JETBOY – Feel The Shake [Rock Candy remastered] (2017)

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The debut album “Feel The Shake” from hard rockers JETBOY in its ‘Remastered & Reloaded‘ version by Rock Candy Records has been requested, a really good but sadly overlooked LP appeared in year when the competition for this style – dominated by Guns N’ Roses – was really hard.

Imagine being a young rock fan caught up in all the late ’80s Metal scene had to offer. You were looking for something different, something that wasn’t cookie-cutter or homogenized. While scanning the racks at your local record store you stumble upon an album from a brand new band that had a name taken from a New York Dolls song, a lead singer with a gigantic mohawk, a bass player snatched from Hanoi Rocks and an album title called “Feel The Shake”.
Lawd have mercy, I couldn’t pull my wallet out fast enough to purchase this LP the first time I saw it.

The late ’80s Hard Rock / Metal scene was centered in sunny Southern California but Jetboy emerged from San Francisco. This five strong squad was fronted by Mickey Finn and former Hanoi Rocks bassist Sammy Yaffa, and they debuted on record in 1988 with the release of “Feel The Shake”.

While there’s some sleazy punky vibe all over the record (something similar to the early Guns N’ Roses) the production of renowned Tom Allom (Def Leppard, Kix Rough Cutt) and the mix of Brian Foraker (Starship, Vixen) keep things very polished and melodic.

The title track starts this album with a soft-spoken guitar intro before kicking into high gear with a sinister Yeeeaaaahh! I was screaming Hell Yeah! myself while cranking it on my home stereo.
This was exciting, nothing like I had heard before. This was something original and fresh in a sea of posers. The guitars weren’t overly distorted nor were they shredding needlessly. All the instruments were just plain tight n’ rockin’… and boy the rippin’ songs just never let up.

‘Make Some Noise’ is another anthem that follows up the title track perfectly. I was 16 and lyrics say “Fuck the Neighbors, I Like it Loud”… with a statement like that how could this not become your new favorite album as teenager?
I’ll point it out now that “Feel The Shake” has some of the best kick-ass rock n’ roll guitar playing of any album ever put out during this era / genre. The twin guitar attack of Billy Rowe & Fernie Rod is infectious and will have you reaching for the volume knob to crank it up even higher.

The sleazy underground vibe continues with ‘Bad Disease’ and ‘Fire In My Heart’.
What I feel is the coolest cut on the record is the backwoods blooze cruise of ‘Home Town Blues’. Ron Tostenson’ drumming is meticulous and swingin’ all at the same time with the addition of Mickey’s out of this world vocal stylings really drives the point home that this ain’t like no band you ever heard before.

Bringing the tempo back up with the upbeat ‘Locked in a Cage’. The record speeds full steam ahead with ‘Talkin’ (killer riff), ‘Hard Climb’ and ‘Bloodstone’, before blasting you into outer space with the ballsy album closer ‘Snakebite’.

Appeared few months after G N’ R’s debut, “Feel The Shake” is equally good and rocks in the same sleazy manner. Unfortunately, like all bands that were signed to MCA at the time (Femme Fatale, Pretty Boy Floyd, Blue Tears, etc) Jetboy was screwed over huge by the recording label.
The lack of promotion and investment into this band was a total shame. Not only does this album have all the right stuff, the band had style & grace in spades.

In the year of 1988, Jetboy should have became household names but instead are now the genre’s best kept secret and one of the most underrated bands to ever come out of the whole Californian scene.
So this Rock Candy remaster is more than welcomed; punchy but not saturated, something this album needed as the original CD edition was really flat.
Highly Recommended

01 - Feel The Shake
02 - Make Some Noise
03 - Bad Disease
04 - Fire In My Heart
05 - Hometown Blues
06 - Locked In A Cage
07 - Talkin'
08 - Hard Climb
09 - Bloodstone
10 - Snakebite

Mickey Finn (vocals)
Fernie Rod (guitar, backing vocals)
Billy Rowe (guitar, backing vocals)
Sam Yaffa (bass, backing vocals)
Rod Tostenson (drums, backing vocals)
Produced by Tom Allom & Ric Browde
Mixed by Brian Foraker

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