Still one of the best albums I ownby Anonymous

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December 22, 2002: I've had Izzy Stradlin's debut album ever since it came out more than ten years ago, and four or five years ago I wrote an online review somewhere else, giving it four stars out of five, and saying something about how this record grows on you. Well, it has continued to do so, and it's made it all the way to five stars. "Izzy Stradlin and the Ju Ju Hounds" is one of the few albums that I keep returning to, even after ten years and thousands of dollars' worth of CDs. First of all, this is not Guns n' Roses. If you've heard Stradlin sing his self-penned "Dust n' Bones" on GnR's "Use Your Illusion I" album, you'll have a good idea about what to expect, but if you want heavy metal in the vein of "Right Next Door To Hell" or wild, wailing vocals, this is probably not for you. Izzy Stradlin's vocals are nasal and somewhat hoarse, but they suit his songs fine. Most of the material is written by Stradlin himself, and as a songwriter, he would have done the Stones or the Faces proud. (In fact, Faces keyboardist Ian McLagan supplies Hammond B3 and piano on several tracks, and Ronnie Wood guests on his own composition, "Take A Look At The Guy"). Most of these songs are mid-tempo rock shuffles (except for the punkish "Bucket O' Trouble" and the reggae-feel of "Toots" Hibberts' "Pressure Drop"), and Stradlin and lead guitarist Rick Richards compliment each other perfectly. This is an album that all aspiring guitarists should listen to. The absolute highlight on this disc is the 6? minute "Shuffle It All" (why isn't this recognized as a classic?), but there is really nothing bad on here. "Somebody Knockin'" is a classic, cozy rocker with some great rhythm guitar courtesey of Stradlin himself; "Time Gone By" is a folkish, acoustic ballad, complete with mandolin; "Train Tracks" rocks hard, and "Cuttin' The Rug" just makes you want to do the twist and look really silly as you bob your head up and down like a chicken. This is one of the finest rock albums I've ever heard, and worth all of five stars. Really, it is.

This review was written about the Cassette edition.