Michael Des Barres is a name that I'm sure most of you didn't think you'd be hearing about here in 2012, especially connected to anything musical. The British singer had his time in the limelight back in the '70s with glam rock pioneers Silverheard and hard rockers Detective, but after a brief stint fronting Power Station in the mid-'80s, we've seen very little of Des Barres other than the occasional acting stint on television or film. Well. he's back, and back with a vengeance, revisiting his '60s and '70s roots with a hot new band and CD titled Carnaby Street.
Joining Des Barres here on Carnaby Street are Paul ILL (bass, backing vocals), Eric Schermerhorn (guitars), Jebin Bruni (keyboards), and David Goodstein (drums, backing vocals). Together they form a tight unit, delivering rock solid, catchy songs that recall vintage Humble Pie, The Faces, Free, and The Rolling Stones, with Des Barres in fine form, sounding like a cross between Rod Stewart and Steve Marriott here. Obviously his voice has held up well over the years seeing as he's been relatively inactive for quite some time. Plenty of bluesy rockers to be found on the album, complete with tasty guitar licks, swirling organ, catchy rhythms, and powerful vocals. Some of the highlights include the funky "Sugar", the hard rocking "You're My Pain Killer" and "Carnaby Street", the R&B meets blues-rock of "Route 69", the sultry blues of "Please Stay" (featuring some great guitar and organ), and the supercharged hard rock of "Little Latin Lover". However, one of the best songs here is the rousing "Hot and Sticky", a tune that will take you back to the early '70s when Stewart and The Faces, and Marriott and Humble Pie were blazing around the world wowing audiences with their brand of soulful, bluesy hard rock. It's really amazing to see just how much swagger Des Barres still has, and he really brings it throughout this red hot album.
I always thought that Detective were one of the most underrated bands of the '70s, and still to this day I have a hard time trying to figure out how that band didn't become huge, considering they were on the same label and Led Zeppelin and Bad Company, and musicially were not far removed from those two behemoths. Michael Des Barres was a big part of what made that band so great, and he shows he still has the vocal chops here on Carnaby Street, and a great new group to boot. He's not reinventing the wheel, but he's put together a great homage to some vintage sounds that should please any classic rock fan out there.
Track Listing
1. You're My Pain Killer
2. Carnaby Street
3. Forgive Me
4. Sugar
5. Route 69
6. Please Stay
7. Little Latin Lover
8. Hot and Sticky
9. From Cloud 9 to Heartache
10. My Baby Saved My Ass
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