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ALBUM REVIEW Dizzy Reed reaches new heights on Rock N Roll Aint Easy

ALBUM REVIEW Dizzy Reed reaches new heights on Rock N Roll Aint Easy

DIZZY Reed is best known as one of the members of Guns �n� Roses �part two�, so to speak: joining the band after it�s seismic shift in 1990, he is actually the second-longest standing member, after Axl Rose.

In actuality, he is far more than that, having worked on several projects with a plethora of musicians, including recently rejoined GnR legends Duff McKagan and Slash, the Dead Daisies, and his own band, the pithily named Hookers and Blow.

Evidently, he is a man who likes to stay busy, as he will release his debut solo album Rock �n� Roll Ain�t Easy, on February 16th through Golden Robot Records.

The album pins its colours to the mast with its opening track, lead single �This Don�t Look Like Vegas� and it becomes immediately apparent that Reed�s musical taste, broadly, is �Sunset Strip hard rock� crossed with �good ol� honky-tonk blues� � a mighty combination, indeed. Toe-tappingly catchy with a driving hard rock beat and bluesy piano, it certainly blows the cobwebs away, as well as being an excellent gauge for what�s to come.

What follows is an uplifting and brilliant lesson in how the blues segued into rock �n� roll all those years ago, and how they can still come together to make proper, classic rock. There�s a real Eighties vibe to some of the tracks, such as �Understanding�; urgently fierce album highlight �Crestfallen�; and the rollicking �Reparations�. There�s also shades of Nineties indie and grunge � take a listen to �Mystery in Exile�, �I Celebrate� and the mature sounding, heartfelt �Fragile Water�.

There�s also, of course, the odd Guns �n� Roses snippet, such as the sexy, bluesy �Dirty Bomb� and the �beware of the evil woman�-themed �Understanding�.

Not that the whole album takes its inspiration from the past, though: �Cheers 2 R Oblivion�, with its pleasingly throaty vocals and rather Hothouse Flowers vibe has a great modern rock sound (and very modern, text-speak title�), and the title track, which closes the album, would comfortably fit on any rock album old or new.

While Reed certainly hasn�t reinvented the wheel here, he�s taken his influences and wealth of experience and created a well-crafted, highly entertaining hard rock album.

Perfect for bellowing along to in your car with the window rolled down, as well as being a fascinating peek into the mind of a musician who�s been on the frontline of American hard rock for decades.

If you�re a rocker of any age, Rock �n� Roll Ain�t Easy is definitely worth the purchase.

Review by Melanie Brehaut



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