Pub Rock
After the explosion of 'The Darkness' it was only a matter of time before similar sounding bands started getting record deals and extra publicity. I had heard about Tokyo Dragons in the media long before I got my grubby mitts on their debut album. Hoping, as I had assumed, it would be a no nonsense foot tapping, sing-a-long-athon and I was chomping at the bit to stick it in my CD player.
My head was in my hands after only 30 seconds into the first track 'What the Hell'. It starts promisingly enough with its hooky riff and mid temp groove but singer 'Steve Lomax's' first lines are, 'Taking my time I know what's right, you give me your love and I give you a fight'. These are dumb lyrics and I hoped this wasn't a slippery slope but the album is littered with such crass phrases as 'hot to trot' and 'I'm handy, randy, horny, don't be shy'. However, this was nothing until the song 'Rockin' the Stew' when I heard 'Hey it's the time of the second course, I gotta have ya baby in my special sauce' and I concluded that, with Ratt, Warrant and Poison taken into account, these are the worst lyrics I've ever been subjected to. They are an embarrassment and make the songs cringe worthy so much so you they make you swear and skip to the next track.
I know lyrics shouldn't detract from the actual music but then again Tokyo Dragons don't excel in this area either. 'Get 'em off' has a good early AC/DC groove and Teenage Screamers is a low-key anthem but the rest are just a poor mans 'The Donnas'. The songs are all of a similar theme, tempo and melody, only 'Let it go' shines as being a little different with it's more immediate drum beat. The vocals are shouted instead of sung and regularly out of tune especially in 'Do you wanna?' Steve Lomax's style is similar to Joe Elliot's performance on 'On through the Night' trying too hard to get those high screams instead of making the best of his range. The musicianship is pretty shoddy as well. The rhythm section is pretty standard but the solos especially, are some of the worst ever put to disc. They are dull, lifeless and lacking in imagination, at no point on the album do they ever soar or screech which is quite important if you're attempting to play driving rock. The twin harmony leads in such songs as 'Come on baby' and 'Teenage Screamers' are just single notes that even my arthritic grandmother could play.
I wont make any issues about Tokyo Dragons being stuck in a time-warp playing old fashioned honest rock. There is room for music like this when done well, 'The Darkness' have already proved this point. I can fully understand where they're coming from because I grew up with this kind of music but I know a good band when I hear them and Tokyo Dragons aren't a good band. They're tunes are generic, the words are childish and musicianship is poor, is this really the best the British music scene can offer? If you're tired of waiting for 'The Darkness' to finish writing another 35 minutes of music then try 'The Donnas'. If you've tried 'The Donnas' then buy 'The Ga Gas'. And if you've still got some money left and are thirsty for more half assed rock then check out the Tokyo Dragons. When all is said and done they do have one redeeming feature, I reckon they're great live and after a few pints I think even I'll be at the back of the pub shouting, 'TEENAGE SCREAMERS'.