Search - Mitch Ryder :: Detroit with Mitch Ryder

Third the Motion

Kent Wittrup | Lynn, MA United States | 12/28/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"With props to brother Albright, that's "Badanjek," that is, John "Johnny B" Badanjek, unsung hero of rock'n'roll, who performs all the way up to the standard he set on the Detroit Wheels' version of the Marvellettes' "Too Many Fish in the Sea." Also this band included Steve Hunter on guitar, who went on to team up with guitarist Richard Wagner for producer Bob Ezrin with Lou Reed, Alice Cooper and others.



I saw these guys follow Brownsville Station in a small but ornate theater on Mass. Ave. in Boston in a 5-band concert headlined by the MC5, and was so blown out after Detroit's set that I left without seeing the last three bands on the bill. Having danced in the aisle on that occasion, I fear that the only rational answer brother Rush's question at this stage would have to involve something about management and promotion.



Sign the Hall of Fame petition at http://mitchryder.com/mrol/modules/tinycontent/index.php?id=5!"

A rare gem

John Rush | Austin, Texas | 06/27/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Why didn't this album sell when it was originally released? One could argue against naming the band after the city they hailed from, but that didn't keep Chicago and Boston from becoming rich and famous. The year's sluggish economy was hampered by Nixon's infamous wage and price controls, but that didn't prevent Led Zeppelin IV, Who's Next, Alice Cooper's Killer, Humble Pie's Rockin' the Fillmore, the Rolling Stones' Sticky Fingers and the Faces' A Nod Is As Good as a Wink from going gold, platinum, and beyond. Perhaps the record company is to blame - how widely distributed was the album outside of southeastern Michigan? But I found this CD more than 15 years ago in El Paso, Texas.



So I can't explain it. The original Side 1 still stands out among the best hard rock sides ever released. Long Neck Goose harkens back to Mitch Ryder's Detroit Wheels days, a catchy piano enhances Is It You (Or Is It Me), It Ain't Easy successfully blends acoustic verses with the electric chorus, and the cover of Lou Reed's Rock `N Roll features a riff that stomps all over everything Reed ever tried. While Side 2 is generally forgettable (the first cut, the Let It Rock cover, is the only good tune), the album contained less filler than most of its contemporaries.



I'd hoped that line-up juggling would end with the demise of 8-track tapes, but too many CDs reissues continue this bad habit. Here, one of the filler tunes, Box Of Old Roses, is placed between Is It You (Or Is It Me) and It Ain't Easy. This ruins the continuity of the first 5 tracks, making me program the CD every time I hear it. Fortunately, the band's great version of Gimme Shelter, originally just a single, is added, giving this CD extra oomph. No one covers this song better, and Detroit's rendition is arguably superior to the original; the guitarists simplified the riffs, and Ryder's gravelly throat sets the proper mood for this song. The timing was wrong for this 1972 release, though: the draft had finally ended, rendering anti-war tunes passe.



If you can find this CD, it's a fine, fine addition to any hard rock collection.

"

Detroit with Mitch Ryder

Duane Albright | Detroit, MI | 12/04/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is Detroit rock and Mitch Ryder at his best. With Jim McCarty on guitar and Johnny "B" Banazak on drums, this music has a drive that never quits. Not even after 35 years. Mitch took Lou Reed's "Rock n Roll" and made it his own song. After this, Mitch had to retire for years to save his vocal chords.

That should tell how how much effort Mitch Ryder put into this group."