Down 'n' Outz - This is How We Roll (2019)

Down ’n’ Outz were initially formed as a creative outlet for Joe Elliott to explore his love of 1970s-influenced glam rock. Particularly, but not limited to, those who fell out of the Mott the Hoople family tree. I'd never heard of the band before, and This Is How We Roll is the band's third effort and the first to contain original songs, which were written by Mister Elliott.

While I am, at best, a casual fan of all things Mott and the various Hooples they jumped through, I do like a lot of what I've heard over the years. Joe wrote all but one of the songs on the album, and he is absolutely not doing anything that hasn't been done before, but his love for the era is palpable, and the songs here are all really good. Heck, even the band's name smacks of the same spelling deficiency the lads in Slade suffered from.

When I first saw the album in the clearance bin ... by now you must know I am notoriously cheap. At 75% off, I was curious. The cover photo reminded me of BTO (I LOVE BTO), and seeing Joe's name alongside the familiar Bludgeon Riffola Records imprint, I was willing to take a chance. Even if it wasn't good, it was a great-looking package.

I was expecting something, but dagnabbit, this far exceeded anything I'd imagined. The album is awesome, the songs are killers, but the surprise here is actually Joe. I don't know why I've got it in my head that Joe's voice is shot, but holy kermole, Joe's voice sounds awesome. He's not straining or trying to reach impossibly high notes ... he's singing in a register that totally works for where he is today, and the results are fantastic. He's got a swing and swagger that is so much fun to listen to. Each song is a love letter to rock and roll.

As to the band, guitars are handled by Paul Guerin. A guy I'd not heard of before, but he's been around for a while. While I'm not familiar with The Quireboys, he's been with them for a bit. He's a great player. The other guitar player, Guy Griffin, was also a member of an earlier incarnation of The Quireboys during their initial run, unless I've got that wrong, which is likely. He too packs a punch.

I love me guitars, but the secret sauce on This Is How We Roll is keyboard player Keith Weir, who apparently was also a member of The Quireboys ... I think I'm going to have to look those guys up now and right an apparent wrong. Keith adds colour and texture to the songs and frankly elevates the whole dang album to another level.

Anchoring the band is freelance drummer (that's how I saw him referred to, and that was cool enough to borrow) Phil Martini and Share Ross on bass, who had been, or is still, a member of Vixen. So it turns out this is a lot more than just Joe Elliott, although I get the sense he was the ringleader of this twenty-two-stringed and 88-keyed circus.

There are no duds here, and there are a few standouts that really caught me by the feels. "Goodnight Mr. Jones" is an homage to David Bowie, and I hesitate to call it out as one of the best songs, but it's one of the most memorable.

The other song that I was really curious about was The Tubes' classic, "White Punks on Dope," which seemed like a brave or stupid choice ... turns out it was the right choice. I'd never have figured Joe could channel his inner Fee and nail it, but he puts his own spin on it, and it's pretty faithful to the original while still fitting here with the other songs.

The album is a wicked reverse-engineered trip down memory lane, and it really does manage to push a lot of my happy buttons. For a side project, this isn't a lazy collection of half-baked ideas. This is a fully realized effort, and while it would appear to be driven by Joe's vision, it was realized by the band ... yes, a band.

This was probably the most fun I've had in a while listening to one of my Marco Polo Platters. Okay, maybe not new, as this came out in 2019, which is over a half a decade ago ... but this is new to me. It may be rooted firmly in the early '70s, but boy howdy, this sounds fresh and hungry to my ears.

Thanks, I needed this.

It's been a while, please sir, may we have some more?

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