Mitch Ryder - The Roof Is On Fire

CD 1:
Size: 202 MB
Time: 86:44
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2024
Styles: Blues/Rock Electric Blues, Blues Rock
Art: Front

01. Betty's Too Tight (5:41)
02. Tough Kid (6:42)
03. Subterranean Homesick Blues (5:14)
04. Bang Bang (4:08)
05. Aint Nobody White (5:05)
06. Tuff Enuff (3:50)
07. From A Buick 6 (5:05)
08. Heart Of Stone (6:19)

CD 2:
01. Freezin In Hell ( 6:05)
02. All The Fools It Sees ( 5:14)
03. If You Need The Pain ( 3:40)
04. Many Rivers To Cross ( 4:09)
05. Star Nomore ( 4:34)
06. Red Scar Eyes ( 5:07)
07. Soul Kitchen (15:43)

Maybe no one personifies Motor City music better than the man who named his band the Detroit Wheels. Mitch Ryder launched his career during the glory days of ‘60s rock n’ roll where he made his name with a mix of potent live performances and hit singles. And like Neil Young said, it’s better to burn out than fade away, and that’s exactly what happened to the original band as their wild two-year rocket ride from 1965 to 1967 brought them fame, but sadly no fortune, while tearing the band apart in the process. But as the cliché goes, sometimes what doesn’t kill a man just makes him stronger.

Through decades and musical trends that came and went, one thing remained consistent with Ryder, the energy he brought to the stage. And that’s been enough to keep fans coming to shows throughout the now 60+ years since he first took to the stage in 1963 as the leader of Billy Lee & the Rivieras. During a career peppered with wild moments like being the last person to perform with Otis Redding to having John Mellencamp produce his cover of a Prince song, Ryder has experienced just about it all and thankfully for us, he lived to tell about it.
Which brings us to The Roof Is On Fire about which Ryder recently expained, “This double CD was a part of my 75th birthday while on tour in Germany. Normally I would take exception in involving my age into any aspect of my life. You see, when it comes to music, age is totally irrelevant. So whether you are making music with beginners or seasoned veterans, such as I have on this compilation, the focus point is not about age but about fun and music combined. I am very familiar with most of the players on this work. Over the years, since we had our first rehearsal in a communist-run youth center in East Berlin, our integrity, power, self-respect, and accomplishment have grown unilaterally. For those fans who have been with us from the beginning, they will readily note that the music created with this group of musicians gives my early debut in West Germany a real run for its money. So sit back, listen, and enjoy an evolutionary process that I wish would go on forever.”

The Roof Is On Fire MP3
The Roof Is On Fire FLAC

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Mitch Ryder - Air Harmonie: Live In Bonn 2008 (Feat. Engerling)

Size: 169.3 MB
Time: 72:54
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2009
Styles: Rock, Blues Rock
Art: Full

01. Moondog House (Live) (4:35)
02. Long Hard Road (Live) (6:50)
03. All The Fools It Sees (Live) (5:37)
04. When You Were Mine (Live) (3:45)
05. Rock 'n' Roll (Live) (5:38)
06. Heaven Takes You Back (Live) (6:10)
07. Yeah You Right (Live) (4:36)
08. 21St Century (Live) (3:41)
09. The Testament (Live) (6:58)
10. The Thrill Of It All (Live) (4:27)
11. Jenny Take A Ride (Live) (3:40)
12. Take Me To The River (Live) (9:20)
13. Gimmie Shelter (Live) (7:32)

30 years after his move to Germany to find acceptance in a market that responded to him, 40 years after the hits he still has to lean on to get a job in the United States, Mitch Ryder can still deliver the goods. Air Harmonie, a live recording from his 2008 European tour, finds the rock legend in top form throughout a thirteen-song set recorded at a show in Bonn, Germany. Backed by his German band Engerling, Ryder peppers the set list with favorites old and new but they all sound fresh and vital. Despite introducing himself as “from Detroit” (as if no one in the audience would recognize him), Ryder has been touring Europe annually and has always played shows deep in catalogue, and this one is no exception. (It’s a far cry from his stateside profile, where his few appearances have been relegated to oldies shows like Hippiefest.)

Engerling is tight and versatile and an excellent match for Ryder’s material, with guitarist Pitti Piatkowski a particular standout. On leadoff track “Moondog House”, he flaunts a greasy slide riff that would make David Lindley jealous, and his flashy fretwork on “Long Hard Road” and others is extremely tasty. But what is most impressive is Ryder’s voice, a better instrument now than in his heyday. He can still shout and wail, but his timbre and control make him a far better blues singer at sixty-four than he ever was before. “All the Fools It Sees” and “The Testament” are soulful and pleading, and the pain expressed in these songs of mistrust and abandonment might have deeper roots in the truth than he’s willing to admit. They are mesmerizing.

Two tracks are from his last American release, Never Kick a Sleeping Dog, the 1983 album produced by John Mellencamp. His cover of Prince’s “When You Were Mine” is a live staple and as much his song now as is Lou Reed’s “Rock ’n’ Roll” (also in this set). But the live version of “The Thrill of it All” is a revelation. Where Mellencamp buried the track in echo and handclaps, Ryder is able to dig into the meat of the song and really drive it home with a fiercer arrangement. The Detroit Wheels days are represented by a spirited “Jenny Take a Ride”, which leads into the expansive set-closers “Take Me to the River” and “Gimme Shelter” (another long-time concert favorite). Those not familiar with his vast catalogue will no doubt be surprised by the jazzy honky-tonk that permeates both “Yeah You Right” and “The 21st Century”. It’s a well balanced, masterfully performed set of songs that must have been a thrill to witness in the flesh. I’m thankful it was captured for posterity.

Air Harmonie was released by BuschFunk, Ryder’s German label also responsible for his two most recent studio efforts The Acquitted Idiot (2006) and You Deserve My Art (2008). He also recently recorded new material with producer Don Was, and the result (tentatively titled The Promise) is slated to be his first album in his homeland in over a quarter-century. America doesn’t know what it’s been missing all these years, but between this live album and the prospect of that new one, they’ll soon have the chance to kiss and make up with one of the true legends of rock music.

Air Harmonie: Live In Bonn 2008 (Feat. Engerling) MP3
Air Harmonie: Live In Bonn 2008 (Feat. Engerling) FLAC

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