Note to
J.P. Patterson: the LP is NOT dead. Just ask any hipsters who cross your path -- practically no one who knows buys CDs any more, but those thick, heavy collector-scum vinyl editions? That's what the kids want these days. Of course, that's about the only mistake
Patterson makes on his second solo album.
Patterson is a top-notch rock & roll drummer who has played with
the Dictators, Manitoba's Wild Kingdom and
the Voluptuous Horror Of Karen Black, among others, but he knows how to write a song and make it come alive in the studio, and he demonstrates this impressive skill eleven times in a row on
The LP Is Dead. The album is chock full of melodic hooks that will stick in your ear after the album is over, along with rollicking guitar lines and (of course) kick butt rhythms that will get your party moving if you still like the rock & roll.
Patterson handled the lead vocals as well as drums and some guitar on these sessions, and he's an effective rock belter who can sound tough and craggy on "Hand Grenade Heart," make like a one-man
Beach Boys on "Almost Summer" and shout strong and sweet on "Getting Out" and fit the bill just right each time. Producer
Patterson gives drummer
Patterson plenty of space in the mix, but guitarist/bassist Dean Rispler certainly makes himself heard, and while this music rocks plenty hard, it's tuneful and has an admirable sense of fun to go along with the Hungry Man helpings of muscle and swagger. Sure, some folks think the LP is dead, just like some others want to tell you rock & roll is dead -- those are the kind of folks who clearly haven't heard
Thunderbolt Patterson in action, and this album prove the big beat is still alive and kicking, and
Patterson makes it swing hard on
The LP Is Dead. ~ Mark Deming