By ‘Rebel’ Rod Ames
What is ‘it’ about Milwaukee, Wisconsin that can turn out a band the caliber of R. Mutt? Could it be because the winters are so damn long and cold that they have to stay indoors practicing all of the time?
Everyone will just need to find a way to forgive me for my ignorance of the music scene up there. I’m just unfamiliar. However, R.Mutt’s “Leash on Life” has me wanting to learn more.
Whatever the ‘it’ is, I’m glad ‘it’ is doing whatever ‘it’ is doing, because R. Mutt is one hell of a good rock band. Think The Stones and The Band colliding and morphing into some mutated form of both bands and you have R. Mutt.
They graphically state they are a “Rock and Roll band born 1988 in a pool of stale beer in a Milwaukee basement.” From the sound of their latest record, “Leash on Life” they have much more going for them than a puddle of stale beer. There is probably a lot more to that statement than I am privy too though.
“Leash on Life” is one of the best pure rock ‘n roll records I’ve heard this year (that reminds me-it’s damn near time for me to write that “best of” list). Anyhow, this is one hell of a good record. Wait a minute, I already said that, but dammit it’s true! It’s worth repeating!
If you’d like to see a prime example of my mutated from The Stones/The Band metaphor, then listen to my personal favorite tune on the record, “Fighting”. The band may have been born of a puddle of stale beer, but this song is pure piss and vinegar.
It’s sort of unfair to point to just one song on their latest record, but this one stood out in my mind more than the others, even though there is literally not a weak tune on the album. Quite honestly, I don’t know what took me so long to write the review on this one. The only excuse I have is that there are hundreds of bands out there and just one of little ol’ me!
Excuses aside, Ron Thornton (Guitars and Vocals), Dan Power (Guitars and Vocals), Jim Dier (Bass and Vocals), and Paul Leckie (Drums) have been playing together since 1988 and it shows. When listening to this, their latest, it is apparent that one knows what the other is about to do before they actually do it.
Ringo Starr once said of The Beatles, when walking into Apple Studios way back, that it was like there were the four of them in a circle with God in the middle! When a band has been together as long as R. Mutt, it is something like that.
When I looked at their liner notes, there hardly song on the album that doesn’t contain all of their names. Now that’s chemistry and the chemistry transfers to their performances on “Leash on Life”.
This is absolutely “From Under the Basement” material, and will most definitely be heard on my show.
“Leash on Life” was self- released on 9/10/11. ‘Rebel’ Rod says to check it out!
“Leash on Life” is one of the best pure rock ‘n roll records I’ve heard this year (that reminds me-it’s damn near time for me to write that “best of” list). Anyhow, this is one hell of a good record. Wait a minute, I already said that, but dammit it’s true! It’s worth repeating!
If you’d like to see a prime example of my mutated from The Stones/The Band metaphor, then listen to my personal favorite tune on the record, “Fighting”. The band may have been born of a puddle of stale beer, but this song is pure piss and vinegar.
It’s sort of unfair to point to just one song on their latest record, but this one stood out in my mind more than the others, even though there is literally not a weak tune on the album. Quite honestly, I don’t know what took me so long to write the review on this one. The only excuse I have is that there are hundreds of bands out there and just one of little ol’ me!
Excuses aside, Ron Thornton (Guitars and Vocals), Dan Power (Guitars and Vocals), Jim Dier (Bass and Vocals), and Paul Leckie (Drums) have been playing together since 1988 and it shows. When listening to this, their latest, it is apparent that one knows what the other is about to do before they actually do it.
Ringo Starr once said of The Beatles, when walking into Apple Studios way back, that it was like there were the four of them in a circle with God in the middle! When a band has been together as long as R. Mutt, it is something like that.
When I looked at their liner notes, there hardly song on the album that doesn’t contain all of their names. Now that’s chemistry and the chemistry transfers to their performances on “Leash on Life”.
This is absolutely “From Under the Basement” material, and will most definitely be heard on my show.
“Leash on Life” was self- released on 9/10/11. ‘Rebel’ Rod says to check it out!
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