'77: 21st Century Rock

Dirty Looks did it, Rhino Bucket did it and now come '77 to try their luck at taking the basic bar blues-print made famous by AC/DC and add, well nothing really. By that I don't mean that '77 don't stamp their own authority on this music, however I do get the impression that if you said to the band that 21st Century Rock sounds exactly like early AC/DC, thy be really, really chuffed. Not content to sound like the Aussie stalwarts, '77 also mimic them by having brothers (LG and Armand) on lead and rhythm guitar. Armand also must have spent hours preening round his bedroom wearing a denim waistcoat as he does a very passable impression of the late great Bon Scott. That said I'm not sure that Big Bad Bon had a Spanish accent, as surprisingly that's where this band of barroom boogiesters hail from. To be fair to him, Armand does manage to mask his accent to such an extent that when it does slip through it surprises you out every time.

As far as '77 go, I'm sure that this debut really ticks every box they wanted it to, however the inability to throw in even the slightest semblance of something different does leave you hankering for those boys that do it best and that's the problem. For all that "Wicked Girl" swaggers and struts, "Double Trouble Woman" rides on, or "Gimme Rock N' Roll" rumbles effecttively at a swaying pace, you just can't help wishing that you'd slipped on Highway To Hell and heard it done properly.

Bearing in mind that 21st Century Rock is '77's first offering at has to be said that it is tremendous fun and it is impossible to fault any of the musicianship, or indeed song writing and I'm sure they must be pretty special live, however unless you live and breathe, as this band obviously do, early AC/DC, it's hard to view this as anything other than a quick diversion and in truth it's all too throwaway. Don't discount them though as '77 do appear to have the guile that may see album number two be more substantive, however they will need to inject a little more of themselves for it to be so.

Track Listing
1. Gimme Rock N' Roll
2. Hardworking Liar
3. Big Smoker Pig
4. Shake It Up
5. Wicked Girl
6. Your Games Over
7. Less Talk (Let's Rock)
8. Let The Children Hear Rock N' Roll
9. Double Tongue Woman
10. 21st Century Rock

Added: March 20th 2010
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Band's MySpace Page
Hits: 966
Language: english

[ Printer Friendly Page ]
[ Send to a Friend ]