Jimmy The Dog
Rattlesnake Love
Studiodawgs
Is it Classic? Indie? Blues Or Glam? Who Knows; But it Certainly Rocks.
Where does the time go? It only seems like 5 minutes since I thoroughly enjoyed Jimmy The Dog aka Jim Ferrie’s last release RUNNIN’ WITH THE PACK yet it was 2016 he tells me!
Whatever, it’s 2020 now and the time is right for some Classic Indie Rock and Roll with a Glam heartbeat …… isn’t it?
Or is that just me?
The title track with it’s wonderful ‘metaphor’ for a tempestuous relationship starts the album and immediatly had me turning the dial to nine (I can’t cope with 11 anymore).
Ferrie’s grizzled vocals, blistering guitar playing (somewhere between Hank B Marvin and Jeff Beck!) coupled to bass and drums that wouldn’t have been out of place on TOTP anytime in the mid 70’s sets the tone for a bunch of songs that will set your heart racing and your feet shuffling.
The 2020 ‘Lockdown’ meant that work dried up in Ferrie’s recording studio …… so with time on his hands and songs in his heart …. this album is the outcome.
They say the ‘Devil makes work for idle hands’ and that may be the case here; but ……… ‘The Devil also has all the great tunes’ too!
Hard For You and Needle in a Haystack are slinky and sleazy in equal measure and destined many a Late Night playlist on those streaming sites I detest; but when Ferrie unleashes his inner sinner, the Twangtastic Lovin’ The Old School Way and Little Miss must surely be heading for the Classic Rock radio stations too, won’t they?
Although they actually sound a bit left of centre tucked away among the Rockers, Ferrie slides in a couple of lowdown Bluesy tunes too …….. and it won’t break my heart to hear a full album of songs like Bourbon & Rye or Sunrise or album closer, the rather racy and naughty Johnson, either!
But, it’s really the Rockers that you will remember for years to come.
MAN! The squealing and squally guitar in Race to Win very nearly overshadows Ferrie’s nicotine stained powerful vocals, but loses out by the second verse; and at this stage I can’t not mention the organ playing; which is somewhat akin to Keith Emerson in his Nice days! (There’s a reference for the oldies out there!)
The other doozy; The Devil Takes Care of His Own is by far and away my Favourite Track here; echoes of Thin Lizzy and my favourite Glam Rock band Hello are in there, but this is pure and simple Jimmy The Dog at their (his?) very, very best.
It’s odd to think, for someone of my vintage; how much music has and hasn’t changed in the last half century.
I hear so many influences here, it’s frightening; but add them all together and they add up to what is now known as Classic Rock I suppose; but with an Indie slant as well as a Blues heart
I think Jimmy The Dog’s RATTLESNAKE LOVE could be the sound of my Summer.
Released July 1st 2020
https://www.jimmythedog.com/music
The Rocking Magpie 