The Dirtbombs Albums (5)
'We Have You Surrounded'
Release Date 2/12/2008
Tracks 12
Label In The Red
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome America's newest protest singer -- Mick Collins! OK, that's going a bit far to make a point, but Collins does seem to have more serious matters on his mind than usual on the fourth album from the Dirtbombs, We Have You Surrounded. Fans looking for more of the Dirtbombs' patented R&B-seasoned garage punk assault still get what they came for with tunes like "Ever Lovin' Man" and "I Hear the Sirens," and those fascinated by the band's way with a cover will want to cue up their re-imaginings of Sparks' "Sherlock Holmes" and Dead Moon's "Fire in the Western World." But there's a decidedly apocalyptic undercurrent to this collection of songs -- technology turns its back on us all in "Wreck My Flow," the environment is at the point of collapse on "Fire in the Western World," greed and vanity turn dangerous in "Pretty Princess Day," survivors struggle through the wreckage of our society in "Leopardman at C&A" (written by Collins and famed comics scribe Alan Moore) and the whole saga reaches its logical conclusion en français on the closing number, "La Fin du Monde." Even the album's free-noise freak-out "Race to the Bottom" seems filled with an unspoken anxiety. But if the Dirtbombs fear for our future, they sound determined to go out with a bang -- We Have You Surrounded is tighter and more focused than 2003's Dangerous Magical Noise without sacrificing the frantic energy that's always been at their core, and Troy Gregory and Ko Melina sound better integrated into the Dirtbombs lineup than they did on the split-LP Billiards at Nine Thirty as this band rages against the dying of the light. Maybe Mick Collins can't save the world, but he's got plenty of worthwhile things to say on this album, and his global angst beats Bono's for sheer entertainment value any day of the week. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
'Billiards at Nine Thirty'
Release Date 1/11/2005
Tracks 12
Label Sos [Car400]
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
In the grand tradition of The Beatles vs. the Four Seasons, Billiards at Nine Thirty features two seemingly disparate musical acts paired up on one album for your listening pleasure -- fractured soul noise geniuses the Dirtbombs and jacked-up R&B revivalists King Khan & His Shrines. If the Dirtbombs had been in the same musical form as they were on their epochal Ultraglide in Black album (in which they reworked a batch of soul classics to their own unique specifications), this would have been a near-perfect match, but such is not the case. Witches leader Troy Gregory was a recent addition to the Dirtbombs when these sessions were recorded, and his influence is very strong on the band's approach, aiming for a spacy, dirtified psychedelic ambience that's interesting but doesn't quite play to the band's sweaty strengths. "Born in a Haunted Barn" and "The House as a Giant Bong" sound like outtakes from the Witches' Let's Go to the No Go Zone, but without the eerie atmospherics that made that album so great -- and also without the potent drive of the Dirtbombs at their best. Meanwhile, on King Khan's side of the platter, what you've got are a bunch of punk rocker kids trying to make like a classic R&B show band, and hitting the target much closer than anyone would have a right to expect. Khan isn't a great singer, but he screams real good, and though his band (complete with organ and horn section) wavers back and forth between tight and shambolic, their energy never flags, and the sheer exuberance of their half of the album is hard to beat. The Dirtbombs sound a lot more adventurous and creative on Billiards at Nine Thirty, but King Khan's set is ultimately a lot more fun, and it succeeds better on its more limited terms, proving ambition is not always a substitute for results. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
'Dangerous Magical Noise'
Release Date 10/30/2003
Tracks 15
Label In the Red
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
After their rollicking tribute to soul music on 2001's excellent Ultraglide in Black, Detroit's Dirtbombs have gone back to thee garage. Dangerous Magical Noise is an exciting, sweaty, loud, and dirty record, their best yet. Best songs, best production (by the always reliable Jim Diamond), best everything. Mick Collins and his gang of thugs are on top of the heap of over-hyped rock coming out of Detroit quicker than the Tigers' and Lions' annual collapses. Like their compatriots the White Stripes, they never stoop to mere re-creation but rather slap their inspirations around a little, steal their lunch money, and leave them sucking dust. From the beginning breathless rush of "Start the Party" on, the bandmembers rarely take their feet off the gas. Pounding tracks like "Get It While You Can," "Earthquake Heart," and "Stupid" will keep the party going at a fever pitch, and tracks like the anthemic "F.I.D.O." and "21st Century Fox" will have you singing along in the car on your way back home at 3:00 a.m. When they do dial the rock back a little, like on the slow-groove garage-soul of "Sun Is Shining," it gives Collins a chance to show off his always great vocals. A few of the songs come off as generic garage filler ("Don't Break My Heart," "Stuck in Thee Garage"), but even these are saved by Collins' wailing vocals and the devotion to rock action that the band exhibits. They also exhibit some newfound glam rock influences on the super-cool "Motor City Baby" and the hilarious "I'm Through With White Girls." The Dirtbombs are a rock & roll band pure and simple, and if you like pure and simple rock & roll with a dash of soul, you will flip over Dangerous Magical Noise. [The first 1,000 copies of the CD contain two bonus songs: covers of Brian Eno's "King's Lead Hat" and Robyn Hitchcock's "Executioner of Love." The first 1,000 copies of the vinyl LPs come with a bonus 7" with two covers of songs by the Cheater Slicks: "Refried Dream" and "Possession."] ~ Tim Sendra, All Music Guide
'Ultraglide in Black'
Release Date 5/25/2001
Tracks 13
Label In the Red
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Take a stack of soul platters from the 1960s and 1970s from the likes of Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, Sly & the Family Stone, Curtis Mayfield, Marvin Gaye, and Stevie Wonder; mix generously with a propulsive mix of two bass guitars, two drummers, and the vocals of a Detroit rock legend; and you have an underrated gem in the Motor City music scene. Ultraglide in Black puts a rock spin on recognizable nuggets of soul and funk while retaining the original version's integrity and message. Most of the tunes covered here are spirited party tracks, including a sparkling version of Gaye's "Got to Give It Up" that features a strident breakdown. Vocalist Mick Collins, of the Gories fame, paints each track with a flavorful delivery which at times will have the listener literally transported to AM radio's yesteryear. The Dirtbombs have created a record that is akin to stumbling across a box of cool records in your parent's attic, and is suitable for continuous play at any house party. ~ Douglas Siwek, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Released in 2007, Horndog Fest was the debut outing of future Detroit powerhouse the Dirtbombs. The album opens with the screeching clatter of "Vixens in Space." An instrumental assault punctuated with periodic shouts of the title phrase, the song is something like spaced-out surf-rock disintegrating as it burns through the atmosphere. For those who survive the opening onslaught, the reward is sweet. With a sexy bass groove that stutters like the Knack at times, "I Can't Stop Thinking About It" is a swaggering beast of a song. Steeped in dirty Detroit garage, punk and soul, the song also hints at the feral sexuality of a reckless young Jerry Lee Lewis. The album shows a surprisingly young sounding Mick Collins turning in a solid but not quite earthshaking performance that only occasionally hints at the iron-lunged wailer he blossomed into by the time 2001's soul-rockin' masterpiece Ultraglide in Black rolled around. The rest of the album chugs along, almost without focus. There are awkward funk lines and sundry other experimental numbers along the way. While there are high points, the album eventually gets a bit bogged down by youthful experimentation and cuteness. By trying to cover too much musical ground, the young band spreads itself too thin at times. However, looking back at the album as it fits into the evolution of the Dirtbombs' impressive catalog, it's an interesting snapshot of how the band's sound changed, matured and solidified over the years. ~ Karen E. Graves, All Music Guide
