HOLLIS BROWN -BENT CORNER BARGAIN Gets Loaded -Tribute to Lou Reed LP

PERFECT VINYL, sealed. Just a bent corner, great deal! Hollis Brown, Gets Loaded. Defying the odds of gravity and greatness, the Brooklyn-based Hollis Brown band records all the songs on one of the perfect rock albums, Velvet UndergroundÕs Loaded, and still manages to hold their head high. So what may have looked like a long shot on the assembly line turns into an inspired piece of music-making. When the VelvetsÕ fourth (and last) studio album was released in 1970, it finally looked like the ultra-boundary-breaking New York outfit would get their due. Except for one small problem: the Velvet Underground had already broken up. So soon-to-be classic Lou Reed songs ÒSweet Jane,Ó ÒRock and Roll,Ó ÒNew AgeÓ and others were left in the cold light of winter to die, only to live now and see another day.Now that Hollis Brown has decided to do their own take of the entire album, itÕs clear this is rock that has never been surpassed. By anyone. As much as what Hollis Brown has accomplished by putting their own life into these ten songs, it is also a mighty display of courage to even attempt such a thing, proving that lives are still being saved by rock and roll Ñ and Lou Reed.RIDE ON THE TRAIN BY Greg JonesRide on the Train is an album that a lot of people are going to love for its multi-generational appeal. But besides that, itÕs just good rock music. ItÕs hard to peg a specific sound on it. There are no ÒskipÓ songs on this album though. Be prepared to keep it in your player, on repeat, for a long time. Oh, and the next time one of your friends says Òthey just donÕt make music like they used to,Ó you slap them and hand them this album. But make sure you slap them first, for dramatic effect.Hollis Brown have a classic sound that is sure to satisfy a variety of music fans. ThereÕs a certain timeless element to their sound that will have typical Òclassic rockÓ fans happy. But what they also have going for them is a refreshing newness. They sound like a band that youÕve heard before, but odds are you havenÕt. ThatÕs because Hollis Brown reflect some of the greatest bands in rock music from Tom Petty to The Eagles to Lynrd Skynrd.Hollis BrownÕs ÒDown on Your LuckÓ sounds like it could have come straight out of 1966. It makes the listener feel like that Òcold wind blowinÕÓ is out the windows of an old Camaro or Mustang. ÒWhen the night runs cold and youÕre down on your luckÉÓ highlights the theme of the songwriter being available to help. But really what makes this song so good isnÕt lyrical complexity, but rather a Creedence kind of joy. If you played this at a party and told the crowd it was a lost Creedence reel, you wouldnÕt get much criticism.