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Written by Melissa Kucirek
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Tuesday, 15 May 2007 |
Gilby Clarke
Spitfire Records
B
No surprises here—Gilby Clarke is more than what you think he is.
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After years of honing his craft on the road in “little” bands like Guns N Roses, Clarke has already earned his credentials in rock.  Mainstreamers might recognize the rhythm guitarist from the CBS reality show, Rockstar Supernova; his solo offering, the essentials, is a continuation of the grit and sweat that he’s been doing for years.
Opening tracks “Cure Me…Or Kill Me” and “Tijuana Jail” are aggressive and are actually previously released from the 1994 album “Pawnshop Guitars.” As the album moves along, so does the likeability. “Black” featuring Dilana, is heartfelt, but still oh-so LA rock, with lyrics like “No one understands my hell, it’s my own, it’s my own, it’s so black, it’s so black…”
The Cleveland-born Clarke has a similar voice to fellow-Cleveland-nite JJ Farris of the Tories fame, but Clarke has the upper hand on incorporating such diverse musicality and interesting lyrics into his arsenal.
Check out “Kilroy Was Here” and “Dropping Out” for never-gets old rock.
gilbyclarke.com
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