THEE MICHELLE GUN ELEPHANT
Gear Blues (Alive/Total Energy)
Rating: 7 out of 7
By Chris Morris

   The Japanese quartet Thee Michelle Gun Elephant has been a personal crusade of mine since I first heard this hard-rocking 1998 album, then still an import, in an Atlanta record store last year. This band simply has it all—a too-tuff sound derived from instrumental power trios ranging from the Pirates and the Who to Dr. Feelgood and the Jam; a bold, hard-riffing song sense; and top-notch production values. And, in Futoshi Abe, the group boasts one of the most imaginative and powerful lead guitarists in contemporary rock. The language barrier presents no problem: Though most of the lyrics are in Japanese, Westerners can always yell along with the songs’ English hook lines.   
   Any way you slice it, potent tunes like “West Cabaret Drive,” “Smokin’ Billy,” “Free Devil Jam,” and “Danny Go” deliver pure rock pleasure that cuts across all cultures. These rising sun rebels are not to be missed, and this collection’s a stone classic.

All recordings courtesy Alive/Total Energy. All songs written by Y. Chiba and Thee Michelle Gun Elephant; courtesy of YWA Music (BMI).