Junkyard Speedball by Left Lane Cruiser

by Sam Houghton

Classic rock is done, over with, washed-up and so over played that its lifeless corpse has been seen gasping for air in the desert like a sucked through raisin. It has become a nostalgic trip destined to plague the cover of the nostalgia tripping Rolling Stone Magazine until Bono finally gets hit by a bus. Unless of course you haven’t listened to new music. In that case, classic rock is fine – music to fill the void… music to get numb and dumb to. There are still plenty of folk out there who have not had the opportunity and still think U2 is inspiring music. And if you are one of those folk, I am jealous for it must take a great skill to be so ignorant and blissful… but if you’re tired with bliss, new music is out there. It makes you feel good and fresh and one with the young folk around you, which is doubly more inspiring than a billionaire in cheesy sunglasses.

For those curious and still stuck in the past, I suggest you check out Left Lane Cruiser and their new album Junkyard Speedball [Alive Records – 2011]. Their blues inspired, angry hobo rock will help ease you into this realm of new music.

Junkyard Speedball is the third from the Cruisers, produced by Jim Diamond. It is an Alive Naturalsound Record’s classic: barebones, backwoodsy, pure bad ass rock and roll.

On first listen, the hardcore Cruiser fan may be disappointed. It’s a new take, not a Bring Yo’ Ass to the Table type album based entirely on rugged blues. There’s a new quality to the Cruisers that doesn’t forgo the blues completely, but attempts to give it more of a dynamic edge. Compare the opening track to Bring Yo’ Ass, “Wash It,” with Speedball: it sounds like the drum line is played with pots and pans, where as Speedball rises above the low rent vibe. The riffs by Evans are not solely slide work, he seems to be exploring into the wider realm of music. He digs into almost heavy metal riffs on “Represent,” grunge riffs on “Road Again,” and into the Southern Soul thing on “Giving Tree.” Where Bring Yo’ Ass was a one-dimensional album, Speedball explores more territory while keeping the rugged, junkyard trademark of The Cruisers. I think Jim Diamond may have had an effect on these decisions.

For those not in the know, Jim Diamond is mostly known for producing the debut, self-titled White Stripes album and helping with their second, De Stijl (As the story goes, Mr. Diamond was and is fired up over some legal issues with Jack White. Diamond thinks he deserves some of the lush and healthy royalties The White Stripes received after his production expertise. Diamond believes that he helped develop the signature stripped down, White Stripes sound. In a few interviews, Diamond claims that he had no idea that the Stripes would be big, but they were just another band from Detroit: buddies playing music together like the several other rock bands from Detroit then. And producing what many claim to be The White Stripes’ best and rawest album, Jack White himself even, Diamond felt that Mr. White owed him a little something extra - but he didn't get it).

Another Diamond moment came when the Black Keys called him up to see if he would produce an album of theirs, but he shot them down, claiming they were good without him.

Depending on your allegiances, Diamond seems like a sneaky fellow. Either way, his style is bare-bones, Detroit rock. He has become a favorite to the Alive Naturalsound folk producing the debut solo album of James Leg (Black Diamond Heavies, the big noise organist who makes a few appearances on Speedball... “Giving Tree” for one), and has also garnered a well respected name for himself in the entire garage rock movement.

Junkyard Speedball is Diamond’s first production with Left Lane Cruiser. The question has got to be asked if this collaboration worked and whether or not they, also, would have been better without production help. The work on Bring Yo’ Ass is simplified music. The songwriting of the band sticks out without reverb and feedback intruding over the sound. Evans’ country blues slide work is brilliant. All You Can Eat [Alive – 09] is a notch higher in blues punk, bordering on heavy metal blues. I think that Speedball is an attempt to reach a larger fanbase, the less backwoodsy and less bluesy folk, and I think it will work, yet it must be said that Bring Yo’ Ass is a better album. Speedball has too much extraneous noise going on, an attempt to make it a more rock and roll band, instead of a blues band. I think they have yet to realize how good of an album Bring Yo’ Ass is. While Speedball keeps some of that classic, rugged sound, the songs get caught-up with other ideas.

That being said, “Giving Tree” and “Cracker Barrel” are two of the best songs the band has given us. Call them big game singles even. When all said and done, Junkyard Speedball is still a great album… it’s new music with an edge, but the hardcores might think it falls short.