THE CD

CD cover photo by Andrew Orth

STEVE ROWLAND REVIEW HOLDING TOGETHER MAGAZINE (U.K.)

'Hideout Is A Crook's Best Friend' - LAuren (label - Jehrico Rose, USA)

Full marks if you recognise the title as a Joey Covington number (from the 'Fat Fandango' phase of his career). LAuren (the big LA is for Los Angeles) is Lauren Taines and her album contains not just one but eight Joey Covington compositions and a couple of Marty Balin's too. What's more, four of them are songs that Jefferson Airplane performed live in 1969 and 1970 but never got around to recording: Balin's "Emergency" and "You Wear Your Dresses Too Short" (refilled "I Wear My Dresses Too Short") and Covington's "Bludgeon Of The Bluecoat" and "Whatever The Old Man Does Is Always Right" (retitled "Whatever A Woman Does Is Always Right"). LAuren told me she wasn't too sure how long-time Airplane fans would react to her re-recording such material - she needn't lose any sleep over it, this album rocks... and what a great idea to take these numbers that had never been properly laid down and give them a new lease of life.

In addition to the four songs just mentioned and the title-track, LAuren also covers Covington's "Pretty As You Feel" (from 'Bark'), "Your Heart Is My Heart" (also from 'Fat Fandango'), "Visions" and "At The Right Time"; "(Baby) I'm Amazed", which opens the set, is credited to Covington and Taines and the whole thing finishes with an extended bonus version of "Whatever A Woman Does Is Always Right". LAuren's band revolves around Paul Shortino (guitars/ bass/background vocals/co-production), Mitch Perry (guitars), Sean McNabb (bass). Ray Hemandez (drums),J. T. Garrett (Hammond organ) and Joey Covington (percussion/ background vocals/co-production) and it rocks out a storm. I followed the instructions in the sleeve notes (written by JeffTamarkin) to "stick it in the player and crank the sucker to kingdom come" and I've had a huge smile on my face ever since!

What can I tell you? That LAuren is one ballsy lady -anyone who sings "I don't wear no panties, just don't think it's wrong" is going to be a pretty raunchy proposition and she doesn't hold back. The songs are declaimed, perhaps, rather than sung - but that's not to say LAuren can't sing... she does so most affectingly on the ballad "Your Heart Is My Heart" and on "Visions", but balladry isn't what she's really about.

This lady wants to rock the axis and no messing. The musicianship is a powerhouse classic rock line up, funky on the likes of "Pretty As You Feel" (which Covington insisted on doing in a different vein from the Airplane version) and "I Wear My Dresses Too Short", solid on "Hideout" and absolutely incendiary on the album's stand-out track "The Bludgeon Of The Bluecoat" which rivals anything the Sex Pistols ever did in its adrenalin-fuelled onslaught. You have to have quite a voice to impose yourself on top of that musical maelstrom but Lauren takes it in her stride and just imposes herself on the songs.

Her album has been on repeat play in the astral maisonette through the summer. It's such a blast to have these songs available again, to hear "Emergency" delivered with a sexy urgency, "Whatever A Woman Does" sung imperiously and "Bludgeon Of The Bluecoat" finally getting out to an audience despite being banned from the 'JALY' box set. To acquire a copy of the album - and it ought to be mandatory for any self-respecting Airplane fan - go to www.LAlauren.com from where you can purchase 'Hideout Is A Crook's Best Friend' with confidence by credit card or by PayPal. (sr)

THE SONGS

1. (Baby) I’m Amazed (Covington/Taines) mp3

2. Pretty As You Feel (Covington/Kaukonen/Casady) mp3

3. Your Heart Is My Heart (Covington) mp3

4. Emergency (Balin) mp3

5. I Wear My Dresses Too Short (Balin) mp3

6. Hideout Is A Crook’s Best Friend (Covington) mp3

7. Visions (Covington) mp3

8. Whatever A Woman Does (Is Always Right!) (Covington) mp3

(formerly called Whatever The Old Man Does Is Always Right!)

9. The Bludgeon of the Bluecoat aka The Man (Covington) mp3

10. At The Rite Time (Covington) mp3

11. Whatever A Woman Does (Is Always Right!) extended jam (Covington)

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