Fun for a bit (West 12 To Wittering - Dirty Strangers)

Member Name: dangaroo

Product:	West 12 To Wittering - Dirty Strangers
Date:	19/07/09 (17 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheerful garagey pub rock

Disadvantages: Not their best album, lyrics not too impressive

The Dirty Strangers are a band that I don't think get the attention they deserve, originally set up in 1986 and their line-up immediately strengthened by Rolling Stones' Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood presence (Mick Jagger was attempting a solo career at the time), the band combine a gritty type of blues with an early sounding punk to come up with some of the best rock n roll to date.

This album itself sees Keith Richards take to the piano on 5 songs as well as pen some of the rather straight forward lyrics.

The band are proud of their London W12 roots, as can be seen on this album which is well-crafted to turn classic ideas in to more regional ones "South of the River", "Another West Side Story" are just two examples. Vocally you are talking somewhere between Hugh Cornwell and Charlie Harper, musically it's very bluesy Rolling Stonesish.

The album is full of references to girls, gang culture and cars, the lyrics are extremely simple and a lot of the guitar playing hasn't moved on over the decades, you do get the feeling that the lyrics tend to be a bit on the weak side, either to repetitive or just far too straight forward.

This album may have been released this year but there's nothing to suggest that in the way of added instruments or beats as the band stay in the boundaries of 70s pub rock. They seem cheerful chaps and one or two songs are enjoyable but listening to the whole album - you do feel that they could vary their music a little bit.


1 Talk To Me
2 Ain't That Too Much
3 South Of The River
4 Liberty Smile
5 All Away
6 Bad Girls
7 Real Botticelli
8 Love For Life
9 Survival Dance
10 Don't Come Easy
11 Gold Cortina
12 Nowhere Maybe
13 Another West Side Story

Summary: Punky blues album that could be improved