BIO
In the continuing history of popular music Rawles Balls has long remained one of the truly essential groups of our time.
Led by singer/guitarist Rawles and supported by Monica Castellanos (drums), Patrick Glynn (bass), Dave Boyle (rhodes) and producer Captain Carl Glanville. Their inspired mixture of pop, powered interplay and irresistible melody contributes to a music that is both exciting and special.
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---------------------various quotes & reviews-------------------
"Live Wire" is one of the weirdest records in my entire collection. If you like screwed-up drunk rock then wait 'til you hear Rawles Balls' 2003 'masterpiece' debut of sloppy rock 'n' roll covers and Henny Youngman one liners.
This record sounds as if Rawles Balls staggered into the studio with a band seemingly as wasted as him and knocked out this set which, in it's chaotic 25 minutes veers from upbeat rockers (U2's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For") to wired and psychotic ("Ain't No Sunshine" sung to the music of "Walk On The Wild Side"), with Rawles screaming his lungs out over stabbing electric piano chords. Elsewhere we get such treats as "Dang Me" (the best song on offer) and the title track in which Rawles' lazy vocal deliveries are juxtaposed against guitars so bleedin' out of tune that they wouldn't go amiss on a bootleg of Exile On Main St. outtakes (I kid you not!). The nearest thing to a sane, balanced song on the album is the catchy stomper "New York Groove" which features some pretty melodic background vocals that bring back vague glimmers of Ace Frehley's version (not for long though as the album descends into near chaos with discordant guitar solos and complete choruses of tritonal vocals.
"Cuts Like A Knife", is also pretty cool while the teaser promo at the end is probably the best part of the album. Anyway, before my review gets as scrambled and incoherent as the album itself I'll wrap it up- basically if you're into shambolic garage rock or albums that sound a little bit wasted, bleary and dangerous then you'll love this.
-Stan D. Payne (Future Legends Of Rock n' Roll)
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Rawles Balls - Live Wire
This album is raw. The band is inebriated. It's hard to believe someone would release something sounding this, ermm, amateur, but that's what makes this so great. They rip up a bunch of classic rock standards, a Whitney Houston song, a Bill Withers song, and a handful of otherwise meaningless tunes. They do 10 songs, all covers, and sound like they are simply playing the songs for their very first time, rendering some of them nearly unrecognizable. Surprisingly, they even struggle with the Bo Diddley style "New York Groove", I guess most people would give this two stars or less, but not me, I find it engagingly sloppy and quite genuinely entertaining, despite its shortcomings.
Amanda Huggenkiss (Sharpnel Monthly)
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Rawles Balls fills a much needed void.
The music world would be vastly improved by their total and utter nonexistence. (unknown fan)
************************************************************
It's no wonder someone shouted out "Rawles Balls! You're a genius!" after the opening song. Here's a guy who demonstrates the true spirit of punk. A guy who put "New" in "New York Groove". Performing mostly songs from the self released masterpiece "Live Wire" it's obvious from the get-go Rawles Balls is about a lot more than just another night of bacchanalian revelry. If any proof of his crude technique were needed, he offers it immediately. as the band takes to the stage his guitar is feeding back and, in a moment of frustration, he boots the amp over to the cheers of the crowd. I smile as I see for myself what the insane recording session must of been like for the "Live Wire" cd and realizing what a great job the engineer did capturing the rawness of a band causing this amount of trouble on tape. Whatever he may lack in subtlety and pitch, he more than makes up for in sheer passion and, perhaps more importantly, playfulness. When he sings "I Will Always Love You" he sounds so sincere that chills run up and down your spine, that is, until the second verse when he lets out a big burp and laughs as he can't believe he made it that far into it without getting any on him. Where else can you hear that kind of honesty on a record these days? Is it a sarcastic piss-take? Is it a genuine and touching nod to the original writers? Thankfully Rawles Balls is not precious about the songs and, accordingly, they are often sloppy but always endearing. they may not be well-rehearsed, but the band plays very much as a band rather than just providing backup. The covers of the Temptations ("My Girl"), Bon Jovi ("Living On A Prayer") and The Yeah Yeah Yeahs ("Maps") are all given an airing, before someone produces a 4 foot set list containing over 100 songs! After kicking the bass player off stage, Rawles Balls' "mean drunk" comes to the fore and he resists the crowd's increasingly desperate pleas for "Dang Me" instead leading the drummer, Monica, into a semi-rehearsed romp through'"When The Saints Go Marching In" (sung in his worst Louis Armstrong) The cut-off time has passed, Balls departs from the stage with a wry grin. Rock and Roll is here to stay.
