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The Last Ditches
Spilt Milk
Review by Gary Hill
I’ve followed Randy Pratt’s career from the days when he was part of The Star People. I got to spend some time hanging out with him in those days, and I can say that not only is he a great bass player, but he’s also a pleasant guy. This new act of his takes things in a punk direction. The rhythm section here is Pratt and Bobby Rondinelli. That’s the same as The Lizards. Rondinelli is also known for work with Rainbow, Blac Sabbath, BOC and Quiet Riot. They are joined by Pinky Phillips (of the Planets fame) and Walter Lure from the punk band The Heartbreakers. This is overall solid, high energy rock and roll. It’s rough around the edges. There is a real punk element here, but not everything is punk rock. I’d say more than anything the vocals are the limiting factor to this, but somehow they lend a type of charm to it, too.
This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2016 Volume 4 at lulu.com/strangesound.
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| Track by Track Review
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Excuse Me
This stomping rocker has some cool old school rock and roll along with punk in the mix. It’s a bit like something The Pretenders might have done, but with male vocals. It also makes me think of early Alice Cooper just a little. This is catchy stuff. |
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That's What We Do
Another punky stomper, there is some Pretenders here, too. That said, the bass solo section makes me think of The Who. It’s cool, too. |
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Where Am I?
Here we get a screaming hot punky tune. Stylistically it almost makes me think of a cross between old school Kiss and Motorhead. It’s energized and very tasty. |
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So So-So
There is no huge change here. This is powerhouse, rough around the edged punky rocker. |
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Itchin' For A Fight
There’s some funk in this one. It makes me think of The Red Hot Chili Peppers in a lot of ways. It’s another killer cut. |
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I Wanna Be Loved
Punk and old time rock and roll merge on this screamer. |
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Monkey on My Back
There is a swinging drum part at the start of this cut. The tune works out to something that’s part heavy metal and part punk rock. It’s a nice bit of variety, landing near hardcore punk. |
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I Made A Mess
More of a balladic cut, there is a lot of country built into this. Perhaps, more than anything, it’s a folk rock tune. The female backing vocals lend a classic texture to it. |
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I Get That A Lot
Mainstream retro rock merges with punk and some hints of metal. The chorus on this is really catchy. |
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N-O Spells No
Very much an old school punk rocker, this is classy stuff. |
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A Thing About You
Old school rock with a healthy dosage of punk in the mix, this one is good, but not one of the best. |
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Kiss This
There are classic rock elements to this, but it’s overall one of the most punk oriented tunes here. |
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Throw the Dog a Bone
Hard edged and furious, this is angry. It’s a very definite punk rock number. |
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