Gonn "Gonn 45-Fully Loaded"

 
GUEST REVIEW BY GENTLEMAN JOHN BATTLES

(YTY Records, 2012) Gonn is revered, rightfully so, for recording one of the all-time 6s Punk screamers, "Blackout of Gretely,” now one of THEE most coveted garage rarities The logical follow-up single, ''Doin' Me in,” is an even bigger rarity, because it wasn’t even released at the time. CRIME!  But, "Doin' Me In,” "Blackout,” and Gonn's entire back catalogue, have been available, via reissues, for years.  In The 90s, the band reformed, all guns blazing, and put out a great reunion LP, plus some singles . They've toured Germany, Switzerland and select dates in the Midwest, as well as co-headlining with ? and The Mysterians at The Fuzz Fest in Atlanta. Those who've seen them, know. Gonn is the yardstick by which other reformed Garage bands must judge themselves.  Alas, I've never seen them. But, I can still safely say, they've raised the bar, here's your proof...This album contains some of the dirtiest, nastiest, all middle fingers out, mid-60s driven raunch available without a prescription.  With nods to Psych, Frat Rock, and key British Invasion influences, the three chord, shredding vocals, savage guitars, hair-singeing keyboards, pummeling beats and mind-numbing bass attack, are all intact, and that's a fact. They pay homage to The Animals ("Newcastle Blues" and a strong workout on "We Gotta Get Out of This Place"), The Yardbirds, Paul Revere and The Raiders (sometimes sounding like The Raiders having a Rave-Up with The Yardbirds), "Louie, Louie" ("Baby, Please Be Good", which celebrates the song itself, and it's indelible mark on our culture. Yes, it's a culture, now. Everything gets to respectable at some point), and the latter day Garage Rock resurgence ("New Again,” celebrating the joys of being a teen, and not texting or tweaking out to Gameboy long enough to play Rock’n’Roll with your friends. A+ for working Big Daddy Roth into the lyrics). A guy at a record show once exclaimed, "THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HIPPIE PSYCHEDELIA AND PUNK PSYCHEDELIA!!”  "Magic Carpet,” drenched in tremolo and sorta Doorsy keys (not at the cost of sounding "Moody"), provides a good case in point, while "Whatcha Gonna Do" is a classic gurl-putdown, worthy of The Seeds, and "Long Gone" combines Byrds jangle with tasteful fuzztone embellishments (Gonn was heavily influenced by The L.A. and San Francisco sounds, as well as The Stones/Kinks/ Yardbirds axis.).  "Roll On" evokes "Ogden's Gone Nut Flakes" Small Faces, though, perhaps, not by design. Above all, Gonn has produced an album that utilizes their many influences, while becoming a slave to none of them.  A better definition of "Garage Rock ” I couldn't offer you.