AMERICAN DOG – All Over The Road Volume One

American Dog. They come from Columbus, Ohio, USA and are all about booze and “stripped down” Hard Rock. Lyrically, American Dog doesn’t take itself as seriously as most bands. They stick to some very limited subject matter. Michael Hannon, the band’s bassist and lead singer, sports a bottle opener on his guitar for good reason. These guys sing about alcohol and the fun that frequently comes along with it. They also address the negative effects that beer induces, but with a sense of humor.

Some of their songs are about having sex while under the influence. To that end, one of their albums is entitled: Songs for Drinkin’ and Fuckin’. There seems to be no end to A.D.’s love for music that is alcohol-fueled. A few song titles that are featured on this release should help those that still don’t get it. Amongst others, there are: “Drinkin’ About You,” “I’ll Drink to That,” “Drank Too Much,” “Too Damn Sober,” and “Just an Alcoholic.” Clearly, this is a band that caters to a specific niche.

The DVD is hosted by Sir Loin O’ Beef, which is played by Michael Hannon. Again, these guys don’t take themselves too seriously. Despite the silliness, American Dog are all about having a good time with their music. As things progress, Steve Theado and Keith Pickens are introduced, the band’s respective guitarist and drummer. There’s a reason why this release is as good of an introduction to the band as any. Not only is there a lot of emphasis on the band’s music, there’s also a lot on tap where their background and members are concerned.

For example, Michael Hannon makes light of his exploits in Dangerous Toys, Steve Theado talks about his battered and beaten Melody Maker, and Keith Pickens relays an amusing story about the way he came to be part of the band. As for other content, there are music videos, live performances, and the occasional video from in-studio recordings. Guest appearances are made by Eric Moore of The Godz and Jason McMaster of Dangerous Toys.

The band really shines when they’re on stage, not because they’re charismatic, but because they’re loud and guitar driven. Every member of the band seems to want to play at a deafening level, and while each can certainly play well, Steve Theado shines when left to his own devices. Some of the performances suffer from shoddy camera work and poor sound quality. In particular, the live stuff from L’Empreinte in France comes off sounding lousy and the show from The Beer Cave in Gallion, Ohio is shot pretty terribly. While out of character, Michael Hannon acknowledges these shortcomings, but that doesn’t make them justifiable. Fortunately, not all of the tracks on this one are affected by bad production and there’s plenty of humor to get most viewers through the sometimes crappy quality.

With a running time of a little over 120 minutes, there’s a lot to see and hear on this release. Anyone that’s ever been curious about the band should start with this.  Be warned, if you’re looking for a dark and somber experience, American Dog is nothing of the sort. They’re all about tipping back as many bottles as you can while listening to a boisterous bunch on stage and having a good time. If that’s your thing, All Over The Road is sure to please.