JetBoy

I'm actually starting this thread not because i like JetBoy but because when i discovered them a few years ago they disappointed me big time. This folly needs to be debunked so to speak.

Since i never lived through the decades of my favourite bands i'm constantly digging back trying to find that proverbial "Diamond in the rough" that escaped everyone's attention. Sometimes you find them and sometimes you come across bands like JetBoy.

I'd heard about them through the Guns N' Roses connection (A connection that is heightened even more so now since the JetBoy's public criticism of Slash's portrayal of bassist Todd Crew's death in his book).

I thought they must be cool because they named themselves after one of my favourite New York Dolls songs and their singer named himself after that other guy in T. Rex.

And their image, wow one of the most iconic of that era. Just looking at them i knew they dug all my favourite bands like Hanoi Rocks, Stray Cats, Aerosmith, Sex Pistols etc.

I mean that image had it all. A singer with an impressive mohawk, a guitarist straight from the Andy McCoy school of rock n' roll cool all decked out in gypsified rock n' roll regalia and topped off with a bolero hat, the other guitarist had a Gretsch White Falcon which is thee king daddy of all guitars plus they had Sami Yaffa on bass, Sami Yaffa!

So i was totally excited to hear the music of this Rockabilly Glam Blues Punk Metal trash band, i honestly thought they could be my little alternative to Guns N' Roses. The band i would trump whenever Guns N' Roses big name was ever mentioned. "Oi you gotta check this band JetBoy out if you like Guns", having full confidence in my patronage of the band being able to stand toe to toe with that great band.

I eventually secured a copy of their debut "Feel The Sake" and pressed play. And what came out was the weakist ham fisted rock anthem i've heard. 4 minutes or so latter i was left skaking my head and saying so what. They then followed it up with a song equally as mediocre "Make Some Noise", the rest of the album barely registered a ripple.

It was just bland, no songs, boring singer, no attitude and the guitars were totally harmless there was no bite of personality. Even CC Deville was doing more interesting things with his guitar at that time than any of the JetBoy's guitarists. Forget Guns N' Roses it wasn't even Faster Pu$$ycat, hell i'll go further it made Poison look like the Joneses.

The production did let them down, just too vanilla and safe. I was so disappointed, this wasn't beyond the pale it was it. Totally style over substance.

I haven't heard the follow up 'Damned Nation' and don't really have an interest in hearing it. I did however get a comp of their early stuff before their major label let down. And their is the seed of a really good band. The guitars are actually Chuck Berry/JT derived. To witness the full extent of the hatchet job on the production of the first record play 'Bad Disease' from the label debut to the version to their demo version.

Anyway White Falcon toting guitarist Billy Rowe went on and formed the great 70's glitter inspired Pop N' Roll group American Heartbreak and Sami Yaffa after being in the great Demolition 23 (Best punk record of the 90's anyone?) actually went and joined the real JetBoy's the New York Dolls in their much celebrated comeback.

I still keep the album just thinking one day it will surprise me but geez its mediocre. Maybe i'm being too harsh on these guys.

rattpoison wrote:

I eventually secured a copy of their debut "Feel The Sake" and pressed play.

Everything you said before this line doesn't matter. The music matters. That's it! The images, the connections, the people, the era, etc.—all of that means nothing at all.

FEEL THE SHAKE! FEEEEL THE SHAKE... fun song.

troublezone wrote:

FEEL THE SHAKE! FEEEEL THE SHAKE... fun song.

Duh i got the lyric wrong...(feel the earth shake).

I've got "Feel The Shake." It's got a couple of good songs on it but I agree with RattPoison, the album doesn't really deserve its semi-legendary rep.

I've had Feel The Shake for years; I didn't know it was semi-legendary. I thought is was just OK hair metal.

I have Feel the Shake and their 2nd Damned Nation. While I haven't listened to either one of them in quite some time, I recall liking Damned Nation better. And yea, I agree that they were better than average for what was happening at the time, but not as great or legendary as some folks seem to think they were.

Eyesore wrote:

rattpoison wrote:

I eventually secured a copy of their debut "Feel The Sake" and pressed play.

Everything you said before this line doesn't matter. The music matters. That's it! The images, the connections, the people, the era, etc.—all of that means nothing at all.

Maybe that's your way of thinking when it comes to music but my experience and like and attitude towards or against music is dictated by more than just words and notes.

