Eric Moore and the Godz: Twenty-Five Moore Years It's been a continuous journey for legendary bass player and front man Eric Moore, who leads his band The Godz revved up and rolling down the highway for over a quarter of a century. To mark this special event, Moore and Outlaw Entertainment have recently released a double CD retrospective entitled "Twenty-Five Moore Years". Eric Moore's presence is vital in keeping the true Rock-n-Roll spirit alive, especially in today's day and age when the genuine art of real Rock has virtually disappeared from the public eye. Eric's Jack Daniels' vocals mixed with his distinctive beer soaked bass style has consistently been a driving force in Rock , been a major influence on bands like Guns'N'Roses and has given many bands serious musical competition in live shows, purity of style and hell-raising. Grit has been the trademark of The Godz since their self-titled recording debut in 1978. The Godz have always been one of the toughest Rock-n-Roll bands since they were founded in the late 1970's and their greatest music is highlighted on these discs. They've always portrayed the image of riding up on their Harley's into your quiet suburban neighborhood and stealing your daughter out of your hot tub. Their mix of influences from classic fifties Rock, heard in Gotta Muv, Baby I Love You, and the Rolling Stones-like quality of Hey Mama mixed with the Hard Rock sounds of Go Away and Criminal Mind are clearly represented on this CD, which might surprise new listeners looking for harder, edgier music. If there was ever a classic anthem, Gotta Keep a Runnin' with Eric Moore's battle cry for real Rockers to rule the world is here in its entirety and nothing more needs to be said. Cracking open the disc is the Motörhead inspired White Line, running just shy of two minutes. It's new, it's fast and kicks your ass. Eric Moore is still writing great tunes that pull no punches. Musically, Moore is a creative genius who can talk about your innermost darkest feelings through his bass guitar. He captures sex, drugs, fast cars, fast women and fast living in all of the tunes that he's written for The Godz. His lyrics are fast and funny, blending plenty of sarcasm with some serious ideas about the true Rock-n-Roll lifestyle. There are NO poseurs here. Wastin' is a new tune that is essential classic Godz for the new millenium. Your Turn to Cry is a loving blues tribute to getting screwed over. Kid Rock has paid homage to Eric Moore with his takes on Blues, and listening to this track makes me realize just how much of an influence Moore has had on Kid Rock and the Midwest Rock scene - all styles of Rock owe something to Eric Moore and the Godz. The second CD in this set is made up of various live performances. The first segment is a recording of a live concert for Cleveland's radio WMMS Coffee Break Concert in 1982. The second segment features demos of I Don't Wanna Go Home and Gotta Muv done during the classic Godz period in 1979. A 1981 live in-studio performance of The Eric Moore Band's I Won't Be Lonely Tonight clearly utilizes the 50's Rock-n-Roll influence that makes Eric Moore stand out from the other performers in that period - it's different from the New Wave and Punk music that was competing for attention on not just the underground, but on commercial airwaves. The rest of the CD features the Godz' live performances from 1995 in Columbus, Ohio. These classic renditions of Godz tunes are played straight-up. My only complaint about this second disc is that they didn't feature enough recordings of the classic 1978-79 Godz. Otherwise this second disc makes this complete retrospective a must for any true Rock fan's collection. The booklet included with the CDs is packed with photos of Godz now and then, a brief history of the band and extensive liner notes and full narration of each song by Eric Moore. Moore's commentary is informative and funny, and captures the spirit of The Godz. Written in 2003, these notes show that he's the heart and soul of the band. I've done a full-length interview with Eric Moore, which will be featured on The New York Waste website later this summer. Keep checking the website for when this amazing interview will be published. It's coming. Back to Mark After Dark BACK TO HOME