IZZY STRADLIN
117' (1998)


Rating: 8/10
A little less rockin', but plenty of rollin'.


Towards the end, Guns n' Roses got better at making headlines than music. But I'm guessing their rhythm guitarist was more interested in the latter; in 1992, he went off on his own and recorded Izzy Stradlin' & the Juju Hounds, a collection of shuffling Stones-inspired rockers that were non-metallic, unpornographic and in all other respects, very little like Gn'R. On this new album, 117', it becomes apparent that Izzy had been just hanging out with bad company after all. Venturing even farther afield, he's come up with an album that's solid, ecclectic, and thoroughly enjoyable.

Stradlin lends his pleasantly ragged Mellencamp-ish voice and understated but protean guitarwork to a whole variety of lazy (and occasionally crazy) melting-potrock songs - from the country-inflected ("Good Enough"), to rockabilly ("Up Jumped the Devil") and surf-rock ("Surf Roach"). On the whole, the songs, performance and arrangements on 117' suggest a confidence and genuine ability at songcraft as well as noisemaking, something that was was occasionally suspect in Stradlin's Gn'R songs.

Most surprising though, is the good-natured, laid-back feel of the album and the ample evidence in his lyrics of Stradlin's easy sense of humour (especially in the self-depracating "Old Hat" where he sings chastisingly "I don't really need no submachine gun, your paranoia is getting old" but then immediately adds "but I wouldn't mind having myself a bazooka.")

Whether or not Axl Rose finally manages a solo album, I'm betting 117' is going to be far and away the best solo album by a former Gn'R member.


Gerald Tan 1998


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 Visitor's Comments:

FROM: HSeussShip@Aol.com (Samuel Lee Mize)
DATE: Mon, 19 Apr 1999
SUBJECT: ...
COMMENTS: ... All I can say is that every once in a while I read a review that makes me wish I wasn't so against guns... Good luck in the future Gerald. Do me a favor an don't look both ways when you are going to cross the street.

FROM: Passcode@aol.com (Anthony)
DATE: Sat, 17 Apr 1999
SUBJECT: Izzy Stradlin
COMMENTS: At last, a fair and decent review.Check out Q magazine's review.....I don't think they got past the cover of either of Izzy's albums.

FROM: dls@netillusions.net (Paul Moore)
DATE: Tue, 23 Mar 1999
SUBJECT: I liked this article and I agree Izzy's solo stuff will probably be the best from any former GNR member.
COMMENTS: If you ever talk to Izzy, ask him why he never responded to the letter I had mailed to him. I realize he has a busy schedule, but at least he could have sent me a photo or a form letter. Is that too much to expect from a celebrity ?

FROM: candieszine@hotmail.com (Juan Ignacio Faisal)
DATE: Sun, 28 Feb 1999
SUBJECT: Izzy Stradlin
COMMENTS: I bought the izzy´s 117º because of his past in GNR, and now i´m amazed. This CD is excellent, it certainly gives me the reason of why GNR released such a shitty album after Izzy´s departure. I´ll give 4 stars to the record.


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