Meet The Loveless is the debut album by new classic Rock & Roll Glam punks The Loveless who are helmed by Marc Almond and Neal X who should both need no introduction, having been in, among other classic bands The Willing Sinners, Soft Cell, The Dirty Strangers, Sigue Sigue Sputnik and The Ants among many others. They are joined by Iggy's touring rhythm section Mat Hector and Ben Ellis with James Beaumont completing the line-up on keyboards.
The album opens with a lean mean glam stomping original Wild In The Streets as Marc Almond encourages us all to Go Wild In The Streets as he has spent most of his life doing, this drives along like they have all ingested too much bath tub speed again, as the guitars go as wild as they can, a honking sax solo explodes across the speakers.
Putty In Your Hands is driven along by the New Orleans style piano, married to classic gene Vincent style rock & roll, as Marc submits to your will as he will do whatever you want, he's happy to let you dominate him any time you want like The Yardbird he always wanted to be.
Glen Matlock joins in the fun on a great New York Dolls style version of Bo Diddley's classic Pills as they rock the hell out of this staple, they also nail the harmonica solo.
Take A Heart is all about the drum pattern that everything else is built on, with Neal's guitar having a bit of Chris Spedding feel in places, as Marc spills the beans on just what a cad this song is about.
They play a wonderful version of I'm Not Like Everybody Else which is certainly the credo driving Marc's life and career, this has a great groove to it as Neals guitars tear it up against the 60's style organ sound.
They slow things down for there version of the Shadows Of Nights Dark Side that's evocative, as the guitar solo heads for the stars, among all the rueful lyrics, played for maximum emotional impact with the choir of angel backing vocals.
Nothing At All is one of the few originals on this album, that sounds like it could have been written in the 70's, as a blowsy glam blues of distain for a lover who still hangs on your every word and action, while you've moved on feeling Nothing At All for them, if this kiss off was dedicated to you it would be cataclysmic, if the message hadn't already got through, as they start to rave it up towards the end.
They then go all 70's Leather boy glam for a great cover of Smokey's Hot Hard & Ready that's every bit as camp as the original S & M recording, with a driving beat for all the escapades up back alleys, as Neal tries to outdo Randy Rhoads original guitar solo, coming as close as you can to doing so.
They then take on Alice Coopers Under My Wheels with as much camp brio as Hanoi Rocks version, but with even more sax in the middle section, they sound like they are having an absolute blast playing this.
You're Gonna Miss Me is full on garage rock madness as they try to outdo the 13th Floor Elevators with a brilliant harmonica solo ending.
Night Time is such a classic song with some many great versions and while not as sleazy as Jayne County's version, this is plenty bawdy enough, with a super tight taut guitar line they nail what this song's all about.
Shape Of Things To Come is a song that I keep being sent new versions of, as we all try to figure out how to change the world for the better, instead of everything swirling down the drain again, this version is led by the keyboards as they keep it sounding like a late 60's garage rocker.
The album closes with the Northern Soul stylings of I'll Be Gone with a ballsy brass section and gospel style backing vocals, this is brilliant fun and should fill a dancefloor quite easily, on a song that I'm glad they dug up and made me listen to Freddie Scott's magnificent original, what a great way to close the album.
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