STEVE CONTE & THE CRAZY TRUTH - review added 4th November 2009
Album Review: Steve Conte & The Crazy Truth (self-titled) (2009)
For fans of: Alt Rock... and men in hats
Steve Conte is the guitarist and backing vocalist with the legendary New York Dolls. He has only been with the band for a few short years, but has still managed to write and perform on half their albums. It probably helps that there were more than 30 years between the band's 2nd and 3rd releases!
This project sees Conte joining forces with drummer Phil Stewart and bassist Leeko. It's hard to tell if the bass player is Welsh, or if he simply has incontinence problems. I have to admit it's an unusual moniker...!
Joining the trio are David Johansen (New York Dolls) on harmonica, Catherine Russell (David Bowie) and Nicki Richards (Madonna) on backing vocals, plus Danny Ray, Kiku Collins and Tom Timko on woodwind and brass. The album was mixed by Niko Bolas (Neil Young, Keith Richards) and mastered by Richard Dodd (Tom Petty, Green Day).
The sound is raw, loose and punk-cool. Steve says, "This album sounds like a band playing live because it's drums, bass and guitar together in one room, solos recorded live on the basic tracks, rough and tough. It was like doing a gig." That feeling really does come over. No, the album isn't quite as 'atmospheric' is a truly live album, but there is little in the way of soothing, smothering production. The worst of the cracks have been plastered over, but you still know this is a real album by real people playing real instruments.
Highlights include the laid-back party sing along 'Gypsy Cab', the half quiet, half lairy 'Texas T', 'The Truth Ain't Pretty' and its splendid lyrical nonsense, the deeply cool 'Busload Of Hope' and the riotous 'Junk Planet'.
In the end there's nothing exceptional on the album, but Steve Conte et al have still produced something with bundles of charm and character. I get the impression that played live in a seedy jazz-infused rock club, this music would kick butt.
Check out... The yellowness of it all.
Track List:
1. This Is The End
2. Gypsy Cab
3. Texas T
4. The Goods Are Odd
5. Get Off
6. The Truth Ain't Pretty
7. Her Highness
8. Busload Of Hope
9. Strumpet-hearted Monkey Girl
10. Indie Girl
11. Junk Planet
Label: Varese Vintage
Artist's website(s): MySpace
