Silver Ginger Five, Black Leather Mojo

Silver Ginger Five, Black Leather Mojo (2000-Mercury Japan)

Made by the Wildhearts front man Ginger in 1999 and on a Japan label the album was intended to be his first solo album. He had worked with others just before this project like Alex Kane on the Stop Thinking album and the Supershit 666 superband. But this was all cards on the table, only he could make it work or not.

Well it is a funny one as I think he did do something with the album and that was to headline a large venue in London without even having the album out in the UK. It was a Japan only album for quite a while so any fans who wanted it had to pay quite a bit for a Japan import.

The album opens with what I would say is a solid first track “Sonic Shake” has all the ingredients you need for an air guitar fuelled three minutes. Big loud riffs that sound bigger as it gets louder, the drums are tight and the quality is here. The production is spot on and is need to hear all that is going on.

Second track “Divine Imperfection” Continues the riffs, simple and fun. The song has such a great sing a long feel to it, helped with the harmonies and great lyrics. “Anyway but Maybe” comes crashing out of the speakers like a roller coaster that is coming off its rails. Big drum fills and bass that can easily take the roof off. Remember that production? Here it is, after that nice big build up you get Gingers vocals. Great lyrics and all the things needs for me it is a stand out track. 

A little bit of a change in pace “Girls are better than Boys” and “Brain Sugar” help provide more of the glam rock n roll that we all love. The two songs are very infectious and are nowhere near a filler track.  The latter track takes you back to sing along with even more great lyrics.

Again a little change in “Monkey Zoo” it is an all out hard rock song with that has touches of alt rock but still keeps the melodic sound of the album. The track has big keyboards to help give an orchestra sound to it. It is a slow song but never loses any attention.

“Inside Out” is a nice little acoustic number, catchy and melodic it is a nice campfire sing a long number.  The track sounds pretty much a throw away song but after a few listens it is a firm favourite.  It is one of those tracks that could be a big hit on the radio, say if it was on a film or TV show. Nice wee guitar solo here keeps the hands waving.

An all out rocker in “I Wanna be New” nothing fancy but loud rock music and a nice track to lead into one of Gingers oldest songs. Written for a Wildhearts album it has never seen the light till this album. “Church of the Broken Hearted” could make a Bon Jovi fan shed a tear. But add in the the big church Choir he is going for it in a big way. It is a good song and played very well great soloing that would make Slash gulp.

Overall this is a fantastic album and a real mix of rock music styles. With the music business in 2000 being much about Nu Metal bands many rock bands were pretty much not getting a look in. Same with this album it was not picked up by a UK label and even when it did come out it was on a small independent with no promotion. 

I think if this was given a good shot by the right record company there is no reason why it could not have done so much more. It had all the things needed for a classic rock album and easily provided all rock fans something to enjoy. I saw the band live once and it was a real treat. A second album was written but shelved due to lack of interest. 

Black Leather Mojo is easily available but try get the 2CD copy as it has extra demo tracks from the missing second album. 

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Thin Lizzy, Black Rose

Thin Lizzy, Black Rose (Vertigo-1979)

So we have all heard the hits Whiskey in a Jar and The Boys Are Back in Town but most people have missed out on the bands best work and here it is.

With the hits being available on rock compilations I see why most people just skim over the bands catalog thinking they were the only good songs. But here is a chance to get a great rock album.

Opener "Do Anything You Want To" was that good it was a single and a great start. Nice big bass and drums hit you then that trademark twin Lizzy guitar riff comes in. This album welcomes Gary Moore to the studio recording for the first time in the bands history (he had replaced others on tour but left before recording twice). His blues sound is evident but not taking anything from the rock band at all. Riffs are less loud and more melodic. Add in Lynott on Bass the album has plenty of skill here.

"Toughest Street in Town" and " S and M" continue the great rock music and could all easily fill dance floors in any rock pub. "Waiting for an Alibi" has that guitar riffing back again with nice vocals and lyrics from Phil. Classic solos and guitar shapes follow here as well. The outro riff would make most want to pick up a guitar. Catchy and also very raw, the band were known for touring and this can still be heard in the production.

Phil Lynot shows his soft side in "Sarah" written about his newly born daughter. It is a nice slow one with little bits of mouth organ and nice 12 sting guitar. This was released as a single in 1979 and gained some alternative fans who think the band were all about hard rock.

The mellow and less musically serious side from Phil is evident in "Got to Give It Up" a song about his drug problems. You can hear it in his voice he sounds very much unhappy. Classic Lizzy guitars and a great chorus make you forget the real problems.

"Get Out of Here" was co wrote with Midge Ure and could be a small token to all the people who have left the band in the past (Ure was asked to finish the tour as Moore left). "With Love" follows nicely into "Róisín Dubh (Black Rose): A Rock Legend" the album has been named after this stunning song and it is a riff paradise.

The last song is all traditional songs given a rock arrangement. It really should not work but does and so well. The twin guitars work so well here that the reason they were invented is more of skill. For those who do not know why the band have two guitars playing the same riff, the band had and still did have problems with keeping guitar players. So Lynott hired two so that if one went he had another that meant live dates were able to be played. So so simple but it was never done before and let onto the birth of the twin guitar riffs the likes of Metallica and many more guitar bands after them done.

Listen to the song carefully and the lyrics are like a poem to all who are Irish or have have Irish roots. It is really just a tribute to Ireland with Black Rose slang for Ireland other things in the song are famous people from Ireland from James Joyce, William Butler Yeats, Oscar Wilde and Brendan Behan are all Irish authors referenced in this song in amazing ways. Van the man is Van Morrison, soccer man is George Best and many many other things. As said it is all done in a traditional style with four songs used in the whole seven minutes in that twin riffing and his voice it is amazing to listen to. It is like mixing a history lesson and a music lesson in one. Simply stunning and I have yet to hear anything replicate it.

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