Diamond Dave
David Lee Roth
(Magna Carta)

Dave is back with a new selection of blues-rockers. Unlike much of his recent output (recent meaning a decade.), this CD is very catchy and rather good. He has finally returned to the cheeky upbeat bluesy rockers that made his solo career initially successful. He even manages to do a new version of "Ice Cream Man", once covered by Van Halen. A passable version of a Beatles track, 'Tomorrow Never Knows' is included as well. It's good and different enough to warrant inclusion on here. There are tracks on here like 'Act One" and 'Soul Kitchen' that harkens back to 'Yankee Rose'-era Roth. Its campy, vampy and Vegasy, but damn good fun all round. He had the brains to bring the likes of Nile Rodgers, Edgar Winter and Greg Bissonette on board to help. After his recent output with the DLR band I didn't expect much. This is a pleasant surprise. This is a the perfect album for laid-back summer days. Who'd a think it? DLR actually pulled his finger out and produced something memorable.

Rating: 4.5