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Versione 1
Rating: The Dictators from NYC!
How can you not adore a bunch of colossal tricksters wasting tremendous talent!
The combo features Ross The Boss (yes... the one from Manowar...) and his bosom buddy from the Bronx, a roadie, bouncer, troublemaker with an outstanding afro hairstyle: Handsome Dick Manitoba, a fool in name and deed.
Heroes of CBGB'S, where they regularly perform since 1975 with their mix of garage-punk-pop-surf-hard'n'roll, they release the excellent "Go Crazy Girl" in the same year (see the delightful review by Supersoul on this site). Handsome Dick is more or less a mascot, and the main hits are sung by bassist Andy Shernoff, the author of most of their repertoire.
They seem to have the same qualities as people like the Ramones, but apparently distracted by Debbie Harry, the Dictators remain stuck in place.
They try again in 1977 with "Manifest Destiny" but the aim is completely off target, and the band is about to fall apart.
There remains one last attempt, one of desperation! In fact, they decide to promote Handsome Dick Manitoba to the rank of captain, making him a full-fledged singer. And as in the best matches, the change in the final minutes seems to turn the fate of the Dictators...
Bloodbrothers (1978).
The album is a direct continuation of their debut work, and the tracks are captivating: ranging from the Hard Rock of "Minnesota Strip" to the Power Pop of "Baby Let's Twist," "Stay With Me," and "No Tomorrow," from the rock'n'roll of "Borneo Jimmy" to the punk of "Faster and Louder." The episodes of "What Is It" and “I Stand Tall” are, in my opinion, lesser, but the latter anticipates the Survivors of Rocky.
The long-playing concludes with a cover of "Slow Death" by the Flamin' Groovies, a reinterpretation that in my opinion surpasses the original, with Manitoba pouncing on it like a lion, turning it into the highlight of his live performances.
However, the Dictators miss the open goal, and the album goes unnoticed.
This time, the band truly breaks up... Ross the Boss inexplicably forms Manowar, and Handsome Dick lingers in the NYC underground. They will return in 2001, in their original lineup, with the remarkable "D.F.F.D." still met with general indifference.
P.S.: At the beginning and end of "Faster and Louder," you hear the classic 1-2-3-4! Well, it turns out that at the microphone was none other than Bruce Springsteen, someone who knows quite a bit about losers.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Faster and Louder (02:48)
Talk, talk, talk, talk, keeps getting in the way
Speaking as a young artiste who has so much to say
So now you know my situation
understand my aggravation
building up so strong inside
cause I wanna make some noise
I can play
Faster and louder
I can dance
Faster and louder
I can live
Faster and louder
I'm a man
Faster and louder
Feel the need to express myself
Think I'll form a band and call it Yazoo Squelch
Some say it's an abberation
I know it's my avocation
step aside and watch me fly
cause I'm gonna make some noise
I can talk
Faster and louder
I can eat
Faster and louder
I can screw
Faster and louder
I'm a man, I'm a man
Faster and louder
I can scream
Faster and louder
I can jive
Faster and louder
walk the dog
Faster and louder
mow the lawn
Faster and louder
jump back jack!
Faster and louder
get down Bernice!
Faster and louder
Hot Pants!
02 Baby Let's Twist (03:52)
Well she used to be lonely
But she ain't anymore
She was a teenage madonna
But now her clothes are all torn
She's got red lips, red lips
She's got blood on her fingertips
She's got red lips, red lips
But they ain't the kind you wanna kiss
She looks for love
Where the sun never shines
She's crying
I'm so strange
I'm so strange
She says
Baby, let's twist, baby let's twist
Baby, let's twist, baby let's twist
She says I need love, one, two, three
Cause I can't fit in society
So baby, let's twist
A safety pin in her earlobe
A tattoo on her thigh
Well It's a funky situation
And a treat for the eye
07 Borneo Jimmy (04:04)
Standing by the ringside
Cheering on the bad guys
Jimmy lights a cigar
Cursing out the old farts
Drinking Johnny Walker Black
Jimmy's been to hell and back
But nothing ever gets him down
Cause he's got his friends around
Hey, hey, hey
Your day will come
Don't you lose your inspiration
You will reach your destination-now
Go Jimmy go
Go Jimmy go
It's your time to fly
Go Jimmy go go go go go
He loves our little furry friends
Stores 'em up in gelatin
He can babble on and on
All about Jim Morrison
Searching for the promised land
Love can ruin a ladies man
Sonny Liston got his breaks
You'll get yours if you can wait
Hey, hey, hey
Your day will come
Don't you lose your inspiration
You will reach your destination-now
Go Jimmy go
Go Jimmy go
It's your time to fly
Go Jimmy go go go go
These lyrics were found at ActioNext.com.
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