The Michael Des Barres Band - Carnaby Street
Gonzo Multimedia
http://www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk

Rating: B

Born a European nobleman, Michael Des Barres got bit by the rock and roll bug at an early age. While some sarcastically claim that he is most famous for, at one time, being married to Pamela Des Barres, the most famous groupie in music history, that is just not fair. Michael was the front man for a very successful European band in the 1960’s and was later signed by Jimmy Page for Led Zeppelin’s Swan Song Records in 1975 with the band Detective. He toured with The Power Station and played Live Aid with them. He was in the super group, Chequered Past, with Clem Burke and Nigel Harrison of Blondie and Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols. He also penned the song “Obsession” which became a number one hit around the world for the new wave band Animotion.

While mainstream fame has never quite found him in the USA, Des Barres has continued to perform and act, even landing a stint in WKRP in Cincinnati. Now, after 40 years, he has returned to his roots and released a solid album of rocking songs titled Carnaby Street. “The music I am making now is inspired by my past in the mid '60s / early '70s,” Michael explains. “As a kid I would go watch all the skinny white blues rock 'n' roll musicians in the clubs and it hit me like a hammer! I was so influenced by both the courage of these young white guys combined with the soulful rawness of the African American bluesmen, and the hybrid was so fascinating to me that it really stimulated my entire musical vocabulary. So when I got back into writing songs a couple years ago and compelled to play them, realizing that that's really the only thing I wanted to do was to write songs based on the authenticity of what I'd initially heard.”

This album may give a tip of the hat to the 1960’s style rock he first played, however, the album still remains fresh. The songs are well written and performed well. This album came out of nowhere and is a really nice surprise.

By Jeb Wright