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Outrageous Cherry – Universal Malcontents
CD Review by "Lady" Jane Rushmore / 2/2009

I'm writing here about those early records, the beginning of it all; albums like "12 x 5," "December's Children," "Out Of Our Heads," "and their response to Pepper, "Satanic Majesties Request." That one is the most un-Stones album of their career, but when all is said and done all they did was take a side road for a few miles just to show the world that, hey, come on, Pepper, that's what's got you so wound up? That's the direction it's going in, fine. We are not the Dave Clark 5. We won't get left behind. You got Pepper we give you Satanic.

The Stones back then were the much needed Yang to the British Invasions pop Ying…to all those Pacemakers, Dakotas, and Hermits who were pouring out their disposable pap, uh, pop. While Freddie and The Dreamers were inviting all to "Do The Freddie," the Stones sang, "Let's Spend The Night Together."

Without the Stones Beatlemania and the British pop industry it created may have been no more than a fad along the line of the twist dance craze a few years earlier.

(Honorable mention must be inserted here to Eric Burdon and The Animals who were also apart from the crowd.)

Now some 41 years after "Satanic Majesties Request" comes the follow up album. It's called "Universal Malcontents," and it wasn't recorded by The Stones; it's the latest installment in a long line of recordings by Outrageous Cherry.

They are from Detroit, a city that gave us Alice Cooper, Mitch Ryder, Frijid Pink, MC5, Grand Funk Railroad, Motown and so much more. They play British Invasion psychedelic garage rock with courage, passion and respect. They sound like a mix of Bowie, T-Rex, Sparks, Roxy Music, and Brian Jones' early Stones. What else do you need to know?

It's worth the price of admission just to hear the 8-minute psychedelic masterpiece "Outsider." This is the cut guitars were invented for and channels "Wild Horses," Ray Davies and the Kinks.

You'll be reminded of The Beatles 'Get Back," The Stones "Street Fighting Man," and the Ramones when you hear the instant classic, "It's Not Rock and Roll (And I Don't Like it)."

The CD contains 8 other hook-filled tunes that will take you back to tomorrow.

There's the Troggsish "Feels Like Shadows," and amazing fuzzy guitar on "This Song Belongs To Everyone." "I Wouldn't Treat My Enemies The Way You Treat Yourself" starts with a McCartney count off and then on to what could be a great lost Turtles tune from the later part of their career. Jagger or Lennon would have had a field day with the Oasis-like "Horizon," a song about stories on the other side of sameness. Track eight reminds us that love grows where my Rosemary goes so "Get Out While You Can.'

What am I talking about? You'll understand when you get yourself a copy of "Universal Malcontents" by Outrageous Cherry or is it "Outrageous Cherry" by Universal Malcontents? Don't matter, it's not only rock and roll and you'll love it.