-Edward Hootch (New Musical Local)
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RAWLES BALLS - "LIVE WIRE"
This album is a mess. As a mess, it's a less-glorious mess than most messes.
These 10 songs mostly just sound like intoxicated, sneering rambles. The versions of lumbering jams "Do You Wanna Touch" and "Runaround Sue" sound like they're on the verge of total collapse, (and not in a good way.) On the other hand, that actually fits songs like "Dang Me" the most obvious stand out track here, as it seems like the band has actually heard of the song before. and there's a storming cover of the Kiss classic "New York Groove". So parts of the album actually work. And of course, it has "Live Wire" possibly the worst opening to an album you could imagine. So it's close to necessary just for that. But Rawles Balls is strictly for the listener with a sense of humor, as it is one of the most willfully difficult and impenetrable records I've ever heard. ~ Al Koholic, Al's Music Guide
*********************************************************
Two of the worst cd's I've heard in quite some time come from the same artist.
Rawles Balls is the name, uninspired cover songs is his game.
A game which only leaves the listener asking one question...why?
-Anna Lee Van Kleef (The Daily Record)
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"Every one should go buy this record! Because every person should own the worst album ever made"
-unknown fan
************************************************************
Well, I love it, but it's certainly not for all tastes. Consists mostly of attempts at a variety of covers, attempts that are almost always half-assed and sometimes only last a few seconds. Completely hilarious and a decent recording of a typical band getting soused, and playing their favorite songs. I work part time at a restruant on the upper westside waiting tables. The manager encourages the employees to bring in Cd's of their favorite music to play. Once I picked Live Wire. It didn't go over well, but it got some laughs. The manager said "I think this is more of a conversation piece than it is good music". Yeah whatever, man. Heh heh.
Rated: 9/10
***********************************************************
I'll come up with more later.
thanks.
Check out the artist's website:
http://rawlesballs.com
Track List:
1. Live Wire
2. New York Groove
3. Dang Me
4. Cuts Like A Knife
5. Rawles Balls Theme
6. Ain't No Sunshine
7. I Will Always Love You
8. I.S.H.F.W.I.A.L.F.
9. Runaround Sue
10. Teaser Track
Suggested CDs:Other Genres:
In the continuing history of popular music Rawles Balls has long remained one of the truly essential groups of our time.
Led by singer/guitarist Rawles and supported by Monica Castellanos (drums), Patrick Glynn (bass), Dave Boyle (rhodes) and producer Captain Carl Glanville. Their inspired mixture of pop, powered interplay and irresistible melody contributes to a music that is both exciting and special.
***********************************************************
---------------------various quotes & reviews-------------------
"Live Wire" is one of the weirdest records in my entire collection. If you like screwed-up drunk rock then wait 'til you hear Rawles Balls' 2003 'masterpiece' debut of sloppy rock 'n' roll covers and Henny Youngman one liners.
This record sounds as if Rawles Balls staggered into the studio with a band seemingly as wasted as him and knocked out this set which, in it's chaotic 25 minutes veers from upbeat rockers (U2's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For") to wired and psychotic ("Ain't No Sunshine" sung to the music of "Walk On The Wild Side"), with Rawles screaming his lungs out over stabbing electric piano chords. Elsewhere we get such treats as "Dang Me" (the best song on offer) and the title track in which Rawles' lazy vocal deliveries are juxtaposed against guitars so bleedin' out of tune that they wouldn't go amiss on a bootleg of Exile On Main St. outtakes (I kid you not!). The nearest thing to a sane, balanced song on the album is the catchy stomper "New York Groove" which features some pretty melodic background vocals that bring back vague glimmers of Ace Frehley's version (not for long though as the album descends into near chaos with discordant guitar solos and complete choruses of tritonal vocals.
"Cuts Like A Knife", is also pretty cool while the teaser promo at the end is probably the best part of the album. Anyway, before my review gets as scrambled and incoherent as the album itself I'll wrap it up- basically if you're into shambolic garage rock or albums that sound a little bit wasted, bleary and dangerous then you'll love this.
-Stan D. Payne (Future Legends Of Rock n' Roll)
*********************************************************
Rawles Balls - Live Wire
This album is raw. The band is inebriated. It's hard to believe someone would release something sounding this, ermm, amateur, but that's what makes this so great. They rip up a bunch of classic rock standards, a Whitney Houston song, a Bill Withers song, and a handful of otherwise meaningless tunes. They do 10 songs, all covers, and sound like they are simply playing the songs for their very first time, rendering some of them nearly unrecognizable. Surprisingly, they even struggle with the Bo Diddley style "New York Groove", I guess most people would give this two stars or less, but not me, I find it engagingly sloppy and quite genuinely entertaining, despite its shortcomings.
