JOE ELLIOT’s DOWN ‘N’ OUTZ – The Further Adventures Of… [iTunes bonus] (2014)

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“The Further Adventures Of…” is the second studio album by Def Leppard’s frontman Joe Elliott side band the DOWN ‘N’ OUTZ. Featuring Joe on lead vocals and members of UK rockers The Quireboys (plus their former drummer Phil Martini), this new album delves deeper into the Mott The Hoople back-catalogue — reigniting catchy but more overlooked numbers like “Marionette”, “One Of The Boys” and single “Rock N’ Roll Queen”.

“It’s definitely more obscure”, says Down ‘n’ Outz founder, Mott lover and Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliott. “The game plan was to go where we couldn’t go with the first album. I just wanted these songs to get a fresh coat of paint and be heard.”
Discussing the track selection process this time around, Elliott says: “I thought, ‘what’s my desert island playlist of Mott stuff?’ I didn’t want to do Roll Away The Stone, All The Young Dudes… the obvious ones. I wanted to go deeper and make it a proper record of rarities”.

The Down ‘n’ Outz line-up was initially conceived — by Elliott, with members of The Quireboys — as a one-off live project to open for Mott The Hoople at the Hammersmith Apollo in 2009. They performed a “cherry-picked, post-Mott” set, including tracks from spin-off act British Lions and Ian Hunter’s solo records. A delighted reception ensued.
“We did the gig, went to the foyer bar and got nailed to the wall by tearful and enthusiastic Mott and British Lions fans,” Elliott remembers. “Somebody said, ‘you HAVE to go and record those songs!’ So we did.”

If you liked the previous album, you will like this even more. More than that: if you didn’t liked the 1st, you will like this one instead. Why?
I think this second CD “The Further Adventures Of…” is much more solid than the debut from the combo, with and edgy rockin’ vibe akin Thin Lizzy, seventies Queen (just check “Marionette”) and even early Def Leppard.
Additionally, production is more polished and clear, the arrangements more elaborated and overall, all sounds wonderfully melodic. Co-producer Ronan McHugh also plays some bass parts on the album along with guitarist Paul Guerin and Mark ‘Snake’ Luckhurst (ex- Thunder) who played live with the band in 2011.
STRONGLY Recommended.

01 – Rock and Roll Queen
02 – Stiff Upper Lip
03 – Marionette
04 – One of the Boys
05 – Whizz Kid
06 – Violence
07 – The Journey
08 – Drivin’ Sister
09 – Original Mixed-Up Kid
10 – Crash Street Kidds
11 – Broadside Outcasts
12 – The Revenge of the Shipwrecked Hedgehog
13 – Sea Diver (iTunes exclusive Bonus Track)
14 – One of the Boys [Radio Edit] (iTunes exclusive Bonus Track)

Lead Vocals, Guitar, Piano, Percussion – Joe Elliott
Lead & Rhythm Guitars – Paul Guerin
Rhythm Guitars – Guy Griffin
Bass – Paul Guerin, Mark ‘Snake’ Luckhurst, Ronan McHugh
Drums – Phil Martini
Keyboards – Keith Weir

BUY IT !
itunes.apple.com/gb/album/further-adventures-of…-bonus/id845636885
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