DANKO JONES
The Magical World of Rock
Bad Taste Records
· This is a 70-minute spoken-word tribute to music fanaticism from one of rock ’n’ roll’s most notorious hellcats. The material is occasionally graphic and not for kiddies whose parents have yet to approve of Gene Simmons.
When Danko Jones is onstage with his guitar, every night has a full moon. He and his band are one of the most incendiary groups to emerge from the Canadian rock circuit. As a frontman, Jones comes off as cool, tough and as intimidating as anyone playing his brand of muscular riffs ought to be. Yet as revealed on this disc (recorded in his home away from home in Europe), the Mango Kid is just like the rest of us goobers who geek-out in music stores at every opportunity.
In The Magical World of Rock, Jones’s dialogue is not unlike conversations you’ve had with fellow rock audiophiles, or the people you used to call friends before they sequestered themselves away with new iPods. He is as entertaining as he is eternally star-struck. He describes moments many music nerds feel, but might not verbalize for fear of deeper banishment to geekdom. Take for instance, the simple act of walking into a venue to see a favourite band. For some, the sight of their signature equipment onstage is enough to create heart palpitations: I am breathing the same air that they are breathing! (Not that I can relate or anything.)
He also discusses the phenomenon of seeing other folks sporting even the smallest pin of a favourite underground band. In a nanosecond, the stranger transforms into someone you know inside and out even before a proper introduction. And – who hasn’t been here – Jones speaks about finding the love of your life (gulp) until you see their record collection. There is no faster way to lose your quarter and see the game-over screen than noticing a Michael Bolton disc on their shelf.
In his tell-all glimpse into his life as a professional music listener (who occasionally has a backstage view), Jones is earnest, not afraid of embarrassment and, consequently, oh-so hysterical. Fans will love seeing this side of him and enjoy hearing about his adventures with Solomon Burke, Ronnie James Dio and Ozzy Osbourne. The Magical World of Rock is an excellent taste of what more North American audiences might get if Jones ever returns to us from the loving arms of Sweden.
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