Review by Jazzer
4 stars out of 4
From the opening moments of the opening track "I Know What I gotta do",
John Surette and the Deniros do what they do best. They rock like a
veteran unit should rock. The checkered past of Mr. Surette is well
documented. He has written as many (good) songs and has played about
as many good shows as anyone in the Boston music scene in the last twenty
years. Finding local stardom early with the prolific Boys Life (the
original Boston one) in the early eighties, the singer/songwriter/guitarist
dissappeared into obscurity.That obscurity became the Deniros. Years
and years of demos and lineup changes and seemingly oh so close to a
record deal. But the deals never
came. Most would have called in quits, not Surette. Years later,
with the help of another trooper, David Minehan, Surette has hit paydirt.
Simply entitled John Surette and The Deniros, this recording is nothing
less than brilliant. The songs are great, the playing splendid with a
strong lineup that also includes Melissa Wells on Bass, Kathy Demarco
(Last Stand), and guitarist Tom Higgins , who came from nowhere other
than a Boys Life tribute band(Two Doors Down). The ace in the hole is
of course Minehan, who not only co-produced the recordings
with Surette, but adds a lot of tasty
guitar, inspiring background vocals, and the inclusion of the classic
Neighborhoods (Minehan's old band) "Arrogance", which sounds almost as
good as the original. If you want to hear how it's really done, do
yourself a favor, and go out and buy this album, it's a classic.
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