Izzy Stradlin: Life On His Own 01/21/2011
117°
By Brendan Gilsenan
Six years is a long time between releases - a very long time (yet still measly compared to the wait for Chinese Democracy). During the off years, Izzy maintained an easy life; motorcycling around world, recording when he felt the urge. By this time he had disbanded The Ju Ju Hounds, and being the one with the record contract, completed his sophomore album on his own timetable.
117° (1998) would inevitably be Izzy’s last album on his contract with Geffen. He, as well as other artists (including former Guns bassist Duff McKagan – who plays bass on this album), was dropped from the label when Geffen merged to form Dreamworks. But for the time being, Stradlin was still under the watch of a major label, who rejected his first submission for the album.
“Yeah I was pissed,” he said in an interview posted to fansite Chopaway.com. But the easy-going guitarist admits his frustration only lasted “for about five minutes.”
While the ex-Guns member made a career sticking it to the Man, in this case, the Man proved to be right. The complaint was that the record was lacking in slow songs completely. While rockers like “117 Degrees” and “Freight Train” are quality rock ‘n’ roll, 117° would have missed out a lot of its character without slow tempo tracks like “Gotta Say”.
The layover left time for the appearance of “Ain’t It A Bitch”, the last song written for 117°. “Ain’t It A Bitch”starts the album where the last left off. It’s a bluesy rocker fused with the sounds of the Stones. It’s familiar territory, and leads the album with a punch.
But from here Izzy delves into other influences, giving 117° a different face than its predecessor. There’s a blazing rendition of Chuck Berry’s “Memphis”; one of two tracks recorded before the Ju Ju Hounds parted ways. “Here Before You” draws from Johnny Cash. It opens with the crackling of vinyl and a slow, churning Cash imitation, before catapulting into an up-tempo, light rocker.
Overall, 117° is more diverse than Izzy’s debut. For punk, there is “Parasite”; rockabilly, there is a cover of Ronnie Dawson’s “Up Jumped The Devil”. Closing the album is “Surf Roach”, a Dick Dale-esque surf rock instrumental.
Although Izzy branched out from under the spell of the Rolling Stones and the Faces, his style and sound remains consistent with his previous work, and gives 117° a cohesive feel.
Perhaps it’s best that Stradlin was dropped from his label following 117°. On “Good Enough” he sings of his simple content with decisions made easily. “Good enough for someday/Good enough for me/Good enough for someone/Good enough ya see.” If it’s good enough to please Izzy, it’s good enough for the world. And this is about as far removed from the ideals of a major label as one can get.
Luckily the songwriting that comes to Izzy with apparent ease is not only good enough, it’s great. And the next wait would not be nearly as long as the first. While it took Izzy six years to finally buckle down and get 117° released, the coming years would see Stradlin releasing music at a rapid pace.
Next up is Ride On. Coming out only a year after 117°, Izzy’s new album would find itself only being released in Japan.
Follow Izzy Stradlin: Life On His Own here.
1. Ain’t It A Bitch
2. Gotta Say
3. Memphis
4. Old Hat
5. Bleedin
6. Parasite
7. Good Enough
8. 117 Degrees
9. Here Before You
10. Up Jumped The Devil
11. Grunt
12. Freight Train
13. Methanol
14. Surf Roach
By Brendan Gilsenan
Six years is a long time between releases - a very long time (yet still measly compared to the wait for Chinese Democracy). During the off years, Izzy maintained an easy life; motorcycling around world, recording when he felt the urge. By this time he had disbanded The Ju Ju Hounds, and being the one with the record contract, completed his sophomore album on his own timetable.
117° (1998) would inevitably be Izzy’s last album on his contract with Geffen. He, as well as other artists (including former Guns bassist Duff McKagan – who plays bass on this album), was dropped from the label when Geffen merged to form Dreamworks. But for the time being, Stradlin was still under the watch of a major label, who rejected his first submission for the album.
“Yeah I was pissed,” he said in an interview posted to fansite Chopaway.com. But the easy-going guitarist admits his frustration only lasted “for about five minutes.”
While the ex-Guns member made a career sticking it to the Man, in this case, the Man proved to be right. The complaint was that the record was lacking in slow songs completely. While rockers like “117 Degrees” and “Freight Train” are quality rock ‘n’ roll, 117° would have missed out a lot of its character without slow tempo tracks like “Gotta Say”.
The layover left time for the appearance of “Ain’t It A Bitch”, the last song written for 117°. “Ain’t It A Bitch”starts the album where the last left off. It’s a bluesy rocker fused with the sounds of the Stones. It’s familiar territory, and leads the album with a punch.
But from here Izzy delves into other influences, giving 117° a different face than its predecessor. There’s a blazing rendition of Chuck Berry’s “Memphis”; one of two tracks recorded before the Ju Ju Hounds parted ways. “Here Before You” draws from Johnny Cash. It opens with the crackling of vinyl and a slow, churning Cash imitation, before catapulting into an up-tempo, light rocker.
Overall, 117° is more diverse than Izzy’s debut. For punk, there is “Parasite”; rockabilly, there is a cover of Ronnie Dawson’s “Up Jumped The Devil”. Closing the album is “Surf Roach”, a Dick Dale-esque surf rock instrumental.
Although Izzy branched out from under the spell of the Rolling Stones and the Faces, his style and sound remains consistent with his previous work, and gives 117° a cohesive feel.
Perhaps it’s best that Stradlin was dropped from his label following 117°. On “Good Enough” he sings of his simple content with decisions made easily. “Good enough for someday/Good enough for me/Good enough for someone/Good enough ya see.” If it’s good enough to please Izzy, it’s good enough for the world. And this is about as far removed from the ideals of a major label as one can get.
Luckily the songwriting that comes to Izzy with apparent ease is not only good enough, it’s great. And the next wait would not be nearly as long as the first. While it took Izzy six years to finally buckle down and get 117° released, the coming years would see Stradlin releasing music at a rapid pace.
Next up is Ride On. Coming out only a year after 117°, Izzy’s new album would find itself only being released in Japan.
Follow Izzy Stradlin: Life On His Own here.
1. Ain’t It A Bitch
2. Gotta Say
3. Memphis
4. Old Hat
5. Bleedin
6. Parasite
7. Good Enough
8. 117 Degrees
9. Here Before You
10. Up Jumped The Devil
11. Grunt
12. Freight Train
13. Methanol
14. Surf Roach
