The Dirty Strangers "Dirty Strangers" 1987***

30 years ago, the Dirty Strangers' debut found its way to European record shops. The name of the band  couldn't have been familiar to many outside their Shepherd Bush (London) neighborhood, but the record had something more eye-catching than a picture of crudely painted boobs on its cover: a hype sticker announcing "Guest stars Keith Richards and Ron Wood". Now how the hell did get a complete unknown like the Dirty Strangers' singer/songwriter Alan Clayton get two Rolling Stones to play guitar on his record? Apparently the guy used to work as a bouncer when a roadie introduced him to Richards, and the two hit it off. They'd jam together from time to time when Keith was tired of Jagger's superstar antics and yearning for some honest working class-lads' rock'n'roll, so when Clayton had a steady band and enough songs for an LP he invited Keith to play. Keith brought his pal Ron along and even paid to do some guitar overdubs because the band's bludget wouldn't allow it. Imagine that, Keith Richards paying out of his own pocket so that he can play on your album! It is a decent production, thankfully devoid of 80's studio gloss but with a clear and full sound. The music is organic old-time rock'n'roll with a bit of soul and some punk attitude. Not surprising, considering that the Dirty Strangers included occasional Chuck Berry sideman ‘Scotty’ Mulve on keys and former Rut Paul Fox on guitar. Richards' guitar features prominently in both singles, the Stonesy "Thrill Of The Thrill" and Chuck Berry pastiche "Bathing Belles". Ron Wood plays on 3 tracks: rocker "Baby" with distinctive horns as well as nice piano by Blockhead Mick Gallagher, ballad "Eager to Please" with soulful backing vocals by Angie Brown and "Here She Comes" which to my ears sounds Clash influenced. Richards adds some classy guitar licks to 4 more songs: punky "Oh Yeah", rockabilly "Wide Boys And Slim Pickings" and two quasi-ballads: Otis Redding soul tribute "Diamonds" and country-ish "I didn't Want To Be An Angel". The rest of the songs include Stonesy R&B "Hands Up", "Little Miss Vanity" with its groovy organ, and "Wild One" - the latter may be inspired by the rockabilly classic of the same name, but is a Clayton original same as the other songs here. The Rolling Stones connection proved a mixed blessing, helping sales in Europe but prohibiting the album from getting a US release for contractual reasons. Clayton would later join The Rolling Stones road crew as well as play and record with different versions of The Dirty Strangers. His friendship with Richards took him to places he wouldn't have gone otherwise but he had the tunes, too - this is his music, and it isn't half bad. To be honest, while this is nothing more than a slice of decent pub rock, it's still better than some of the stuff his famous friends released around the same time.

**** for Thrill of the Thrill

*** for Baby, Easy to Please, Oh Yeah!,Didn't Want to Be an Angel, Wild One, Bathing Belles, Here She Comes, Hands up, Diamonds

** for Wide Boys & Slim Pickings, Little Miss Vanity

Keith Richards and The X-Pensive Winos "Live At The Hollywood Palladium, December 15, 1988" 1991***

Keith Richards was the last Stone to venture a solo album and even when he did so in 1988 with "Talk Is Cheap", it was with a minimum of fuss and promotion. He wrote some songs together with drummer/producer Steve Jordan, assembled a band he named The X-Pensive Winos and took them on a brief tour around America. It seems that his main motivation was to stretch his musical muscles while co-founder of the Rolling Stones Mick Jagger was busy promoting his solo albums. The Hollywood Palladium concert was recorded as a personal souvenir of the Winos' short existence, but Richards decided to release it commercially after he heard some inferior quality bootlegs that had already gotten out. Musicians that night included, among others, guitarist Waddy Wachtel, Ivan Neville on keyboards and bass and longtime Stones associate Bobby Keys on sax. The band were obviously relaxed and enjoyed playing together. 9 out of 11 songs from "Talk Is Cheap" get an airing, together with a few Rolling Stones numbers. Of those, "Time Is On My Side" is sung by Sarah Dash and gets an excellent soulful treatment. Reggae-ish "Too Rude" sounds great, liberated from "Dirty Works"'s stiff production and Bobby Keys' sax solos really bring it to life. "Happy" and "Connection", from '72 and '67 respectively, get sprightly arrangements and Talk Is Cheap's "Take It So Hard" opens the album swinging, with its big guitars and rolling pianos, easily topping everything the Stones had produced in the preceding years. "I Could Have Stood You Up" serves up old-time rockabilly, "How I Wish" and "Whip It Up" some fiery solos, "Big Enough", "Struggle" and "Rockawhile" funk-rock, and "Make No Mistake" and "Locked Away" are a couple of emotionally honest ballads. All in all, a reminder that Richards is the beating heart of The Rolling Stones, while Jagger is - I don't know...The lips? Ass maybe?

**** for Take It So Hard, Time Is On My Side, Locked Away, Struggle

*** for I Could Have Stood You Up, Too Rude, Make No Mistake, Big Enough, Whip It Up, Happy, Connection

** for How I Wish, Rockawhile