50%
The Quireboys—This is Rock ‘n’ Roll (2001)
Details
Produced by The Quireboys and C J Eiriksson for Quireboys Productions. Engineered and mixed by C J Eiriksson. Recorded at EMG Studio, North Hollywood, California. Mixed at EMG Studio and 4th Street Recordings, Santa Monica, California. Mastered by Stephen Marcusson at Marcusson Mastering, Los Angeles, California.
Band
- Spike (aka Jonathan Gray)—Vocals
- Guy Griffin—Guitar
- Luke Bonssendorfer—Guitar
- Nigel Moog—Bass
- Martin Henderson—Drums and percussion
Tracks
- This is rock ‘n’ roll
- Show me what you got
- Searching
- Six degrees
- C’mon
- Seven days
- Taken for a ride
- Coldharbour lane
- Turn away
- To be
- Enough for one lifetime
- It’s alright
- Never let me go
Review
The Quireboys were never a band that I listened to when I was younger. Their debut album A Bit of What You Fancy (1990) was released during my first year at university when I was heavily into thrash and getting into many of the early bands that laid the grounds for a lot of the music I listen to now: Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Jethro Tull, etc.
Judging by this, The Quireboys’ fourth studio album, they sound to me very much to be the UK’s equivalent of America’s The Black Crowes but sung by Rod Stewart. And to be honest, that kind of rocky, gravelly voice, while it sells well, isn’t really something that I personally enjoy.
The songs are well written, the musicianship seems solid… I’m just not a fan. I wasn’t then, and I’m not now having given them a good go. I find Rod Stewart’s voice particularly annoying and I’m sorry to say that I can’t hear much beyond Spike’s voice on this release.
Conclusion
I know there are people who love this style of music, who love Spike’s voice. I love The Black Crowes, so the blues rock style is definitely on my radar. But this just isn’t for me, sorry. I did try. Again.
Review score: 50%