review

synopsis

Jerry Cole was a session guitarist who played on hundreds of Terry Melcher, Gary Usher, Brian Wilson, and Phil Spector records. As well, he also had a bit of a solo career himself, cutting a few budget albums for Crown Records here and there. After receiving payment for a certain number of surf, country, and easy listening albums, it seems Cole would then write about 10 songs for each and record them as cheaply as possible (without overdubs or backing vocals). While the compositions are actually all that bad, the lack of vocal production and polish means these tunes often

 end up sounding alike. Additionally, the quality of Cole's voice doesn't help to rectify this predicament, and Hot Rod Alley is no exception to the rule.

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The album begins with 'My Little Hot Rod' which actually features some backing vocals - a rare edition for Cole's budget output. '409 Woodie' is a little more interesting though ultimately stalls at the light, while 'Chrome Machine' goes nowhere. The first instrumental (and possibly the album's best track) 'Pealin', sits comfortably with its limitations, and the low-fi, rushed production actually highlights Cole's excellent guitar playing. 'Green Monster' is another nice instrumental track with some sparse instrumentation. Side two is really the best part of the album as it's mostly filled with crazy guitar-driven instrumental numbers. 'Me and My Model A' suffers from a noticeable lack of backing vocals - especially in the chorus, which seems to have been written with them in mind. 'Little Black Coupe' feels unfinished, while 'Stripped Gears' is actual rather memorable and features some of Cole's signature string bending. The two final songs, 'Stroker' and 'The Pursuit' offers a little more originality but ultimately get left in the dust.

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Not the most memorable album ever, the Strokers' Hot Rod Alley is at its best when Cole steps away from the mic. Perhaps this one's of best use when it's displayed on your wall.  I mean - the cover may just be the best thing about this release.

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