Shawn Ames Is a Bad Monster
Backlash Member
releases Solo CD

By DJ Roy
Shawn Ames, lead singer and guitarist for Topeka band Backlash has just released another solo CD entitled Bad Monster.

My first thoughts, before I listened to the disc, was that, being a self produced, home studio project, the CD would have a low quality, "garage band" sound to it. My expectations couldn't have been more wrong. Through the use of a high quality Roland VS-880EX 8 channel mixer, and some top notch computer recording/editing software, Shawn has managed to put out a great sounding CD, despite having played all the instruments himself. This is no easy task. The fact that each song sounds like it was recorded by a full band is a testament to Shawn's musical talent.

Having received an advance copy of the title cut, I was eagerly anticipating the finished product, and I am not at all disappointed with the result. One of the flaws that most solo albums suffer from is that too many of the songs tend to sound similar to each other, having one or two good cuts and then lots of filler, resulting in a CD that's tiring to listen to. On Bad Monster, Shawn has managed to put together a great variety of songs, any one of which could stand on it's own, yet all coming together to form a consistent, cohesive work. The one exception here would be "Obtuse Secret," a heart-tugging ballad about a man coming to the realization that his girlfriend has replaced him with another man. While it is arguably one of the best cuts on the album, it didn't really fit in with the light hearted, though sometimes dark, tone of the rest of the songs. This may be due in part to the fact that it, along with "Harmony'" was written six years ago, while the rest of the songs are new.

Shawn accurately described the CD when he told me it was "cock rock." Most of the songs are fun, upbeat and dirty, with just a little bit of "evil" thrown in. If you are easily offended, you might want to give this one a pass, but if you like good "bad boy" rock & roll, you'll want to track it down.

The CD opens with the title track, a hard rocking number with lots of fuzzy guitar work, where Shawn lets the ladies know, "I'm the one your mother warned you about."

"Harmony" is an upbeat love song with an oldies "Beatle-esque" quality to it, that you can't help but instantly like. The next song, "Pretty Girls Make Good Graves" shows Shawn at his darkest, with lines like "One blow to the top of your head, baby, and my satin sheets turn from black to red."

What surprised me the most about this CD is the variety of music. "Mista Bonz" is reminiscent of Guns N' Roses, "The Lights Go Down" sounds like a slower Pink Floyd song, "Obtuse Secret" has a Tom Petty quality to it, and "Always the Same" has elements of Pink Floyd, Tom Petty, and Bob Dylan, or Neil Young. While the majority of the album is "old school" rock, with a dose of hard rock, the tracks run the gamut from blues, to jazz, to ballads, to pop.

One of my favorite songs is "Bedroom Bop," the albums only instrumental. It's an upbeat, jazzy number that's heavy on keyboards, and jazz guitar. It just makes you feel good when you listen to it. Another favorite is "Party in My Pants" an unbridled rocker that's about just what you think it's about. This song reminded me of the Georgia Satellites' "Keep Your Hands to Yourself," and Hank Williams, Jr.'s "Born to Boogie"

The CD closes with "Welcome to the Rest of Your Life," an upbeat, anthemic song that inspires the listener and helps take some of edge off of some of the CDs darker, edgier moments.

For more information about Shawn Ames, Backlash, or the Bad Monster CD go to www.BacklashBand.Homestead.com/cool.html

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