| Rock'n'Roll Gypsies II |
| Rock
'n' Roll Gypsies are going to take some explaining: first, there was
The Roosters, and they started out as a pub rock/R&B band that
found fame during the first wave of punk as it swept through Japan.
After a few albums, the band started moving in an artier direction, and
hit their commercial peak with the album "Dis," an effort that won the
previously no frills R&B band comparisons to western contemporaries
like Echo and the Bunnymen. Unfortunately, as the band's fortunes grew,
vocalist/songwriter Shinya Ohe started giving in to the pressures of
being in one of Japan's biggest bands, and quit after the album "ϕ"
(Phi) in 1984. The silver lining to this particular cloud was that the
remaining members soldiered on, releasing four more albums before they
split for good in 1988. Or did they? Jump forward fourteen years to 2002, where former Roosters from various lineups (bassist Tomio Inoue, drummer Jyunji Ikehata, and guitarists Hiroyuki Hanada and Jun Shimoyama) form Rock'n'Roll Gypsies, returning to their straightforward roots. Their second album, creatively titled "II," was released in 2005. Let's be honest: this doesn't sound promising. History shows that reuniting musicians have a tendency to go through the motions, embarrass themselves trying to recapture former glories, or try to update their sound in an often painful attempt to connect with a much younger audience that wasn't around to remember the band's glory days. Or maybe, they'll do all three. Fortunately, these guys aren't just smarter than that, they're unpretentious enough to realize they're at their best when they do what they love best: play straightforward rock 'n' roll. Even the name shows their heads, heads, and hands are in the right place: despite coming together soon after a resurgence of interest in The Roosters, and being comprised entirely of former Roosters, they forgo the nostalgia trip and call themselves Rock'n'Roll Gypsies. No cash in here, these guys actually have a musical reason to play together, and it shows in these dozen stripped down but sophisticated tracks. Rather than the R&B of their early career, or the moody new wave of their heyday, the band plays it straight with simple, guitar driven rock 'n' roll that distinguishes itself with strong songwriting and performances, rather than flash. "Muddy Man" sets the tone right away, with an aloof, Stonsey shuffle that would have fit (and greatly improved) albums like "Goats Head Soup" or "Black And Blue." If that sounds like damning it with faint praise, it bears mentioning that R'n'R Gypsies have their swagger in place, giving the track a virility that squelches all complaints of listlessness. Vocalist Hanada is all disinterested cool, and I swear if singing didn't make it impossible, he'd have a cigarette contemptuously dangling from his lips. The casual sneer carries over into "只の夢," ("Just A Dream,") a punkish tune that takes the chord progression from "Secret Agent Man," but discards the hero worship and replaces it with a genuine sense of danger. "此岸のほとり" ("Close To Life") is the kind of track that has "album closer" written all over it. A slow, blissful shuffle with a heartfelt, Lennon-esque vocal, it's possibly the high point of the band's recorded output. When the falsetto kicks in, it's lighter in the air time. The band is still going, releasing a live CD last year and more recently playing a "secret" gig with Zuno Keisatsu. The band has a well worn aesthetic, and while toying with it too much can kill the aloof snarl, it's also a prime candidate for stagnation. As the Roosters, most of Rock'n'Roll Gypsies' members were faced with this exact quandary, and they responded with "Insane," a career defining work that kick started their superstardom. What will happen this time around? Who knows, but until we find out, "Rock'n'Roll Gypsies II" is solid reassurance that these guys have the swagger to carry whatever they decide to haul. |