The Compulsions--Laughter From Below +
self-released 2004
Ever since their initial breakup, the mainstream have been scrambling for a rock n' roll savior to fill the shoes of Guns N' Roses. Unfortunately, it has been one dissapointment after another in this quest--from Axl's crushingly awful MTV comeback debacle to the fact Velvet Revolver's first single sounds more like STP than GNR. To make matters worse, anyone who really knows their stuff, or just has ears, will tell you the vanilla, generic quality of Jet and the Darkness isn't ever going to fit the bill, either. Mercifully, at long last, an answer has arrived in the form of the Compulsions. This Laughter From Below EP, which also contains three new bonus tracks, is the revelation everyone has been waiting on for so long.
The Compulsions have a rotating membership which has included members of 20 Miles, Toilet Boys, the Patti Smith Group, and Guns N' Roses. The heart of it all, and one constant, is Rob Carlyle. In spite of the unstable lineup situation, this guy has managed to come up with something magical---big production rock n' roll, with hooks that won't quit, which retains a feeling of rawness, nastiness, and authenticity, in spite of the gloss. For this reason, GNR is probably the best stylistic comparison, though the Compulsions are much more Stones inspired and rootsy in their approach. Plus, Carlyle doesn't do the screaming/screeching vocal thing--his pitch is much lower and natural sounding, with just the right amount of gruffness. That the Compulsions are able to pull off what they do without sounding overly contrived is astounding.
Equally as mindblowing is the quality of craftsmanship evident in these songs. The Compulsions are at their rock n' roll best on "Shake Hands With The Devil," while "Howlin' For You," with its killer harp blasts, looks to be the most friendly for GNR faithful. The bonus tracks see the band taking chances that pay of huge, as well. "My Favorite Wine," with its slightly country-tinged balladry, gets the results Kid Rock wishes his forays into Southern rock did. Thanks to its reggae feel, "Turn It On" comes off as a cross between Led Zeppelin's "D'Yer Mak'er" and GNR's cover of "Knockin' On Heaven's Door." Still, the disc's best is Laughter From Below's lead-off track, "Down On The Tracks." From the first note, you know you're bearing witness to something once-in-a-lifetime great. Then, when Richard Fortus' slide guitar kicks in a few notes later, you're forever bound to the Compulsions' spell.
If a large label gets ahold of the Compulsions and doesn't polish them any more than they already are, this stuff will rule the world. It's really only a matter of time and, when it happens, this music will single-handedly kill off every boy and girl band in existence the way Nirvana did to the hair bands of yore. Hop onboard now, because this this stuff is too exciting to wait on until everyone else on your block has heard it. On behalf of rockers everywhere, God bless you Rob Carlyle, God bless you Compulsions, and God bless Laughter From Below. Our prayers have been answered.
Score this CD directly from THE COMPULSIONS
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