3.0 out of 5 stars
Silence of the Vocalists, October 17, 2010
This review is from: Victim Of Circumstance (Audio CD)
Ron Asheton's project actually began during the hiatus of The Stooges before the lengthy sessions which produced "Raw Power." And when The Stooges imploded in early 1974, Asheton put away the bass and returned to lead guitar while enlisting the services of a number of friends from the Detroit rock scene, including drummer Dennis "Machine Gun" Thompson (MC5).
What ultimately doomed the band was the personal demons of the lead vocalists; Jeff Spry was derailed by legal troubles and Dave Gilbert saved his worst for the important showcase gig with a recording contract awaiting if they delivered the goods....he arrived minutes before the group was slated to take the stage and did not attempt to sing a note while standing like a statue by his microphone.
The original album was the demos that featured both singers, but the sound quality was muddy. This reissue also includes unreleased rehearsal recordings, which appears to be all the material available for release (or has the sound quality that can be considered for an authorized CD) and a portion of the demos as "bonus tracks." The highlight from the project is "Rock 'n' Roll Soldiers," which has been covered by several bands over the years.
Asheton had an excellent understanding of the emerging hard rock sound that would propel the record industry to incredible heights through the 1980s, but his vision became a victim of circumstances beyond his control.
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