DOWN & DIRTY
Taste Of Rock & Roll
2011

By Shane Pinnegar

From the moment TOR&R stomps it’s leather boot out of the speakers full of teenage sass and pout, hairspray and hangovers, it’s obvious that these four young dudes – L.A. Mangano, Majyk, 9 Volt and Joey – were suckled on the teat of classic rock and glam from the glory days before these boys were even born.

Down & Dirty have come a long way since I saw them in Tulsa, Oklahoma back in 2009 – better songs, more polish, better musicianship - and they’re really sounding like a focussed unit on this, their debut full length album.

Full of youthful, raw, punky energy, the songs here may remind the listener of Motley Crue, Skid Row, Guns n’ Roses et al, but Down & Dirty have an unmistakable sound of their own through anthemic riffing rockers like the title track, ‘Free & Young’ and Led Zep/Aerosmith riffing of ‘Wild Child’.

Piano-led scorcher ‘Fallin’ shows a tender side to the band and features an excellent guitar solo from L.A., and a spirited hard rockin’ cover of John Cougar Mellancamp’s classic ‘Hurts So Good’ is a fun halfway point to the album.

From there the party is in full swing through rabble rousing ‘Party With Me’, the ferocious ‘Get It Right’, ‘You’ and the electrifying barroom boogie of ‘Gotta Luv It’.

If you like your rock with an Eighties vintage and more testosterone than a bus load of high schoolers on summer break, Down & Dirty have exactly the Taste Of Rock & Roll to soothe your soul.