Rock, Metal

James Williamson - Re-Licked (2014)

2015-01-09T16:46:20Z

James Williamson - Re-Licked (2014)


01. Head On The Curve (w/ Jello Biafra)
02. Open Up And Bleed (w/ Carolyn Wonderland)
03. Scene Of The Crime (w/ Bobby Gillespie from Primal Scream)
04. She Creatures Of The Hollywood Hills (w/ Ariel Pink)
05. Til The End Of The Night (w/ Alison Mosshart from The Kills, Dead Weather)
06. I Gotta Right (w/ Lisa Kekaula from The BellRays)
07. Pinpoint Eyes (w/ Joe Cardamone from The Icarus Line)
08. Wild Love (w/ Mark Lanegan & Alison Mosshart)
09. Rubber Leg (w/ Ron Young from Little Caesar)
10. I’m Sick Of You (w/ Mario Cuomo from The Orwells)
11. Gimme Some Skin (w/ Caroline Wonderland)
12. C*ck In My Pocket (w/ Nicke Andersson from The Hellacopters)
13. Heavy Liquid (w/ Lisa Kekaula)
14. Wet My Bed (w/ The Richmond Sluts)
15. C*ck In My Pocket (w/ Gary Floyd from The Dicks)
16. Rubber Leg (w/ J.G. Thirlwell aka Clint Ruin, Foetus)

Carolyn Wonderland – vocals
James Williamson – guitars, piano
Mike Watt – bass
Toby Dammit – drums, percussion, piano, omnichord, mellotron
Steve Mackay – saxes
Oliver Steck - trumpets

The history of rock ‘n’ roll is scattered with thousands of unheralded and unknown talents. In a perfect world, each of these obscure artists in service to the muse should be remembered for their perfect moment, as well. But a moment by definition is pretty short, and the trick is stretching out your one moment long enough for people to remember it. Iggy Pop, for example, successfully took the Stooges’ brief existence and rode the shockwave of their implosion long enough until he became known in many circles as the Godfather of Punk.

Of course, he was able to do that — after all, he was the frontman. But what ever happened to the rest of the Stooges, in this case Raw Power guitarist James Williamson? Like the Plymouth Barracuda, the Stooges’ were discontinued in 1974, possibly due to their own energy crisis caused by Iggy’s rumored drug usage. Williamson and Pop continued to worked on leftover Stooges’ material as well as newer songs, most of which eventually showed up as demos, live bootlegs and even an album, all released on smaller labels, but the sound quality was for the most part the inevitable early-‘70s analog bootleg blah.

Williamson eventually left the stage and studio, folded himself into his cloak of obscurity and became a computer and electronics engineer. In 2009, he was recalled to active rock ‘n’ roll duty upon the death of original Stooges’ guitarist Ron Asheton, and subsequently played on the Stooges’ 2013 release Ready to Die.

James Williamson’s latest addition to his musical resume is his new album Re-Licked, due for release October 29, 2014 on Leopard Lady Records. This 16-track project features modern-day recordings of rare Stooges’ and after-era gems like “I Got a Right,” “Open Up and Bleed” and “I’m Sick of You.” In reality, many projects based on the false premise that updated material makes for better product fail miserably, producing cut-out bin clutter. Re-Licked, however, is no relic — no walk down memory lane, no perfunctory performances, no attempt to simply generate royalty revenue for senior rockers. We find the Stooges’ live touring band (Steve Mackay, Mike Watt and drummer Toby Dammit) playing these songs with the power and conviction of the originals. The difference is that this time the album is well recorded, so you don’t have to just imagine how rock solid this ought to sound. Instead, you can actually feel it.

Some might be disappointed there’s no actual Iggy anywhere. Not to worry: instead, Iggy’s vocals are recast by such notable rockers including Jello Biafra, Carolyn Wonderland, Alison Mosshart (the Kills, Dead Weather), Lisa Kekaula (the BellRays), Bobby Gillespie (Primal Scream) and others. Each vocalist contributes a perfect take to Williamson’s guitar attack and the hot, smokin’ band playing the hot, smokin’ classics. ,/

In 1997, Iggy Pop attempted to remix 1973’s Raw Power, only to earn generally negative reviews. But Re-Licked succeeds in a way that the remixed Raw Power could never hope to do: It doesn’t render the songs how anyone thought they should have been, but instead presents them for what they are. Re-Licked is a great addition to James Williamson’s legacy and reinforces his place as one of rock ’n’ roll’s great guitarists. He’s a vintage Barracuda — ready to tear up the tracks and go screamin’ down the highway. ---somethingelsereviews.com

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James Williamson And The Pink Hearts - Behind The Shade (2018)

