With a name like Mick’s Jaguar, I was expecting a Stones based band and yet their debut, Fame and Fortune was more like New York Dolls performing Thin Lizzy but with more chords. The cover art has a horse being mounted, so no real clue there!
What the five members, Don Chino, Sam Cooper, Alex Forbes, Grace Hollaender and John Martin do, is put together some fascinating and skilled rock. The opening track, ‘Skin Contact’, shows this admirably with the riff and soloing. ‘Handshake Deals’ demonstrates the variation they deliver as they combine The Ramones with a hint of rockabilly to great effect, and throw in some excellent heavy rock chords and solos too. ‘Speed Dealer’ is Pistolian Priest or Priestly Pistol dependent on the section you listen to… and it works very well. ‘Hells Gate’ is the only slow-ish track but loses none of the weight and brings a hint of AC/DC into the mix. ‘Georgian Pine’ closes the album with the melodic vocals of Grace bringing a new complexion to the solid rock base.
Regardless of comparisons, Mick’s Jaguar are no clones and they pour originality into each track and the guitar work in particular is excellent. Once you get used to the punk-ish vocal approach, this is a damn good rock album that draws on a number of influences without copying. Well worth seeking out.
