Backstory: Fresh off his three-year stint with
Guns N’ Roses,
Gilby Clarke was stoked with creative energy when he recorded this surprisingly tuneful solo effort in ’94. Looser and more freewheeling than his work in GNR, the album veers from Alice Cooper-style pop metal to riff-driven garage rock to country blues reminiscent of mid-period
Rolling Stones.
Kudos From Critics: At the time of its release,
Entertainment Weekly chimed in with this assessment: "Produced by wizened rock L.A. sideman Waddy Wachtel, Guns N’ Roses’ hired gun churns out a conscientious guitar chug-a-thon that testifies to the enduring influence of the Rolling Stones.”
Best Track: “Johanna’s Chopper,” a slice of pop-rock perfection that frames a Lennon-like vocal melody in circular, psychedelic-tinged riffage and a wah-fueled solo that soars heavenward.
Noteworthy Guests: GNR bandmates Slash, Duff, and Axl all make contributions at various points. Roses's upper-register harmony vocal on the cover of the Stones' "Dead Flowers" is a high point.
What's He Done Since?: Clarke remains active on a variety of musical fronts. In 2002, he worked extensively with
Nancy Sinatra on her album,
California Girl, and a year later joined
Heart for a nationwide tour. In 2006 he teamed with Mötley Crüe’s Tommy Lee, Metallica’s Jason Newsted, and vocalist Lukas Rossi to form the reality-television super-group Rock Star Supernova. Clarke continues to tour regularly.
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