Duff McKagan’s Loaded – Sick

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What Loaded essentially boils down to is great songs, but Duff McKagan really is not a good vocalist. In fact, previous evidence indicates he’s not as good as he actually sounds on some of these tracks, which perhaps suggests a little studio massaging…? On some tracks he sounds absolutely fine, like Sleaze Factory, but on others, like the title track and The Slide, he sounds like a second-rate Iggy Pop, which is how he’s always sounded. In actual fact some songs, particularly Translucent, don’t sound a bit like Duff, so perhaps one of the other guys is taking lead vocal duties from time to time? Or perhaps Duff is owed the benefit of the doubt and has been working on his vocal techniques. Vocals aside Duff does have a talent for a great rock ‘n’ roll riff, and writes good songs. Famed as a bassist he actually plays guitar in Loaded, with Alien Crime Syndicate‘s Jeff Rouse handling bass and band mate Mike Squires on lead guitar, and while some of his riffs (I See Through You) are a little too close to regular employers Velvet Revolver, much of the rest are intentionally more straight-forward than the bands who made him famous. Sick is a fun rock ‘n’ roll record. No frills, just music for the sake of music, and although there’s perhaps a little too much Stooges influence from time to time, the stronger tracks show some genuine identity.

Written by Andy Lye
More: Albums, Hard Rock, Quick.Play Reviews, Duff McKagan's Loaded