I'm not even completely sure where I first heard this band, I believe it was their single Sound of Love on MuchMusic, but I can't say that for sure. All I know is that I first discovered them a little while before this album was released,and that I eventually bought it about 6 months after its release at the same time as another Canadian album, and my all time favourite album (Matthew Good's Avalanche, which I will cover in a later review) So, seeing as this was released in 2002, it's been at least 5 years that I've been listening to it, and I have fairly solidly formed opinions as a result.
Danko Jones - Born a Lion
As I mentioned in my introduction, I have been listening to this album for a long time, and I've been a long time fan of the band as a result. This was their first full-length debut after several years of releasing very well received EPs, and as a result (at least, to those who were familiar with the band, which in those days was admittedly a small group, which didn't include me yet) this album was highly anticipated. Some people were disappointed with the end result, namely because the band altered their sound somewhat to make it a bit more mainstream and catchy, but having listened to their earlier material since I have to say that I prefer this sound.
How best to describe the band? Well, I guess the best short form description would be ZZ Top for the '90s, although that's not really complex enough. The influences of the band are fairly up front (as are most things with Danko Jones) and they are obviously heavily influenced by blues (see opener Sing the Blues where Danko & Co. namedrop some of the most important blues musicians of the modern blues movement) funk, '80s heavy metal in the vein of AC/DC, and so on. That said, they do manage to surprise at times, particularly on closer Love is Unkind, where they include a completely unexpected but very welcome gospel choir in the chorus.
The other, perhaps even more obvious comparison to ZZ Top would be in the lyrics. Danko Jones (the alias of the lead singer as well as the band itself) is not about subtelty on any level, adn the lyrics are at times surprisingly reminiscent of ZZ Top's heyday, full of lyrics about love, sex, and rock & roll, often to fairly humorous effect. One comment I read about the bad stated that one had to "check their political correctness at the door" and I think that's a very apt statement. Not to say that Danko is ever offensive, as is shown in the lovely Caramel City, an ode to the diversity of Toronto. I suppose it's also worth noting that Danko himself is of African descent, and coming from Toronto he would surely have experienced prejudice as a younger person.
The playing itself is perhaps not anything to write home about, but I think that the simplicity of the music is actually a major benefit to the overall sound. Danko Jones are first and foremost about rocking out and having a great time, and it's pretty hard not to feel picked up listening to the music. Had there been major guitar solos and complex playing it would have made this a much less effective record.
At the end of the day, this record really silenced any criticism on its own merits. Despite being initially faulted for straying from Danko Jones' earlier, grittier sound, the album became hugely popular and in the end critically acclaimed. It was really responsible for launching the band to the level of popularity they enjoy now, and while none of their albums since have been quite as good, they released one of the best fun, rocking records of the early 2000s, which despite its relative simplicity has remained one of my most frequently played albums for more than 5 years. That alone is enough to make it worthwhile to checkout.
9/10
No comments:
Post a Comment