Dirty Streets is a trio from Memphis whose albums have always been filled with soul-infused boogie rock songs that could just as easily have been recorded in the mid- to late 70s. In fact, if these guys had been alive then, it’s easy to imagine that they would now be a staple on classic-rock radio.
The band’s previous albums are laden with the kind of tunes that make you crank the volume. The band’s new album Rough and Tumble includes eight songs that have been included on previous albums, but this isn’t a greatest hits or anything like that. This collection is from a live performance at DittyTV. The album also features covers of two songs by Joe South.
One of the Joe South covers is “Walk a Mile in My Shoes.” While this is toned down from the usual tempo and feel you get from this band, it still bears the imprint of Dirty Streets. Namely, it features some dirty guitar tones, a steady and groovy bass line by Thomas Storz, and a beat by Andrew Denham that is sure to get your toes tapping.
There are some undeniable influences on this album. You can hear some Robert Plant influence in the vocals at the beginning of “Good Pills,” but a more prominent influence is Humble Pie. This band works a similar groove and Toland punctuates the songs with shouts as well as Steve Marriott. Not to mention that these guys bring the same sort of energy that Humble Pie brought to recording its songs.
If you are a fan of bass, then “Think Twice” is the song for you. This song opens with a fuzzy bass line that you can feel in your gut. That’s something you would expect from a performance you experience in person. Granted this album was recorded live, but it’s not often you feel the bass line in a recording.
Is Dirty Streets something of an anachronism? Without question. But that’s a good thing. These three guys have brought the music that blared from the windows of muscle cars into the present day. And they have done it brilliantly. Maybe you don’t have a muscle car, but you’ll want to blare this album (even the slower tempo songs) out of whatever windows you can. And if you do, you should be showered with thank-you notes.
