The Streetwalkin' Cheetahs
All The Covers (And More)

The Streetwalkin' Cheetahs on Wikipedia doesn't have even a single line and just for that reason, I have a soft spot for them.

Child of the Hellacopters as Hellacopters was a child of Motorhead, the sound is a mammoth that sinks its paws into the proto-punk of Ron Asheton and Fred Smith and breaks down every barrier boldly crossing into hard'n'heavy and metal territories. And if anyone dares to object, "Freak Out Man" buries them under tons of watts.

They emerged in 1996 with an EP titled "Heart Full of Napalm" and a year later a single with Deniz Tek lines up "Do The Pop" and "More Fun": that's more than enough to get an idea of the direction the story is headed. I must mention the split with Bellrays "Punk Rock And Soul", firstly because it's extraordinary, and secondly because there's a cover of "Slow Death" that leaves no escape and clarifies the story even better. Then, unlike Bellrays, The Streetwalkin' Cheetahs never compromised with bankers and continued to deal in decibels in the underbelly, where no one gives you a Wikipedia page, at most a good dose of respect and credibility.

Almost 30 years on the streets of Los Angeles, little on the fire but very tasty: aside from a handful of singles, an EP, and a couple of live albums, "Overdrive" is their debut full-length, the album to have if you want just one, but if it knocks you down then it's hard to resist the temptation to be beaten again by "Waiting For The Death Of My Generation" and again by "Guitars, Guns & Gold" and again by "Gainesville" and once more by "One More Drink" which a few years ago marked their return to the scene after 15 years and still in great shape.

In short, just "Overdrive" is not enough; at the very least, it should be paired with "Live on KXLU" – a stunning account of a night spent playing in a Los Angeles radio station and at least 20 minutes worth passing on to future generations, the autographed "Built For Speed" which derails into an endless "Funhouse" – and to do it all in style, the double CD "All The Covers (And More)," released last year simultaneously with "One More Drink."

Actually, to tell the truth, I think that "All The Covers (And More)" in the end is the best way to get to know The Streetwalkin' Cheetahs.

The title says it all in three easy words, all the covers played in 30 years spent on the shaky boards of a stage or within the crumbling walls of a recording studio.

If possible, the cover says even more, modeled on "All The Stuff (And More)" and never was plagiarism such a clear sign of devotion to a lifestyle (with a touch of rhetoric).

Inside there's rock'n'roll according to The Streetwalkin' Cheetahs: the trinity of Detroit sound, the Stooges of "1970" and "Funhouse", the pillaging with guitars blazing of "Kick Out The Jams" and "Looking At You", the Radio Birdman protégés replayed in "Do The Pop" and "More Fun", with Wayne Kramer and Deniz Tek closing ranks and thickening the wall of sound; the Los Angeles scene, from an amphetamine-infused "Los Angeles" to the Dictators and the legend of the Dead Boys revisited inch by inch with Johnny Zero; and then the rock'n'roll origins from Little Richard reaching the vicinity of Flamin' Groovies, because without them there is no story to tell; and even what you wouldn't expect from a band of essentially punk extraction, Cheap Trick and Hanoi Rocks, Motley Crue and Aerosmith, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Iron Maiden, and whoever turns up their nose hasn't understood much or anything about the rock'n'roll story.

Then, after all, after 38 tracks and almost 2 and a half hours, I wonder every time what such a thing is for and inevitably I answer myself that it's for nothing. But The Streetwalkin' Cheetahs and "All The Covers (And More)" always make me relive the absurd emotions I felt the first time, the first time I heard "Aloha Steve And Danno" on the radio, the first time the needle dropped on "Down On The Street", the first time of 'Hey, we're the Ramones, this one's called "Rockaway Beach"' and so it serves a purpose, absolutely.