CDS AND DOWNLOADS
Skinny Molly Haywire Riot (Ruf) Several years ago,
when I first heard Mike Estes had formed a new band, I was understand- ably excited. After
all, I had already enjoyed his work with APB, Drivin’ Sideways, Brave New South and of course, his stint as a member of Lynyrd Skynyrd. With Skinny Molly, Estes was team- ing up with Dave Hlubek, a founding member of Molly Hatchet and the group became an immediate hit, especially in Europe, where they toured extensively. The lineup changed a bit during the next few years, and Hlubek went back to Molly Hatchet. Skinny Molly recorded a very nice debut album, and kept moving forward. Today, the band consists of Estes, drummer Kurt Pietro, guitarist Jay Johnson, and bassist Luke Bradshaw. On their sophomore effort, Haywire Riot,
Molly kicks it into high gear straight out of the gate with “You Don’t Care,” a serious kiss- off of a rocker. It becomes obvious very quickly just how important Jay Johnson is to the band. I have always maintained that Jay is one of the best lead guitar players I know. His influences growing up the son of Muscle Shoals “Swamper” Jimmy Johnson were wide and varied, from the Shoals r&b and swamp rock to bands like Blackfoot, Skynyrd and a large dose of KISS. “Devil in a Bottle,” a great song co-written
by Mike Estes with members of Lynyrd Skynyrd and recorded on the Endangered Species record, gets a fine retelling here “Two Good Wheels” is straight up country with the ol’ outlaw brand firmly burned into
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it. Once again Estes penned some excellent lyrics about the joys of freedom with nobody to answer too. Speaking of lyrics, Estes has a real gift for
spinning interesting words. Just listen to songs like “Too Bad to Be True,” “After You,” and “None of Me No More.” “Judge Parker” is a monster, and one of my
personal favorites on the record. The song rocks, and to be honest, would have been right at home on a Lynyrd Skynyrd album. Another standout track is “Bitin’ The Dog,” which features a kind of Molly Hatchet feel to it, but also hints at vintage Aerosmith - like “Beatin’ The Odds” meets “Walk This Way.” “Lie to Me” is a swampy setting for a story
of a man who knows where his relationship with a woman stands, but he’d rather have the girl lie to him than to hit him with the cold, hard truth, and “Shut Up and Rock” is Estes’ thoughts on rock stars who use their fame as a platform for social commentary “Dodgin Bullets” closes out the set the same
way it all began, with another dose of swampy southern rock, and by the time the song is over, you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you have been “rebel rocked” to the core. Skinny Molly delivers the goods on eleven
Southern rockin’ tunes that act as a shot of adrenalin to the heart of the southern rock world. It’s a wake up call. The party ain’t nowhere near over yet. Get a cold beer (and a bit of herb if you are so inclined) and turn it up to eleven.
- Michael Buffalo Smith
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