Thank goodness there are still bands like Dramarama, who still make good, old-fashioned rock 'n' roll.
In their four previous studio efforts, these New Jersey expatriates (who now make their home in L.A.) have managed to make a solid career by making seemingly effortless pop/rock that isn't always original but is usually entertaining. They've also mixed, and somewhat parodied, hippy psche-delia ("Stuck in Wonderamaland"), '70s hard-rock ("Vinyl") and lovelorn pop ("Cinema Verite") with dry, blunt rock 'n' roll. But their fifth long-player puts the emphasis back into the "rock" part.Co-produced by singer/lyricist John Easdale and bass guitarist Chris Carter to avoid studio gloss and gimmickry, "Hi-Fi Sci-Fi" is easily Dramarama's best and most consistent effort to date - featuring crunching, hook-filled pop/rock with a wicked sense of humor.
The album's first single, "Work for Food," has received criticism from those who think it demeans the homeless and beggars, when it actually does the opposite - taking the viewpoint of a homeless L.A. denizen who (perhaps too proudly) refuses to work for meals and won't take charity. Also, the song has first-rate musicianship (from lead guitarist Mark "Mr. E" Englert and former Blondie drummer Clem Burke) and a likable, catchy chorus.
On the fun side, "Don't Feel Like Doing Drugs" slams the chemically dependent L.A. nightlife - especially in Easdale's weary vocals, which make him sound like the stereotypical strung-out California lowlife, even though he's not - while the bruising "Senseless Fun" is just that.
Also, "Right On Baby, Baby" is a solid piece of white-boy soul music and the unlisted silliness of "Hey, Grandpa!" (featuring more than a dozen celebrities - Joey Ramone, Bobcat Goldthwait, Gary Owens and Tony Curtis among them - on guest vocals, er shouts) ends things on a not-so-serious note (which, given the lack of levity in rock these days, is actually nice to see).
Dramarama's members make no bones about who their heroes and influences are (bluesy rock artists like the Rolling Stones, as well as early punk pioneers like the New York Dolls), and seemingly have no qualms about appropriating their styles (check out "The Bad Seed" for the former, and "Hey Betty!" as a punishing example of the latter).
It's no mistake that the album's few guest sessioneers (like Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers keyboardist Benmont Tench and Sylvain Sylvain, a member of the original Heartbreakers), are more there for camaraderie than for showmanship - "Hi-Fi Sci-Fi" was intended to be pure, undiluted Dramarama, and it is, quite spectacularly.
- CONCERT TUESDAY: Dramarama will headline a show on Tuesday, Sept. 7, at the Zephyr Club, 301 S. West Temple. Tickets are $5 in advance from all Smith'sTix outlets. They will also be available at the door.