It’s amazing to think that GUN first travelled into sight in 1987 and that 35 years later there would still be a version of the band still making music that, well, GUN.
This set is a reimagining of a dozen or so of their best songs, recorded acoustically plus the addition of a new electrics number; ‘Backstreet Brothers’. The current lineup sees Dante Gizzi on lead vocals and sharing bass duties with Andy Carr, Paul McManus is on drums and Guiliano Gizzi on lead guitars. Tommy Gentry features on guitars and keyboards.
After a world tour in 2019 and the release of heir ‘R3Loaded’ best of they were forced into inactivity by Lockdown (as with so many bands) but frustration led them to this reinvention of a bakers dozen of their best tracks and it really is surprisingly good. When I first saw what the project was, I was sceptical. So often these kind of reimaginings fall short of the originals but GUN have managed to keep the punch and attitude that made them famous in the first place. Their original version of Cameo’s ‘Word UP’ was brash and lively and they have kept the brattish approach here in a version that really snaps. The original of ‘Better Days’ was somehow less hopeful than this version and Dante’s vocals definitely add to the original. I love the version here of ‘Taking On The World’, dark and soulful with wonderful backing vocals from The Sister-Hood (Sarah-Jane & Beverley Skeeter and Mary Pearce).
The new track ‘Backstreet Brothers’ says it all about GUN – big riff, massive beat and Dante giving it all on vocals – terrific.
The album is available on all formats and I managed to get a snazzy Cherry Red vinyl copy that sounds just sumptuous.
