MIG Music [Release date 18.01.24]
Seemingly always a “Rebel”, it’s curious that it’s taken Aussie rocker Rob Tognoni until something like his 27th album to embrace the outsider theme as an album title.
Ever since outgrowing the “latest big thing” label when signed to Provogue records, Tognoni has always been an independent restless spirit not given to any one style or trend.
That said he’s never too far removed from a hard driving rock-a-boogie approach in which a combination of ripping guitar work, snappy hooks and rich vocal phrasing have given him an enduring presence in the rock blues market
The European based ‘The Tasmanian Devil’ who once forged his career in the wilds of Queensland has lost none of his flinty Australian irreverence either as a musician or as a lyricist.
As a result Rebel rocks hard to inspire and surprise by turns, and extends an open invitation to the listener to take the rough with the smooth.
There’s plenty of scintillating guitar, with occasional bone dry humour, story telling narratives, and the occasional atmospheric instrumental like the AC/DC into The Kinks style riffs of ‘2050.’
The album opens with a straight to the vein rocker called ‘Rebel And A Gamble’. It’s anchored by his tight rhythm section of bassist Slawek Semeniuk and is topped by Tognoni’s intense guitar playing.
The shuffle time sculpted wah wah of ‘Eyes Wide Open is an early highlight, while ‘Primal Baby (Tribal)’ is a double tracked 2.55 min rocker, with a funky undertow and some visceral lyrics;
“I feel the fire in my veins, The power of the sun and rain, ah yeah, ah yeah
This is just the way it is; This homo sapien can’t live Without you Primeval Baby, Huh.”
The album features 2 covers which are given a Tognoni rereading. An initial Spartan approach to the traditional ‘Whisky In The Jar’ deletes Thin Lizzy’s instrumental opening and goes straight into the verse.
But Tognoni injects it with some fresh resolve while incorporating cool harmony guitar lines and a punchy solo on the outro.
He also denudes Bowie’s ‘Rebel Rebel’ of its signature opening riff, and settles instead for an exercise in cool dynamics.
He doesn’t hold back lyrically on two thematically related tacks, of which the uncompromising ‘Move Along’ is a prime example of his own rebel status on this album; “Respect is a workin’ thing, It comes it sometimes goes, That’s just the way of life, It ain’t fair, of course I know.”
He adds some kick ass crashing chords and a supple solo that bounces right out of the speakers like a featherweight’s opening shots in the ring.
The melodic ‘Assholes And Opinions’ is built on a fatter organ sound, and carries a similar message to ‘Move Along’, concluding that; “Tomorrow is another day.”
It builds imperiously with a climactic blistering harp wail and early Beatles style ‘sha la’s bv’s.
He even indulges himself on a double tracked caricature of an Aussie rap on ‘Here To Stay’, which raises a smile, even if the tune isn’t memorable.
In many ways ‘Rebel’ gives him the opportunity to amplify every aspect of his career so far. And though most of the songs are new they relate to many of his previous musical explorations.
‘Little Things’ for example, is one of a number highlights and could easily have come from his 1995 ‘Stones & Colours’ album.
It features an exquisite wah-wah intro on melodic love song which still marks him out as a strong singer song writer, when he’s not busy lampooning all around him.
He’s also a guitarist whose array of tone colours always support the song, as evidenced by the layered acoustic–into-electric intro on the album closer called ‘Life’.
The latter is a big sounding track which finds him he’s; “cruising down the highway of life”, as his crunchy solo gives way to a Hammond B3 break, and back into the groove.
Southern rock fans will surely lap up ‘Victim of Circumstance which though evoking Skynyd’s ‘Sweet Home Alabama’, morphs into his own template of sustained notes and an avalanche of energy, building to a raucous ending bathed in feedback and book ended by an extended crescendo.
And as if to highlight the diverse nature of a musical related journey over 17 generous 17 tracks, he evokes The Stones with a Keith Richards style riff driven opening to ‘A Mystery Man’, on which he double tracks his vocals and flies on the chorus.
Best of all is the uplifting feel of ’Orion’ which is a thing of taste and intricate poetic beauty, not the immediate thought that comes to mind on some of his other barn bursting material.
2 live tracks from the Netherlands find him dipping into his old back catalogue for ‘Lands of Cirrus’ on which his distorted tone evokes a Hendrix feel, while he mines a quiet-to-loud dynamic with guitar squalls on ‘Lil Melody.’
As the album title suggests, he never compromises for anyone, (except perhaps for a bottle of red).
His busy career has seen him evolve from being a highly original lyric driven blues rocker, into harder hitting rocker with a locker full of AC/DC riffs.
‘Rebel’ broadens his scope again with the kind of energetic spontaneity that sees him power through all 17 tracks with great purpose.
Heritage rock never sounded so beligerent. ****
Review by Pete Feenstra
Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK
Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.
In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.
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UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 11 June 2024.
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Power Plays w/c 10 June 2024
BASTION ROSE (Epictronic Records)
VOODOO RAMBLE Midnight Ride (indie)
BYWATER CALL As If (indie)
ESCAPE THE PARADIGM Cold (Curtain Call Records)
DEFENCES Gold In The Dark (indie)
BRAVE RIVAL Fairytale (indie)
MOJO ACES Old Crow (indie)
Featured Albums w/c 10 June 2024
09:00-12:00 NESTOR Teenage Rebel (Napalm Records)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023
14:00-16:00 MIRACLE MILE East Of Ely (indie)
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