DROOGS - Stone cold world

DROOGS Stone cold world lp 1984 Plug n Socket records 320 kbps

Change is gonna come / Set my love on you / For these remaining days / Stone cold world / Mr Right / From another side / He's waitin' / Only game in town / I got a right* / Call off your dogs* .

* bonus tracks

Produced by Earle Mankey.

Droogs : Ric Albin : vocals / Roger Clay : guitars , vocals / David Provost : bass , keyboards / Jon Gerlach : drums , percussions.

The Droogs released their first full-length LP "Stone cold world" in 1984. Despite its favorable reception, ""Stone cold world" didn't receive the same level of attention that was given to albums by other California bands exploring similar territory. As noted in The Encyclopedia of Popular Music, "Stone Cold World was sadly obscured in the flurry to praise Green On Red, the Long Ryders and Bangles, but Albin and Clay doggedly pursued their chosen direction when the fashion faded." Perhaps most frustrating to the band is that they've always faced a cool reception in their home base, Los Angeles. Puzzling and frustrating for the band, "You're never a prophet in your home town," says Roger Clay with some resignation. After years of releasing their own records, the Droogs signed to the label PVC/Jem in the mid-1980s, but that label folded while the Droogs were on tour supporting their second lp "Kingdom Day".

In his review of "Stone Cold World" in Melody Maker, Ian Gittens remarked that while the Droogs wore their 1960s garage rock influences on their sleeves, they "draw heavily on a whole range of influences to for an approach peculiarly their own; taking from all times". His concluding remark, calling the Droogs "a curious anachronism", clearly demonstrates a problem the Droogs have long faced. That is, despite the quality of their material, the Droogs have not fit easily into any of the trends that have come and gone during their career, making the band difficult to market to a larger audience. Though "Stone Cold World" contained a re-recorded version of the Albin/Clay's "Set My Love on You", along with a live version of "He's Waitin'", the Droogs incorporated influences that set them apart from other garage revival bands. Creem referred to "Stone Cold World" as showcasing their "new, streamlined moderne approach to punkadelic blues".

Despite being included on a couple of new wave compilations, the Droogs weren't really a new wave band, either. Being from southern California and playing 1960s-inspired music, the Droogs were often associated with the neo-psychedelic Paisley Underground. The Droogs' sound, however, was always more garage punk than the more psychedelic sound of Paisley Underground groups, such as the Dream Syndicate and the Rain Parade. Still, the Droogs had close ties to other bands from the area, particularly the Dream Syndicate. Dave Provost, the bassist for the Droogs since the early 1980s, has also played for the Dream Syndicate. Other Dream Syndicate members have made guest appearances on Droogs recordings. Karl Precoda played guitar on "I Want Something" and Steve Wynn joined Ric Albin on vocals for his song "Maria", both of which appeared on the compilation "Want Something".

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Artwork for cd by Max !