A penchant for odd names notwithstanding, the Raging Honkies certainly make a case for their claim of being the best band. With the stellar guitar work of
Michael Landau leading the way, supported by the thumping rhythms of brother/bassist Teddy Landau and drummer Abe Laboriel, Jr., the Raging Honkies venture forth into the alternative rock scene inspired by Nirvana,
Soundgarden and the like. No amateurs here -
Michael Landau is best known to guitar buffs and liner note readers as the guy who has played with everybody, from
Miles Davis and
Herb Alpert to
Savage Garden and
Faith Hill to
Joni Mitchell and James Taylor to
Luis Miguel and
Enrique Iglesias; and Abe Laboriel, Jr. (son of the famed jazz bassist of the same name) has backed folks like Seal,
k.d. lang, and
Jonatha Brooke.
We Are the Best Band seamlessly sets edgy rockers, including "Don't Make Me Hate" and "Machine," right alongside more mellow pieces such as "Oh My" and "What Am I Doing." Naturally, as any good disciple would do,
Michael Landau intersperses the appropriate tips of the hat to Stevie Ray Vaughn throughout the offering. Released independently in 1995 on Smashed Hits,
We Are the Best Band is an overlooked gem that showcases the work of perhaps one of the finest guitar players in the world, allowing him the freedom of true, raw expression on his own terms in his own voice. ~ Kelly McCartney