2019-07-25T12:51:27Z

James Williamson And The Pink Hearts - Behind The Shade (2018)


1 	Riot On The Strip 	2:59
2 	Judith Christ 	5:05
3 	Pink Hearts Across The Sky 	3:19
4 	You Send Me Down 	4:47
5 	Destiny Now 	3:58
6 	This Garden Lies 	3:58
7 	Purple Moon 	4:19
8 	Miss Misery 	5:30
9 	The Revolution Stomp 	3:25
10 	Behind The Shade 	5:18
11 	Died A Little Today 	3:37

Jason Carmer 	Bass, Mixing, Piano
Alejandro Escovedo 	Composer
Gregg Foreman 	Keyboards
Petra Haden 	Violin, Vocals, Vocals (Background)
Nick Hart 	Piano
Steffen Kuehn 	Trumpet
Frank Meyer 	Guitar, Vocals, Vocals (Background)
Tony Peebles 	Saxophone, Soloist
Paul Roessler 	Piano
Don Rooke 	Lap Steel Guitar
Herve Salters 	Keyboards
Michael Urbano 	Drums, Percussion
Audrey Vera 	Piano
James Williamson 	Bass, Composer, Guitar, Primary Artist, Producer
Geoff Yeaton 	Saxophone

The burning question for us rabid and greedy fans is why does ex-Stooges guitarist Williamson only play his fabulous leads on 2/3 of the songs on Behind the Shade?! That said, craftsman Williamson delivers some stone solid classic rock & rhythm here, with OG L.A. veteran musicians Frank Mayer and Petra Haden providing heartfelt vocals, both together and separately. Songs are embellished variously at times with keyboards, violin or horns, and every song works as an anthem of sorts. And, as the credits mention, “James Williamson–Guitars on everything”! ---David Arnson, musicconnection.com

With an illustrious career as a songwriter and guitarist for nearly fifty years, most known for playing on The Stooges’ landmark 1973 release Raw Power, James Williamson has turned his attention to his latest collaboration and first record since 2014’s Re-Licked. On Behind The Shade, Williamson and The Pink Hearts, consisting of The Streetwalkin’ Cheetahs’ vocalist Frank Myer, and singer, violinist, and composer Petra Haden, soar over a collection of 11 tracks that bring rock & roll back to its roots with an array of influences stemming from punk, classic rock, the blues, and folk.

“Riot On The Strip” opens the album with a blast from a crunchy and fuzzy guitar and Myer’s aggressive vocals. Haden’s voice, while just as strong, adds a sense of warmth to the fast paced flow of the verse. The vocals, despite being very much influenced for ‘70s punk – most notably that of Iggy Pop and an American John Lydon – stand out for not only their raw energy, but also the lush harmonies between the two singers. “Riot On Sunset Strip” is among the most hard hitting tracks on the record and captures some of Williamson’s best guitar playing on the album; with a tone that sounds as if it was pulled straight from ‘73. His playing remains as fiery as it was on The Stooges’ classic “Search And Destroy”, but more refined. While not quite toned down, his playing is tighter, and his soloing and lead lines reflect a more sophisticated taste that feels slightly reminiscent of Keith Richards. The album continues with a slower rocker, “Judith Christ”, a track that sounds like Van Morrison cranked up to eleven that features an infectious piano line, while “This Garden Lies” feels like Ziggy era Bowie taking a trip down the French Quarter of New Orleans with its accenting horns and explosive trumpet solo.

Behind The Shade proves to be a versatile album with its inclusion of multiple slower tracks and ballads that demand as much attention as the rockers mentioned previously. While the Haden led “Pink Hearts Across The Sky” and acoustic “Miss Misery” capture a softer and slightly folky energy, the album’s title track stands out as a beautifully written composition. “Behind The Shade” is a track that follows a winding journey that will leave the listener surprised by not only the creative direction of the song, but the raw sense of emotion in the performance with Haden adding stirring violins, while Myer shreds his vocal chords belting out the songs dark lyrics. In short, “Behind The Shade”, all on its own, is a masterpiece.

It’s clear that among the harder hitting songs, also including “You Send Me Down” and “The Revolutionary Stomp”, punk rock plays only a small part in this stage of Williamson’s career as he experiments with a number of different elements and influences. The ballads also demonstrate how far away from his roots he strays as he plays with tones, structures, and textures closer to folk and contemporary rock for the sake of delivering a highly emotional track. While being a thoroughly enjoyable and dynamic record, Behind The Shade is a new career milestone for Williamson that only furthers the narrative of how he continues to push the boundaries of music, and his own legacy, through his guitar playing and song writing. ---Gerrod Harris, spillmagazine.com

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