296) Neurotic Outsiders

After many years as a DJ in his adopted country of America Steve Jones is back now; his excellent autobiography was made into a TV series, and he went out with his friend Paul Cook with Billy Idol and Tony James as Generation Sex and is currently storming it across the world with Sex Pistols with Frank Carter. I know a fair few Lydon fans are not happy, but I saw them in Glasgow, if you get the chance see them.

What Steve Jones hasn’t done is release any new music since 1996. Back then no one was expecting the Pistols to reform and Axl had sacked everyone from Guns n Roses, and someone was not happy in Duran Duran.

Therefore, Steve Jones, Duff McKagan, Matt Sorum and John Taylor decided to form Neurotic Outsiders. They signed to Madonna’s label, Maverick released this album, it did next to nothing and that was it as the band members went on to different projects.

Steve Jones had always interested me, and I was in a second-hand record shop and there was a Neurotic Outsiders promo for a song called Union for less than a quid. If it was rubbish, then I had not wasted a fortune. Now it was not bad as Jones, over an acoustic guitar, laments the Pistols before the guitars arrive and  the band go for it. It’s not life changing but enjoyable enough.

Jones dominates, writing seven of the tracks and co-writes on two plus there is a cover of The Clash’s Janie Jones, which is passable but not a patch on the original.

Nasty Ho has a good swirl around riff, but do not pay attention to an unpleasant lyric of going with a prostitute, it’s certainly not subtle. John Taylor takes lead vocals on Always Wrong and Feelings Are Good, nothing like Duran Duran, Taylor does not have the greatest of voices, but it fits these grunge-like tracks.

In fact, that’s what this record is a pre grunge, punk rock record with the odd ballad thrown in for good measure.

To prove this Revolution has a good punk vibe and displays the talent of the musicians and Better Ways and Story of My Life are pleasant enough ballads and Six Feet Under would not have sounded out of place on a Guns n Roses album.

Several tracks are average Good News (lead vocal by Duff), Angelina and Jerk have riffs and solid drumming from Sorum, but you are not going to be playing them again and again.

I am not sure a lot of thought went into this record the four of them were just playing for fun and maybe this record reflects that, worth a listen to see where they were back then but you can see why they were all happy to move on.

5/10

GIVE IT A STREAM: Revolution