Customer Reviews

117

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you are expecting a heavy metal album here don't waste your time. If you want a great rock album with inspiration from blues, punk, surf-rock, and country then take a listen. This album shows diversity and musical maturity in Izzy's writing and playing. This album is highly recommended for music fans who like an album that doens't sound the same from one song to the next. One of my favorites!

Former Guns n' Roses guitarist Izzy Stradlin's second album isn't quite as sublime as his magnificent solo debut, "Izzy Stradlin And The Juju Hounds", but "117°" is still a really good, solid rock record.

It is a little bit more punk-like than its predecessor, and the songwriting is not quite as consistent. But Stradlin's love for the music of Chuck Berry, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood is still very much apparent, and his musical partnership with former Georgia Satellites-guitarist Rick Richards makes for some great guitar playing.
Also, former Guns n' Roses bassist Michael "Duff" McKagan plays on almost all these songs, laying down a very prominent and completely unmistakable, metallic-sounding bass line on the great, shuffling rocker "Here Before You". He even takes a solo - the only one I can remember him ever recording.

Not many 90s rockers were even trying for this kind of unassuming, straight-ahead hard rock, and it's doubtful whether any of them matched Izzy Stradlin, even on their best day.
His songwriting has its down moments, but when he hits the bullseye, like on the slide guitar-driven acoustic blues-rock of "Bleedin", the hard rocker "Ain't That A Bitch", and the mid-tempo shuffle "Good Enough", Stradlin comes off as a better songwriter than all the pretentious, nihilistic grunge-rockers who got most of the accolades about this time in the mid-nineties.

"117°" is a suberbly arranged, delightfully raw and occationally sloppy hard rock record. It moves effortlessly between bluesy, acoustic folk-rock ("Gotta Say"), classic guitar-driven rock n' roll ("117°") and hard rock with a punk twist ("Freight Train").
It's not Guns n' Roses (unless by Guns n' Roses you mean "Dust n' Bones" and "You Ain't The First"), but it's good ol' fashioned rock n' roll. And that's even better.

If there was any doubt Izzy Stradlin was the creative force behind Guns n' Roses, 117 Degrees should clear up the matter. The antithesis of the overblown production which marred GnR's Use Your Illusion set, Stradlin plays rock the way it should be played: loose, fast, and with a sardonic grin. Now, if Izzy could just get Axl to reel in that massive ego and act like a human being . . .

This album rocks! I think it is Izzy's best solo album, although the Ju Ju Hounds album is a close second. I especially like the bluesy Up Jumped the Devil (Ronnie Dawson/Barney Koumis), Memphis (Chuck Berry), and Here Before You. If you like Up Jumped the Devil, suggest you check out Ronnie Dawson's music. These are some of the coolest songs I have ever heard! Unfortunately my version, which IS the Japanese import, does not have the advertised (on wikipedia) two bonus tracks...although Pressure Drop is on the Ju Ju Hounds album. Note that Duff McKagan plays bass on most tracks!

When Izzy Stradlin' left Guns N' Roses, I really thought he would dissapear of the music world. I was so wrong... partially. Basically, Izzy left the mega band because his well known leak of fame and glory. That's the beginning of these new Stradlin's projects. Music as it is, no for selling records, just make good stuff. Music has turned into a garbage can due to all these ridiculous bands... but then we find this great artist.

This album takes the best of Izzy. Or maybe I'm wrong... I also like very much "Izzy Stradlin' and the Ju Ju Hounds" so I wouldn;t be able to say which one is better than the other. What a great guitar introduction on "Ain't it a bitch" a classical rock guitar, no those freaking and annoying guitars we can hear very often from those teenager bands. The album goes faster with "Memphis" still a great beginning, I'm loving this album so far... some soft as "Old Hat" and "Bleedin'" but then a drum announces "Parasite". "Here Before You" sounds like a masterpiece classic of rock and roll... what a song. "Up Jumped the Devil" is so nice too, I love that guitar! "Freight Train" reminded me GN'R's hit "Nightrain" but then I realized it was Izzy's style... unique. "Surf Roach" and "Grunt" sound quite cool for the musitians, well done folks!

So, in conclusion... if you're a teenager and looking for something that maybe you won;t remember in 5 years or you'll be able to tell, you are looking the wrong album. If you wanna listen to some REAL rock music and of course, good stuff... the music that makes rock and roll so cool, then try this one. You won't feel dissapointed. Remember the success of the GN'R? Well, I gotta remind you that Izzy Stradlin' was tha genius of that band, guitar player and the main composer... when he left, the band went down and we all know what happened.

Enjoy it.

After a five year hiatus, former Guns N' Roses founder and rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin' returned for his sophomore album "117*" (1998).

"117*" isn't all that much different from Izzy's debut "Izzy Stradlin' and the Ju Ju Hounds." It shows the same kind of Stones/Faces signature, but with a considerable more amount of rock-a-billy thrown in the mix. "117* isn't the most ambitious, challenging or ground-breaking albums ever created, but it's still a finely-crafted collection of songs showcasing Izzy's unique signature and charm. Fans of GN'R and/or hard rock may be disappointed with this album, but fans of rock-a-billy, old-school country, and Izzy's debut will find much to appreciate.

The fact that this and his other albums are only cult classics is the biggest injustice in todays rock world. Stradlin's string of solo albums are not only the best post G&R releases, but even better than most of the classic G&R tracks. Clearly the strongest songwriter of the lot and the only one in the bunch with a true rock and roll sensibility, Stradlin is a god send for true fans of true rock

For me this is the best izzy album, because he's more into singing than the first one and he takes his place as frontman. Has a great acoustic and melodic touch and some real nice rock n roll, with the great izzy song writing that made many fans follow him, simple but true lyrics with a down to earth vision, the vision of a man that has seen many things and was there before many others that claim to lead a rock n roll life style.

I have JuJu Hounds and River as well as 117. If you like anything remotely close to good old rock n roll the way it should be, BUY THIS CD NOW. Izzy is by far the best solo artist to come out of GNR. He can write on anything, his stuff sounds like a raunchier version of the rolling stones. This album picks up right where JuJu Hounds took off. Some might say he can't sing, but I think that his voice rides hand in hand with his music. No matter what other bands you like, whether it be the stones, gnr, zeppelin, hendrix, deep purple, or aerosmith, this will be in your top 10 favorite albums. SPECTACULAR! BUY THIS CD RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When I first listened to this, I couldn't believe that this guy was the head song writer for Guns N' Roses! It's just an incredible album that mixes country, rock, blues, and even a little bit of reggae. If you don't have this album, Guns N' Roses fan or not, get it!