Fast & Loose

Solid Smoke / Double Dare records, 1983

Also released with same tracks on Lolita Records France (5017), 1983

Roy Loney Lead Vocals & Rhythm Guitars all tracks
Larry Lee Lead & Rhythm Guitars, Backing Vocals
Danny Mihm: Drums & Percussion
John Hjort: Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals
Jim Markell Piano.
Rick Mastrude: Pedal Steel
Jerry McKinney: Saxophones
James "Chippy" Campbell: Backing Vocals

Driving Wheel & Tulande:
Larry Lea: Lead & Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals
Michael Weinstein: Bass Guitar
Todd Swenson: Rhythm Guitar. Backing Vocals
Sandy Jack Drums
Mark Dunwoody: Piano

Renegade
Larry Lee: Lead Guitar
Maurice Tani: Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals
John Kaldor: Rhythm Guitar
Johnny Surell: Drums
Nick Buck: Piano
Produced by Roy Loney & John Rewind

Teenage Head
Larry Lea: Lead & Rythm Guitar
James Ferrell: Lead & Rythm Guitar
Michael Weinstein: Bass Guitar
Kenny Johnson: Drums & Percussion

Produced by Roy Loney with a gentlemanly assist from Peter 'Buzz' Miller
Recorded and mixed at Peter Miller Recording San Francisco (except Renegade & Teenage Head recorded at John Altmann Recording, San Francisco)
Engineers Peter Miller, John Altmann
Album Supervision: Marty Arbunich
Cover Design: Ellie Byrom
Phonography: Ellie Byrom & Doug Baird

All songs published 1983 Loney Tunes Music / Solid Smoke Songs (ASCAP) except *

Special thanks and very hip-hoorays to all of the Phantom Movers. Regina Saisa, Greg Oggario, John Catania. Dec Mulligan, Rafael Martinez, Jeff Richardson, Ginnie Syn. Tom Burke Edwards & Ersel Hickey

This is Roy back on track again. This is a pure dirty rock album and not a trace of 80’s sound. It was to be the last record for Solid Smoke, well it’s called Double Dare Records this time, and the last studio record for a couple of years. This was also the last record not to be released on the, then, new invention, the Compact Disc.

Side A
1) You Can't Be Too Wild (Roy A. Loney). This is classic Roy Loney again with a guitar driven rocker.

2) Slippin' Out The Back Door (Roy A. Loney – Larry Lea). One of my favorites on the album. A laid back rocker with great melody, cool piano, interesting key changes and a fine double tracked guitar solo.

 3) Fast & Loose (Roy A. Loney). In the title track Roy moves to Mexico (sound wise) in this great tex-mex with great acoustic guitar playing.

4) Hey Waitress! (Roy A. Loney). This is Roy’s most serious attempt to make a country and western. A fine song with a steel guitar solo.

5) Driving Wheel (Burnett - Swan). This song is one of my favourite rock’n’roll songs, and this is the best version I’ve heard. It’s written by T. Bone Burnette and Billy Swan. The beat in this song is rock steady with fine drumming from Sandy Jack.

6) The Mop Flops (Roy A. Loney). This is a ”standard” Roy rocker. And that means it’s good with great piano and Chuck Berry type of guitars.

Side B
1) Ragged But Wrong (Roy A. Loney). The rhythm and the backgound in this song is a bit like ”Can I Get A Witness”. A fine stomping song.

 2) Rockin' Radio (Roy A. Loney). This is almost Rockabilly with a fine piano and guitar solos.

3) Renegade (Roy A. Loney). This is a fine rocker again and a left-over from the "Contents Under Pressure" sessions.

4) Teenage Head (Loney - Jordan). I don’t know why Roy wanted to do this new version. I mean,  The Groovies did the definitive version. This one is not bad at all, it’s very close to the original despite the fact that Roy sings it one octave higher which takes a while to get used to, but I think that’s the way he sings it live.

5) Hangin' Around (Ersel Hickey).This is a great acoustic rockabilly, a kind of Buddy Holly with much rawer vocal.

6) Beware Of The Ghoul (Roy A. Loney). A real fine rocker again with saxophones in the background and a fine saxophone solo.

7) Tulane (Chuck Berry). A fine but unnecessary cover. I mean, every rock band has done Chuck Berry covers and have they improved on the originals? No.

This album is surprisingly good. It’s very up-tempo, not a single slow song or ballad. The production is good, the musicians plays very well and the songs are overall good. This is his best album since ”Phantom Tracks” and that means 8/10

Comments from Marty Arbunich (former owner of Solid Smoke Records):

Teenage Head: Re-recording this Groovies classic was my idea. It was a big Phantom Movers' concert favorite, and our attempt to link Roy to some of the limelight that the Groovies had been basking in at the time (and I guess still do). I was also hoping to get some LP airplay by including it. I always thought Roy was the heart and soul of the original Groovies, and "Out After Dark" the logical extension (and a step up, as you suggest) of the "Teenage head" album, but most of the world then did not make the link between the two albums, or between Roy and the original Groovies for that matter. Re-recording "Teenage Head" did not complete that bridge in execution, I'm sorry to say, but in retrospect was still a decent rendition of the song, mixed by yours truly. I believe "Teenage Head" was originally recorded at the Dance Party sessions, "Renegade" at "Contents" session.

 

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