While
Demolition 23
is technically a band effort, this is really a
Michael Monroe
solo album. Once again working with producer and co-writer
Little Steven Van Zandt
,
Monroe
dispenses with the hair metal affectation and goes straight for the punk rock jugular.
also emerges as a songwriter on this album, a trend that would continue with his next releases.
grew out of a series of shows at
the Grand
in New York, billed as
Michael Monroe & Friends
. With the same lineup as on the album (including former
Hanoi Rocks
bassman
Sam Yaffa
) augmented by
Little Steven
and
Joey Ramone
, the band tore through a bunch of originals, and the usual helping of
Johnny Thunders
Dead Boys
, and
Ramones
covers. The lyrics on this album are generally the best to date for
. Tales of alienation like
"Nothin's Alright"
"Dysfunctional"
sit right alongside stories of loss such as
"The Scum Lives On,"
a song about his dead buddies, most notably
Thunders
Stiv Bators
.
sneers, "(M)y misery's without company/My partner's in crime have been taken from me/We used to laugh about our legacy/Couldn't get arrested on
MTV
." Don't worry, boredom also gets an airing in
"Same Shit Different Day,"
a catchy rocker whose title says it all. Of course, there are a couple of great covers here as well. This time out,
smokes
the Dead Boys
'
"Ain't Nothin' to Do"
"I Wanna Be Loved,"
as well as a blistering version of
the U.K. Subs
"Endangered Species."
When
sings, "We can blow you all to pieces," it sounds like he means it. This is a really solid effort, breathing life into a style that is rarely pulled off these days: hook-filled punk rock (with a few hard rock flourishes) played and sung with verve and skill, by people who understand and appreciate what they are doing rather than just going along with the program. If you always wondered why
looks like a punk, check this one out. ~ Geoff Ginsberg