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Non-Prog CD Reviews

Mitch Ryder

Appearing with Guests: Detroit Breakout!

Review by Gary Hill

Mitch Ryder is known for his particular flavor of old school rock and roll and blues rock. This album delivers plenty of that. It's packed full of renditions of classic tunes. A lot of the time it's played pretty straight and faithful. At other points, though, "If I Had a Hammer," for instance, the changes are definite. Ryder is joined by a number of great guests on the set. This is an entertaining release from start to finish.

This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) in Music Street Journal: 2019  Volume 5. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2019.

Track by Track Review
Devil with a Blue Dress Feat. James Williamson
The set opens with Ryder's big hit. This is soulful and rocking in this delivery. Then again, the cut always has been those things. This is a killer performance. It gets some "Good Golly Miss Molly" thrown into the tune for good measure.
Cool Jerk Feat. Wayne Kramer & Brian Auger

Another cool rock and roller, this is delivered in style. It's a fun cut with some catchy hooks.

Dirty Water Feat. Sylvain Sylvain

This garage rocker gets a smoking hot performance here. It's always been such a cool tune, and the guitar sound on this thing really elevates it.

Turn Back the Hands of Time Feat. Shirley King

This number has a real Motown feeling to it. The horns, along with King's vocals, contribute, but the tune just oozes that vibe even looking beyond those things.

Have Love Will Travel Feat. Paul Rudolph

There is a real garage guitar band sound to this killer rocker. It's raw and so tasty.

(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone Feat. Walter Lure

I've always been a big fan of this tune. In fact, I've always wanted to do a heavy metal rendition of it. I love the noisy guitar sound on this version. The cut rocks so well.

Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream) Feat. Cherie Currie

They put in a cool rocking rendition of this killer number. It preserves a lot of the sound of the original while upping the ante.

(Sittin' on) the Dock of the Bay Feat. Arthur Adams

This classic gets a suitably soulful rendition here. It's not a huge stretch, but the vocal duet concept here serves it well.

Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me) Feat. Lee Oskar

This old school tune gets the more retro arrangement of the whole set. It works really well. The strings add a lot of vintage charm to the cut.

Bad Bad Leroy Brown Feat. Joe Louis Walker

A Jim Croce tune, this gets a cool blues rocking arrangement here. It's bouncy and fun.

You Send Me Feat. Linda Gail Lewis
The old-school rock and roll groove on this works pretty well.
Twistin' the Night Away Feat. Joe Louis Walker
Speaking of old-school rock and roll, they deliver a killer version of this classic tune.
If I Had a Hammer Feat. Linda Gail Lewis
They turn this folk tune into a cool blues meets R&B jam. It's an intriguing tune in this format and works well.
Shout Feat. Linda Gail Lewis

I have always been a big fan of this old rocker. This new rendition has a real retro vibe and is quite faithful to the original. It's just a lot of fun. It's also a great closing shot.

 
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