Ricky Warwick – When Life Was Hard And Fast
Release Date: 19th February 2021
Label: Nuclear Blast
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Genre: Rock n’ Roll
FFO: Black Star Riders, Thin Lizzy, The Almighty, Wayward Sons.
Review By: Paul Franklin
“The true spirit of rock n’ roll is a relentless pursuit that consumes me on a daily basis” so speaks the gospel according to Ricky Warwick, a man that is the physical embodiment of the genre to such extent that if you were to cut him in half, he’d probably have the letters R-O-C-K-N-R-O-L-L running right through the middle of him like a stick of Blackpool rock.
When Life Was Hard And Fast is Mr Warwick’s fifth solo album, and again for this one he’s brought some good mates along for the craic. In addition to Keith Nelson (ex-Buckcherry), who produced and co-wrote the majority of the album, Def Leppard’s Joe Elliot provides backing vocals on the opening title track, a Lizzy-esque pub rocker that echoes sentiments of chasing your dreams and looking back on how life seemed more carefree. Thunder’s Luke Morley is invited to provide the guitar solo to complement Ricky’s whiskey-toned vocals on You Don’t Love Me Anymore a direct and defiant middle finger to being in a nonreciprocal relationship. Also stepping up for a six-string spot is Duran Duran/Power Station guitarist Andy Taylor, who delivers the solo on the metaphoric I’d Rather Be Hit, another mid-tempo track with a message about how we are being let down by our politicians featuring a catchy hook and an anthemic chorus.
Rounding out the mates’ roster, Dizzy Reed (Guns n’ Roses) tickles the ivories on three of the tracks, most predominantly on the stripped back and melodic I Don’t Feel At Home, a song which belies its bright and breezy tone by actually being about looking for a way out of drug addiction, and being too ashamed to ask for help.
Ricky states that his ambition for the album was to “create an album with the simplistic melodies of Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers charged with the electric hedonistic fury of Johnny Thunder and the Heartbreakers.” First target hit. The melodies and rhythms across the album are uncomplicated and the majority of the choruses are of the hear once, sing-along variety. However, it’s a slippery slope from simplistic into generic, and it’s one on which that occasionally the album struggles to get a foothold. Up tempo numbers like Gunslinger (a cover of a Mink Deville B-side), Never Corner A Rat and Still Alive hit ground running and put on a determined effort, but the fury never feels truly electric or hedonistic and the weight of familiarity drags at their heels.
The solid, steadier approach taken by Fighting Heart is more successful. In what could be his theme song, Ricky’s lyrics speak of never giving up on your ideals or changing who you are just in order to impress others. Taking a breather from the rock n’ roll bluster, Time Don’t Seem To Matter is a tender ballad written by Ricky for his youngest daughter Pepper, which is gifted extra poignancy when she sings along with her dad.
On Clown of Misery Ricky literally phones in his performance. A song about laughing on the outside whilst crying on the inside, the version presented here is the original demo recording that he sang into his phone. To be honest it feels like a bit of a novelty and would probably been better as a bonus track accompaniment to a studio version, as a lot of the emotion of song is lost due to the restrictive nature of the recording medium. A phone makes another brief appearance at the beginning of last track Your My Rock n’ Roll, Ricky calling Keith, name checking Jerry Lee Lewis before launching into a bombastic 50’s infused celebration of the power of rock n’ roll to make you feel good about life.
Overall, When Life Was Hard And Fast is unmistakeably a Ricky Warwick album and it is undeniably a good, honest, heart-on-the sleeve rock n’ roll record.
(3.5 / 5)
