THE SUPERBEES (Top Of The Rocks) CD
The Dodge Super Bee is one of the best-looking and most powerful muscle cars from the late 1960's/early 1970's. It therefore comes as no surprise that THE SUPERBEES have borrowed that legendary name, because their hard edged rock 'n' roll is as powerful as the Mopar Hemi V8 engine inside the Dodge. 'Top Of The Rocks' is the follow-up to the album 'High Volume' and shows a band that is animated by the raw, undiluted spirit of 1970's high energy rock 'n' roll. It seems logical, therefore, to mention great bands as MC5, Dead Boys, The Saints and Iggy And The Stooges within this context.
But THE SUPERBEES from Los Angeles are more than just a poor rip-off of these ground-breaking bands. The main reason for this is the fact that this four guys can write songs. Real songs that stick in your brain for more than five minutes. Moreover, there are no real fillers on this six track CD and even the cover version of Aerosmith's 'S.O.S. (Too Bad)' is top-notch. 'Greyhound Tooth' and 'The Lonely Kind' provide for additional variety with some 1960's garage rock sensibility. 'The Lonely Kind' in particular is a stunning song, which deepens the feelings of alienation and melancholy without being overly sentimental. The aggressive opener 'Silver Jet' reeks of road dirt and gasoline and is a perfect start. Rhythm guitarist Dave James has a strong voice that never sounds forced while lead guitarist Scott Carlson delivers a lot of energetic, snotty riffs.
Bassist Dat Ngo and drummer Johnny Sleeper are pushing everything forward, demonstrating how important a tight rhythm section is. 'Top Of The Rocks' is rounded off with a heavy sound and ready is another killer release from Acetate Records. Overall, THE SUPERBEES are true to their names; they have their hearts in the right place. Check them out immediately if you're obsessed by the above-mentioned bands like me, or if have you got a weakness for their heirs such as Thee Hypnotics.
(KK)