By Artist The Rockets from Sweden Turn It On
Turn It On
Thursday, 09 April 2009 07:45 | 
Author: The Grouch | 
Yesterday was the 25th and that means my monthly allotment of downloads from emusic.com renews. If you like music you might consider emusic.com. I like them for a couple of reasons:
1. They have a really large selection of songs.
2. Its cheap - something like 33 cents a song
3. Perhaps the most important reason, its legal. A lot of the bands on emusic.com, while kick ass musicians, are fairly unknown - translation: POOR.
This brings me to The Rockets from Sweden.
I only knew The Rockets out of Detroit, a group that cranked back in the 70s and 80s. I saw their farewell show at Pine Knob back in high school -it was a killer show. And the ticket price was only 10 bucks. The opening act was a local bar band called Bitter Sweet Alley ( a group my buddies and I thought would go far but fizzled and went no where.) I digress.
The Rockets from Sweden are a five piece outfit that seems to have been influenced by the Butt Rock gods of yesteryear. (That reads so much harsher than I mean it)
They play standard blues based loud rock with attitude. You got love that attitude. Let me put it this way, they remind me of ACDC with Bon Scott - back when ACDC was really into being a tough gritty bar band that made good. I dig that. If you do what you like, on your own terms then the honesty comes through - no need to reinvent yourself or play to the current fad.
On to the album:
Track 1 - Cockpit Song - interesting guitar that plays one riff until the rest of the band kicks in. I have no idea what he is singing about. Sitting in my homemade cockpit - and I ride and I ride - I focus my homemade telescope. It doesn't matter. There are the requisite blues based leads flying around while the rhythm section keeps the song going and going and going...
Track 2 - Satisfaction City - I like this song. Its fast and loud. Typical song about a young dude out for a wild ride in the city. Again the massive blues based licks dominate the song. The drummer does some interesting things while someone else shakes maracas - all providing a backdrop for some southern rock influenced riffs and the singer tries his hand at some Bo Diddleyesque vocals.
Track 3 - Don't Deny - Standard "Look girl I'm gonna tell you how its gonna be. You're gonna give your love to me" Jam. Did I mention these guys like a lot of blazing licks and the drummer can pound?
Track 4 - High-speed Planet - the massive guitar keeps coming. I bet these guys put on a great show. Its just so in your face. I really like these guys. Predictable? Yes But it just rocks so damn hard. The bridge leading into yet another solo is actually pretty interesting - then back to the chorus with two string licks blazing.
Track 5 - Sour - The obligatory mellow song. Not a bad song, by the middle they are back to that old school butt rock guitar stuff. Then for some reason people in the studio break into applause before a repeat of the mellow chorus. The applause thing is a bit lame - please! Thank God they didn't say "I hope we passed the audition."
Track 6 - The Creatures' Night Out - the raging guitar is back. I like this song a lot. The lyrics are OK, but the dude sounds really good on the chorus. The drummer breaks out the cowbell for a few measures before the bass player kicks in with a fast riff laying down the bottom for the guitar player to wail. This is a really rocking song.
Track 7 - Lost Ace - Man this sounds a lot like Hanoi Rocks. The guitar screams - good song. This REALLY sounds like Hanoi Rocks - that's cool I like Hanoi Rocks. Nice lead toward the end of the song.
Track 8 - 1972 - I like this song. I was born in 1972...my face was blue...I looked at this world with wide open eyes, I didn't know about greed or lies - I want to be a rock and roll swinger- I grew up in a boring small town - The music is the basic call and response - jam - vocals - jam - vocals. This song must be an anthem for the Swedish kids who are pissed off at The Man.
Track 9 - Turn It On - Turn off the lights and let the show begin - turn off the sound and let me in - turn it on turn it on turn it on. Standard blues based rock, but they do it so well. All right turn on the guitar!
Track 10 - Thundershake - The garage door slams up! More Hanoi Rocks influenced stuff - Rock and Roll saved my soul; I got to let it out! There is the "White boy got soul" thing here - this reminds me of George Throughgood - Lord its in him and its got to come out.
It might sound like I'm being really hard on these guys. I actually like this album quite a bit. The guy can definitely play guitar. The only problem might be that the songs sound a bit formulated - in the end that really doesn't matter at all. The guys are doing their thing and it shows. All in all this is a good album; I imagine that their shows are even better.
3.5 Scowls out of 5