Das Rock Magazin - www.home-of-rock.de
CD REVIEW
By Fred Schmidtlein
Being a savvied Rock n' Roll enthusiast, one surely remembers the feeling of looking at the cover of a record and knowing right away that you're going to like the album. Purchasing a record based on visual intuition, somehow appeals to a Rocker's primal instincts. That's exactly what happened when I first ran across the work of ZAK DANIELS And The ONE EYED SNAKES. Browsing through CDBaby.com (The online music store.), I took one look at the cover, read the promo text ("It's not Alternative, it's not Grunge, it's not Punk, it's not Rap and it's not Crap!"), listened to the sound files, and with a click of the mouse, immediately ordered the CD. My primal instinct did not let me down.
Zak Daniels makes the kind of music that travels from your ears straight down to your legs. When you add the fact that the first song on the CD features a dual guitar lead intro, well, what more can you ask for? Let's get one thing straight: Zak Daniels plays Rock n' Roll! With his musical roots firmly anchored before the short lived "Nirvana age," he doesn't seem to give a damn about the current Boy Band, Alt-Pop, sampled, generic music scene.
"Sweep It Under The Rug," the opening song on Daniels debut CD, is one of those catchy tunes that bands like Poison might have written in one of their rare moments of musical aptitude. The song takes off with some rocking guitar riffs, transitions smoothly back to the refrain, and then continues this pattern throughout the song. It's simple but extremely effective.
"Timeless Travelers" keeps you rockin' and then suddenly, "Tombstone Hat" throws you for a loop with an acoustic intro. At first it seems almost too mellow, but before you know it, you can't get the melody out of your head. What comes to mind is the early music by 38-Special. Unfortunately, the songs that 38-Special wrote in the eighties were ruined with an overdose of synthesizer and poor vocal performances. In sharp contrast, Zak Daniels nails the material and captures the mood, which is complemented by some beautiful guitar work. This one is Radio Ready.
"Fourteen Dollars & 57 Cents" is one for the dance floor. Tight guitar; cool harp; what else do you need? At this point, 4 or 5 songs into the CD, I started to notice a few common themes in the production . A rock-solid guitar performance by Jim Katsidides, who knows when to shred and knows when to lay back; Zak's consistent vocal performance, which doesn't rely on primordial screams to catch your attention; and occasional keyboards placed low in the mix and used only when it makes sense. The music generally falls under the genre of hard rock, yet is a far cry from heavy metal. In fact, you can hear the Blues roots throughout. Noteworthy also, are the lyrics.
"Fast Ones" and "Tired Of Your Love" are two more songs where lyrics and instruments compliment each other in tight rockin' grooves.
"Sky-Boy" is a rock ballad with piano and a fine melodic guitar line. Released at the right time and musical climate, it could be a major hit. It's simply a beautiful song.
"Words" is a rock song that will stick to your brain like ear-candy. There was a time when bands like Thunder or Great White had the ability to write songs with this kind of feel. Ending with the phrase "No lies, No alibis," it could be considered a warm-up for the next cut, "Getting Ready For The Kill." This song takes off like a bullet train and you can't help but move your body to the rhythm. Boooogie! Notwithstanding, "TV Rerun" has got to be my favorite, simply because it has that straight forward guitar sound that I crave so much. It's kind of like one of those magic ingredients in cat food that gets the animals practically addicted to a particular brand. That's how it works with me and guitars. Give me a bunch of fast 4-beat guitar solos and I'm glued to the CD player.
"Brown Eyed Beauty," a rocker with a hint of funk, should rock its way into MTV's heavy rotation in the very near future. "Womanizer" is another song with one of those magic ingredients. Just listen to the guitar on this one and get ready to blast-off.
"Fair Weather Friends" with its smooth groove, gives you a little time to just kick back and enjoy the music. These guys simply have a talent for writing very catchy songs, both in melody and lyrics.
After 57 minutes of Rock n' Roll at its finest, Zak Daniels And The One Eyed Snakes top it all off with Bob Dylan's "Highway 61 Revisited." Not since the good old days of Johnny Winter have I heard this title rock with such fury. Sure, the song's undoubtedly a classic, but this interpretation by Daniels and company is definitely not child's play. A first rate guitar player, a tight pounding rhythm section, and then at the end, just add an ever so casual remark by Zak, "What a beautiful day for a world war." Awesome stuff!
More than an hour later (Didn't I pop the CD in the player only a few minutes ago?), the CD was unfortunately over. I had just listened to 15 absolutely flawless and professionally produced songs. Makes you wonder why bands like The One Eyed Snakes haven't been signed by one of the major labels yet.
I remember now, who Zak's vocals remind me of. Tonio K. once sang in the same relaxed and seemingly effortless manner. He always had that bite in his voice, and never failed to get the attention of his audience.
It has been three years since this CD was recorded. Even though Venice California may not be the best launching pad for bands like ZAK DANIELS And The ONE EYED SNAKES, anyone who enjoys straight ahead kick-ass Rock n' Roll, needs only to scrape up a measly $11.00 to get this timeless recording at CDBaby.com.
Another tip: Visit the band's official web site at www.zakdaniels.com. In particular, read their biography. Ever wondered how an innocent Rock n' Roller gets involved in the porn business? The answer is only a mouse-click away. While you're there, I recommend downloading the video of their song: "Cartoon Savior."
Fred Schmidtlein
Home of Rock - Das Rock Magazin - http://www.home-of-rock.de/
Translation to English by Alex Oppold
German version can be found at the link above, under reviews: Letter D, for Daniels.