo: a sensual cover of Barry White’s “I’m Qualified to Satisfy You” (that really makes me wanna check out the original version), and an hilarious version of Johnnie Bristol’s “Do You See My Love (For You Growing)”.The best thing to come out of Detroit the past years, The Dirtbombs’ infectious brand music is guaranteed to keep your lower and upper parts moving. Some may wonder whether this album (or the entire band) isn’t style over substance, but after just one listen you’ll realize that’s not the case. Moreover: some people in this band reinstated that kind of music in the first place (and undoubtedly influenced lots of Detroit and non-Detroit garage bands, like the White Stripes, The Von Bondies, Swearing At Motorists, etc), so how could they be followers? With Ultraglide In Black, The Dirtbombs have just proven they’re the Motor City’s prime party band.

Note: I saw them play live in Belgium, somewhere in the summer of 2002, and I don’t think I ever saw that high a percentage of people shaking their asses off during a concert. Amazing.

Dangerous Magical Noise (2003)

7.5

Start the Party / Get It While You Can / Don’t Break My Heart / Sun Is Shining / Earthquake Heart / Thunder in the Sky / Motor City Baby / Stuck in Thee Garage / I’m Through with White Girls / 21st Century Fox / Stop / Stupid / F.I.D.O. / King’s Lead Hat / Executioner of Love

Dangerous Magical Noise … and the party continues. While Ultraglide in Black managed to combine soul and garage-punk in such a refreshing way, the latest release of the five-some tones down the soul-aspect of their previous album a bit, in favor of uncomplicated retro-rock that targets the gut more than the brain. Hence the start-off track, “Start the Party” that announces the band as a sort of MC5 for the new generation (including falsetto vocals). The same primal energy infests tracks such as “Don’t Break My Heart” and “Stuck in Thee Garage,” short, fuzzy rave-ups that take no prisoners, with the force and elegance of an elephant in a porcelain-store. Elsewhere, the band isn’t afraid to turn out more accessible, stadium-sized rock, like the spread-legged “21st Century Fox” that can easily compete with The Hellacopters’ take on straightforward ‘70’s workingman’s rawk (loud, simple, sweaty – the works). The Diamond-sung “I’m Through with White Girls” comes off as a hilarious example of T-Rex meets The Stooges, with especially Diamond’s voice sounding reminiscent of Iggy Pop’s bored snarl. I guess most people would file the album under the hip, sizeable “garage-rock”-section, but The Dirtbombs are too good to be considered average.

Instead of aping their heroes and influences, they augment within the format by adding insane layers of fuzz, letting two drummers beat out the jams, and then there’s also the secret weapon: Mick Collins. Like an Otis Redding with a degree in punk, Collins howls his way through this batch of songs. While the speedier rave-ups get their strength mainly from their, uh, velocity and swing, slower songs, like “The Sun Is Shining” and “Stop” give him the opportunity to let his impressive voice shine. Also during live gigs, it’s not Collins fairly clean playing, but his raspy, mega-sized voice that catches your attention. Anyway, other highlights on the album are the ultra-melodic Nuggets-on-steroids of “Get It While You Can” (my favourite here) and the danceable “Earthquake Heart” that comes complete with smooth backing vocals and soulful guitar playing. There’s also “Motor City Baby” that, like “I’m Through with White Girls” betrays the band’s fascination with mid-‘70’s glam-rock (primal drumming, catchy-as-hell riffs, lethally catchy hooks). To keep it short: The Dirtbombs still dabble in the same retro-stuff, and even though “Thunder in the Sky” is a bit boring (despite the guitar freak-outs) and a few other songs are perhaps a bit slight (style over substance?), they’re the first band you should turn to when you’re in for some good old-fashioned fun. The Dirtbombs play rock ‘n’ roll like it’s meant to be, with the foot on the gas pedal, wearing cool sunglasses and a mojo the size of Rod Stewart’s ego.

Note: My edition came with two excellent – and unlikely – bonus tracks: Brian Eno’s “King’s Lead Hat” (a.k.a. “Talking Heads”), one of the highlights on his 1977 album Before and After Science, which appears here in a version slightly less adorned than the original (with its jerky flourishes); while the other one’s an excellent cover of Robyn Hitchcock’s “Executioner of Love.”