Guns ‘N Roses and the
Psychedelic Furs – the latter also appears on the lush “English Country Garden.” The award for most surprising cameo goes to the psychedelic ballad “Euphoria,” which features ghostly guitar parts from avant jazz rocker
David Torn. Bassist
Simply Red, the
Mothmen and
Alberto Y Los Trios Paranoias and plays with Fabbri in his solo band, provides the low end throughout.
Despite all the high profile names here, however, the focus remains on the band itself – without Fabbri’s nicely crafted songs structures and Duffty’s forthright singing, there’d be nothing on which the musicians could appear. By the time we get to the second half of the record, the guest spots diminish, and the loss of star power on the brooding “Absolutely Dark,” the celebratory “Black Leather Jacket” and the dreamy “Rockin’ Into an Explosion” doesn’t hurt them in the slightest. Take away the guests and you’ve still got a well-produced, finely crafted and iconoclastic rock album that makes one hope Slinky Vagabond doesn’t wait another fourteen years to make another one.