That's why i put it in, my personal experience with this band happened before i heard a single note of their music. It was definately relevant in me expressing my disappointment with the music. Going from excitement to anti-climax.

Their actually was something good to come out of JetBoy other than Sami Yaffa...

...Billy Rowe's American Heartbreak

Imagine old Cheap Trick, AC/DC, T. Rex in a blender and you get this

A stoked celebration of that classic golden brown decade of music

I have the S/T and Postcards From Hell by American Heartbreak.

rattpoison wrote:

Eyesore wrote:

rattpoison wrote:

I eventually secured a copy of their debut "Feel The Sake" and pressed play.

Everything you said before this line doesn't matter. The music matters. That's it! The images, the connections, the people, the era, etc.—all of that means nothing at all.

Maybe that's your way of thinking when it comes to music but my experience and like and attitude towards or against music is dictated by more than just words and notes.

That's why i put it in, my personal experience with this band happened before i heard a single note of their music. It was definately relevant in me expressing my disappointment with the music. Going from excitement to anti-climax.

Well, then prepare yourself for a lot of disappointment. Music is music. Nothing more. If you need other things outside the music to validate the music itself, then you're going to miss out on a lot of great things.

this thread should have been in the reviews area.

mc666 wrote:

this thread should have been in the reviews area.

Unsound Mind. It's about an identity crisis.

A Jetboy thread doesn't even belong on this board. Rubbish.

SoldierUnderCommand wrote:

A Jetboy thread doesn't even belong on this board. Rubbish.

Says the man that doesn't own any AC/DC or Scorpions. Pfft.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

SoldierUnderCommand wrote:

A Jetboy thread doesn't even belong on this board. Rubbish.

Says the man that doesn't own any AC/DC or Scorpions. Pfft.

Nothing wrong with either of those bands though. Jetboy on the other hand......

Eyesore wrote:

Well, then prepare yourself for a lot of disappointment. Music is music. Nothing more. If you need other things outside the music to validate the music itself, then you're going to miss out on a lot of great things.

So no band has ever appealed to you or turned you off based on their look/attitude/reputation/opinions from others/etc? You must be going broke buying CDs if you don't let "outside" influences have a say in your purchasing!

Huh. I think the music industry would be relieved to know they can stop wasting that money on marketing. Haha.

I get where you're coming from, rattpoison. Lot of bands with the look, but no hook.

SoldierUnderCommand wrote:

A Jetboy thread doesn't even belong on this board. Rubbish.

You're still a mod, aren't you?

Quote :

You're still a mod, aren't you?

Yeah, but I wouldn't delete or move a thread because I don't like a band.

SoldierUnderCommand wrote:

Quote :

You're still a mod, aren't you?

Yeah, but I wouldn't delete or move a thread because I don't like a band.

I know that. And that's what makes you a kindly and generous mod. :king:

I will rag on the author though.

Feel The Shake is ok IMO - nothing more or less.

Funny you mentioned Poison - Ric Browde produced the song 'Make Some Noise.' I think it was (or was supposed to be) the single from the album. Tom Allom produced the rest of it, which probably wasn't a great match - Allom was more of a 'metal' guy.

Damned Nation did absolutely nothing for me. I have one of those pre-'...Shake' compilations (A Day In the Glamorous Life) and quite like it (has a great tune called Feel So Good)

JETBOY were okay...to me....I much preferred ROCK CITY ANGELS and SMASHED GLADYS and loads of other "strip sleaze" acts of the day...

"Damned Nation" is a harder rockin' disc, I get what RP is sayin'....this band's music did not deliver on the promise made by it's image....

Quote :

JETBOY were okay...to me....I much preferred ROCK CITY ANGELS and SMASHED GLADYS and loads of other "strip sleaze" acts of the day...

Oh man, Smashed Gladys rocked my world when it came out. I was sooooo lucky to find a copy of "Social Intercourse" at a used CD shop in the early 90s.

And I've actually seen Rock City Angels live at The New Daisy in Memphis back in the day. They translated much better live than they do on CD IMO. I only like their ZZ Top-like stuff on CD.

I burned through at least 2 copies of "Social Intercourse" on cassette, before finding a disc....killer disc!!!

Shiney wrote:

I burned through at least 2 copies of "Social Intercourse" on cassette, before finding a disc....killer disc!!!

Do you know there's another Smashed Gladys album?

I got mp3s of it from a friend. I think the music pre-dates Social Intercourse.