Tricky Woo discography
A no-named band appearing on
compilation albums can be a blessing in disguise. Tricky Woo was tossed at me by Sal Canzonieri
(guitarist of Electric Frankenstein and creator of the “Fistful of Rock ‘n’ Roll” series). I
heard one song by them and was a fan – I went out and bought everything I could
find, which incidentally was not too much as we almost let another band slip
through our fingers here. But we got
lucky.
Tricky Woo is a rock band. This album shows the rock influences to be
bands like MC5, the Stooges and 70’s punk bands. This album was released in 1998 on Sonic
Unyon Records (the price of the CD is in small print on the back - $12 by mail
-). Rock albums like this one didn’t
seem to come around
This album finds the band heading
in a more of a direct “Stooges” like album, with the opening song being similar
to the “TV Eye” riff. The next song on
the album, “Fly the Orient,” is the tune that appeared on A Fistful of Rock n’
Roll Vol. 4. It’s catchy and it’s
rock. I love it when that happens. ‘Sometimes’ still has the fast rockers like,
“I Need Love” but it also has a more 70’s arena rock songs like, “Lady of the
Wind.” Don’t let that dissuade you,
though, these songs are great. This
album is great.
This album came out in 1999 on Sonic Unyon Records for $12 by mail (post
and tax included). Lyrics like “I get up
in the morning just to get down” should make you want to buy this album alone!
This is the album I am most
familiar with. If you like to take long
drives out in the middle of nowhere, this a great album to have with you. Tricky Woo expands their sound ever so
slightly to include a ton of 60’s rock and 70’s arena rock bands. The album is longer and the songs are longer
with more variation in its style. There
are acoustic guitars weaved throughout the album and most of it is instrumental
– not saying the song are, just that there are long
songs with not many verses, more jamming.
I have no problem whatsoever with that.
This 2001 release on Tee Pee Records showed that a band can continuously
put out great albums and still go unnoticed, very similar to the Henry Rollins
‘Rock n’ Roll Ninja’ theory. This album
has more in common with 70’s rock bands (that cannot be stressed enough) than it’s predecessors, which relied on influences of the
Stooges, MC5 and punk to get by. “Les
Sables Magiques” mixes Cream with Bad Company, which doesn’t sound convincing
at all when you read it, but if you listen, you’re hooked. That’s not to say that this album sounds like
those to bands, there’s hints of many bands hidden throughout this album. That should be one reason alone to get this
and make a game out of how many bands you can pick up on. Maybe only if you’re a dork like me. So, forget that idea. Screaming solos are there, sing-along lyrics
and catchy riffs will have this album stuck in your head for days
straight. Tempo changes accent this
album greatly, the Woo know when to speed up a song and when to take it down
low and when to add the blues. Now, it
was just as I bought this album that Tricky Woo announced that they would no
longer be a band. Way to go fans of rock
music. You’re ignorance and willingness
to follow anything on the radio or MTV is disgusting.
Notable compilation appearances:
Track no. 11 – Fly the
Orient. It is this song that made me
want to hear more by Tricky Woo. Good
pick for an attention getter. It came
out in 2000 on Tee Pee Records.
Tracks 6 – 9 are non-album
tracks. This compilation was released in
2000 on Triple X Records. To me, these 4
songs released in a year in which the Woo did not release an album are
significant. They mix “The Enemy is
Real” and “Sometimes I Cry” Tricky Woo with “Les Sables Magiques” Tricky
Woo. The transition is noticeable and
welcomed. A band can only put out so
many albums that sound alike, a bit of growth on each release is a welcomed change.
These 4 songs have it all in the wake of those 3 albums. “Les Sables Magiques” was the next logical
step for the band.
Well, here in 2004, we got
lucky. Tricky Woo have decided to reform
as a band and do something positive with music in these times of crises. Find their albums, support them and rock out!
You can find their albums at www.teepeerecords.com,
www.stonerrock.com,
and perhaps at www.amazon.com.
And definitely keep an eye on www.trickywoo.org
for more info on the band as their reformation takes place. You got lucky. Don’t let it happen again. But you will.
Review by Joe