Last year, MV not only found itself at Stonedead Festival watching The Dead Daisies do what The Dead Daisies do, but also reviewing a live album of the very same thing.
That was “Live At Stonedead”, and now, because rock ’n’ roll has never been improved by restraint, they’re releasing it as “Live Plus Five”.
That matters, actually. Because if “Live At Stonedead” captured a band in its natural habitat, then the five extra tracks underline the point. The Dead Daisies have always made most sense when there are amps behind them, sweat in the air and absolutely no interest in being cool. Cool is for people who need permission. This lot just plug in.
“I’m Ready” is as dirty as blues can be. There’s something about the Double D’s that just says: look, we know how to walk on the wild side, and they do it here with a grin, a swagger and the kind of groove that suggests the road is not so much a job as a calling.
Likewise, “Black Betty” has been done a million times, but this version has a glam stomp about it, and John Corabi’s harmonica takes it down low, baby. It is less a cover version than a bar-room exorcism, all hips and bad decisions.
“Unspoken” is not the blues, but it is a prime example of the sound that belongs to this era of The Dead Daisies rather than the Glenn Hughes one. That is not a criticism, either. It just means the Corabi-fronted Daisies have a different personality: looser, dirtier, more street-corner rock ’n’ roll than cosmic heavy soul.
“Last Time I Saw The Sun” is perfect, frankly. The anthem of itinerant road dogs, set to an arena rock beat. Only men who adore rock ’n’ roll do this sort of thing with this much conviction. It is not trying to reinvent anything. It is trying to remind you why you fell in love with it in the first place.
And then there’s “Get A Haircut”. You can only imagine how many times these boys were told that over the years. If you know the history, you know David Lowy did indeed do that — and he is, let’s be blunt about this, richer than God — but that ain’t the point. The point, as ever with The Dead Daisies, is that there is nothing else he would rather do than this.
That has always been the charm here. The cynics can mutter about supergroups, revolving doors and line-ups all they want, but “Live Plus Five” proves again that The Dead Daisies are not some vanity project playing at rock stardom. They are lifers, enthusiasts, believers. Men who understand that rock ’n’ roll works best when it is loud, simple, heartfelt and just a little bit daft.
“Live Plus Five” takes a strong live album and gives it another kick in the backside. No fuss. No pretence. No need for one.
Rating: 8/10
