IZZY STRADLIN – River

The return of Izzy Stradlin, and what a homecoming this album is! Stacked full of rock’n roll-tunes, plenty of sleazy guitar-work, and bad-boy-attitude, this record stomps all over the competition. Proving that he can still write quality songs, something that his former Guns’-partner, Slash, never could be accused of. Even Axl Rose have been struggling since Izzy split, and we are still waiting for the new Guns N’ Roses album, while Izzy releases his third solo album. Seems like he has no problem coming up with new songs, and in Izzy, we have an artist that delivers every time he deals out a new album. This IS classic rock, and the album starts in splendid fashion with a trio of hard, good-time rockers: “Jump in now”, “Head on out” and the title song “River”. “Far below me now” is a laid-back, bluesy, acoustic-slide song that drops the temperature a little bit, and you can almost picture Izzy and band, with dangling cigarettes and knowing smiles, cutting another great album. Who’s missing Guns N’ Roses?

“What I told you” is another great song, and the momentum steps up another notch, with “Get away”, complete with classic “Keef- backing vocals” and Izzy sounding like Ron Wood on one of his better days. Tasty keyboard work as well. “Underground” is a harder, more fierce sounding Izzy, and is another lesson in how important the pacing of an album is, and the song is a bridge to the strange sounding “Shall walk”, the weakest cut on the album, but still not a bad tune. With its repetitious bass line, it’s mood is quite bleak. The repetitive backing continues in the Reggae-song “Run in”, and it displays Izzy’s fondness for Reggae, and creating moods and atmosphere with simple ideas. And that leaves final cut,”Feelin’alright”, another acoustic-slide guitar song, to close the album. Sounding optimistic and positive, Izzy makes me feel alright too! Thanks Iz, another, great album!

P.s The release date is 21.05.01. Start queuing up!

Highlights: “Jump in now”, “Head on out”, “River”, “Get away”, “Feelin’alright”!