The band were recently asked to comment on selected tracks from the new tribute album.
loveandrocketstribute.com
Here is what they had to say:
David J
1) Johnny Dowd-Bound For Hell
Probably my favorite out of all the tracks. I love the way that it starts off as almost hymnal with Johnny delivering the words as a soulful broke-down prayer and then, when it switches round and the beat kicks in and it goes into this funked up groove and the electric guitar tears it up, it just takes it over the edge and down to Hellish Heaven! The original was more of a sustained bluesy work out. The lyrics were based on a traditional American ballad called ‘The Hell Bound Train’, apart from the beginning “Faith flies off the mountain” part which came out of a personal long dark after hours of the soul session!
Johnny is a true original. When I first heard his debut album, ‘Wrong Side Of Memphis’, this basement brew of scary outsider musings it knocked me out and I became an instant fan.
2) Losy Coils-Sweet F.A.
This is quite close to the original version. I like the psychedelic touches and it has a sense of momentum which suits the subject matter, listening to this it feels like you are traveling. Ian Moore aka Lossy Coils is a singer / songwriter who hails from Austin, Texas and he brings a pleasing big open spaciousness to the song.
3) The Stone Foxes-Fever
A great swampy blues interpretation of the original L & R stomper from this excellent San Francisco based band. They have the spirit of ’68 mixed with the delta swamp forests and the fog of the Golden Gate Bridge about them and when I saw them play live recently when I DJ’d on the same bill, they brought to mind an earlier generation of young white kids immersed in the sounds of Muddy Waters & Howlin’ Wolf, bringing their own urban authenticity to the tradition and rockin’ out like bastards!
4) Charlie & The Valentine Killers-Sweet Lover Hangover
Aching and yet anthemic. Charlie’s baritone delivery brings to mind Mark Lanegan on a post-split bar crawl. I like the fiddle, it gives it a bit of an Irish folk feel. BIG!
5) Flaming Lips - Kundalini Express
This is great! It's like Thomas The Tank Engine on acid meets Kraftwerk in Kindergarden!! 'Love it!
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Daniel Ash:
1) Frank Black-All In My Mind
"It is a great punk rock approach and a very stripped down track. The whole approach to it is very effective. I love this track with this Punk Rock attitude. I like rawness of the vocals
…and overall passion of the song..It is spot on".
2) Blaqk Audio-No New Tale To Tell
"It retains the power of the original and is very powerful with great drums and keyboards"
3) Dubfire-I Feel Speed
"This is my favorite track by far on the tribute!! It is a breath of fresh air...Great expensive drum machine sound! I love all the elements of track..the vocals, the bass drums, the guitar………. Now
this is what modern rock should sound like."
4) The Dandy Warhols-Inside The Outside
"Dance, Dance, Dance.… Fabulous!"
5) The Flaming Lips-Kundalini Express
"I love the spazzy naïve guitar!!! Reminds me of early Devo and Kraftwerk . Are the vocals by The Residents??!! "
6) Holiday on the Moon – Pucsifer
"This is the antithesis of Barry Mannilow. I would like to hear this live at Giant Stadium in NYC."
7) Film School-An American Dream
"A Kick-Ass Blast Off…. A great wall of sound, young blood! Great to hear young bands do these songs. …This song is about fighting for your personal sense of freedom.
8) Snowden-No Words No More
"Great vocals, great use of electric guitar. …Melancholic rules.
9) Chantal & Adrian Young-Lazy
"They got it! Love the piano and the sexy female vocal..great cabaret. (Check out the film “Cabaret” with Liza Minnelli)."
10) The Stone Foxes-Fever
"This song is all about lust. Not sure if the band was feeling horny enough when recording this though.…"
11) Vex-It Could Be Sunshine
"Girls can be so emotional, just like me... I get the the impression she relates to the lryrics.. This is a …rocking band!!
12) Better Than Ezra - So Alive
"My dream would be for Tom Jones to record this song".