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 allΓÇöa 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 songsΓÇÖ English hook lines.
Any way you slice it, potent tunes like ΓÇ£West Cabaret Drive,ΓÇ¥ ΓÇ£SmokinΓÇÖ Billy,ΓÇ¥ ΓÇ£Free Devil Jam,ΓÇ¥ and ΓÇ£Danny GoΓÇ¥ deliver pure rock pleasure that cuts across all cultures. These rising sun rebels are not to be missed, and this collectionΓÇÖs 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).
