Dirtbombs: Ultraglide In Black--Introibo Ad Altare Rock n Roll

Don't even try to beat this man at his own game. Mick Collins is a rock star, albeit without all the fame, money and attention. But some guys are just like that. Most of the so-called stars are hiding behind an entourage of industry and media fixers. Ultraglide in Black is a ridiculously great rock album.

The Hancock of Garage Rock

I've heard a lot of hype about the new Garage music, but those bands can't touch this with a Neutron bomb. I mean, I don't get why people love the White Stripes so much. Not bowled over by the music by the Strokes--I think that if there is a lot of press, often times someone is paying for it. Everyone is familiar with the old adage "you are what you eat", well maybe a lot of people are like the musical fast food that gets jammed into their ear holes every day. The Dirtbombs are the over the counter prescription for your Sonic Cholesterol Problem.

Ultraglide in Black is a nearly perfect blend of soul music and garage, and what better point of origin than Detroit, the home of Motown, MC5 & The Stooges. The band boasts two bassists and two drummers, a rare combination that works really well here. Except for Your Love Belongs Under A Rock, it is a covers album of mostly well-known songs. And that hard hitting organ driven original tune fits right in with the old classics. UG in B explodes out of the gate with a euphoric and smoking Chains of Love by JJ Barnes. They also perform I'll Wait by Parliament. Mick belts out this slow burning ballad with the true gravitas of a top notch front man. The hard rockin' O'Jays cover Livin' For The Weekend might be the ultimate cover here. If scientists are seeking to isolate the DNA chain for rock n roll, they ought to look here first. The Dirtbombs version of The Thing, a crazy novelty song by Larry Bright, is not too far behind.

America The Beautiful

The energy level throughout this disc is way up in the red. Curtis Mayfield is represented here with the funky funky Kung Fu. The righteous Underdog by Sly and The Family Stone is another killer interpretation. They even do a cover of Phil Lynott's Ode To A Black Man from his Solo in Soho album, and Mick shines once again! And they cover Marvin Gaye (Got To Give It Up), Stevie Wonder (Livin' In The City), and even Smokey Robinson (If You Can Want)! The legendary love machine Barry White get his due here also, with an uptempo version of I'm Qualified To Satisfy You. Would you like to hear Junior Walker's Can You See (My Love Growing) with the cow bell rhythms of Honky Tonk Woman? Well, that's the closing track to this instant party starter.

The devil's advocates and detractors out there will say "Yeah, it's probably pretty good, but there's only one original here". Don't Care. This album is special, maximum entertainment for your dollar, euro, kroon, etc. Secondly, you'll probably want to investigate the originators of these great tunes, if you haven't already. Or get Dangerous Magical Noise--that's a close second to this baby, or the singles comp If You Don't Already Have A Look. Or check out The Gories one of Mick's prior bands. Either way, if you have to pick a cult to join, I think this is the way to go and I'm merely trying to be a helpful enabler here.