Amanda Huggenkiss (Sharpnel Monthly)
************************************************************
Rawles Balls fills a much needed void.
The music world would be vastly improved by their total and utter nonexistence. (unknown fan)
************************************************************
It's no wonder someone shouted out "Rawles Balls! You're a genius!" after the opening song. Here's a guy who demonstrates the true spirit of punk. A guy who put "New" in "New York Groove". Performing mostly songs from the self released masterpiece "Live Wire" it's obvious from the get-go Rawles Balls is about a lot more than just another night of bacchanalian revelry. If any proof of his crude technique were needed, he offers it immediately. as the band takes to the stage his guitar is feeding back and, in a moment of frustration, he boots the amp over to the cheers of the crowd. I smile as I see for myself what the insane recording session must of been like for the "Live Wire" cd and realizing what a great job the engineer did capturing the rawness of a band causing this amount of trouble on tape. Whatever he may lack in subtlety and pitch, he more than makes up for in sheer passion and, perhaps more importantly, playfulness. When he sings "I Will Always Love You" he sounds so sincere that chills run up and down your spine, that is, until the second verse when he lets out a big burp and laughs as he can't believe he made it that far into it without getting any on him. Where else can you hear that kind of honesty on a record these days? Is it a sarcastic piss-take? Is it a genuine and touching nod to the original writers? Thankfully Rawles Balls is not precious about the songs and, accordingly, they are often sloppy but always endearing. they may not be well-rehearsed, but the band plays very much as a band rather than just providing backup. The covers of the Temptations ("My Girl"), Bon Jovi ("Living On A Prayer") and The Yeah Yeah Yeahs ("Maps") are all given an airing, before someone produces a 4 foot set list containing over 100 songs! After kicking the bass player off stage, Rawles Balls' "mean drunk" comes to the fore and he resists the crowd's increasingly desperate pleas for "Dang Me" instead leading the drummer, Monica, into a semi-rehearsed romp through'"When The Saints Go Marching In" (sung in his worst Louis Armstrong) The cut-off time has passed, Balls departs from the stage with a wry grin. Rock and Roll is here to stay.
-Edward Hootch (New Musical Local)
**********************************************************
***********************************************************
RAWLES BALLS - "LIVE WIRE"
This album is a mess. As a mess, it's a less-glorious mess than most messes.
These 10 songs mostly just sound like intoxicated, sneering rambles. The versions of lumbering jams "Do You Wanna Touch" and "Runaround Sue" sound like they're on the verge of total collapse, (and not in a good way.) On the other hand, that actually fits songs like "Dang Me" the most obvious stand out track here, as it seems like the band has actually heard of the song before. and there's a storming cover of the Kiss classic "New York Groove". So parts of the album actually work. And of course, it has "Live Wire" possibly the worst opening to an album you could imagine. So it's close to necessary just for that. But Rawles Balls is strictly for the listener with a sense of humor, as it is one of the most willfully difficult and impenetrable records I've ever heard. ~ Al Koholic, Al's Music Guide
*********************************************************
Two of the worst cd's I've heard in quite some time come from the same artist.
Rawles Balls is the name, uninspired cover songs is his game.
A game which only leaves the listener asking one question...why?
-Anna Lee Van Kleef (The Daily Record)
***********************************************************
************************************************************
"Every one should go buy this record! Because every person should own the worst album ever made"
-unknown fan
************************************************************
Well, I love it, but it's certainly not for all tastes. Consists mostly of attempts at a variety of covers, attempts that are almost always half-assed and sometimes only last a few seconds. Completely hilarious and a decent recording of a typical band getting soused, and playing their favorite songs. I work part time at a restruant on the upper westside waiting tables. The manager encourages the employees to bring in Cd's of their favorite music to play. Once I picked Live Wire. It didn't go over well, but it got some laughs. The manager said "I think this is more of a conversation piece than it is good music". Yeah whatever, man. Heh heh.
Rated: 9/10
***********************************************************
I'll come up with more later.
thanks.
Check out the artist's website:
http://rawlesballs.com
Track List:
1. Live Wire
2. New York Groove
3. Dang Me
4. Cuts Like A Knife
5. Rawles Balls Theme
6. Ain't No Sunshine
7. I Will Always Love You
8. I.S.H.F.W.I.A.L.F.
9. Runaround Sue
10. Teaser Track
Suggested CDs:Other Genres:
- ROCK: Classic Rock
- POP: Bubblegum Pop
- MOOD: FUN