I typically love glam rock – and thus, the German band Shameless had a rather easy time to get into my list of reviews. The band is active since the 1990’s and released their new album So Good, You Should… on 20th May 2022. Here are my thoughts, whether the album is indeed so good.
Shameless – About The Artists
Shameless is a glam (hard) rock / glam metal band from Munich, Germany. Their roots are going back to 1998, when bassist and songwriter Alexx Michael and guitarist BC founded the band. Nowadays, they have seven band members. Thereby, they have three singers, Charlotte Tybalt, Frankie Muriel and Stevie Rachelle. Tod T Burr is the drummer of the band and Dennis Post an additional guitarist. More than this lineup, the band impressed with quite a decent list of guest musicians, like Eric Singer (KISS) or Chris Holmes (WASP). So Good, You Should… is already the band’s eighth studio album (on top of a live album and two compilations).
Shameless – So Good, You Should… – Track by Track
The 14 track album lasts 47 minutes.
1. Erection
You need to be worried about Alexx Michael a bit, as this Erection just lasts 37 seconds. And it is more or less just a guitar riff as an intro. That’s how musicians do it. Others might feel that this track is pretty useless.
2. Get ready
Get ready, cause here I come – the whole album is not really made to impress with deep, complex musical quality. Shameless want you to party and have fun with their music. This 2:53 minute rocker which even has some brass sounds gets the job done.
3. Shout it out
Already the third track of the album shows how much Shameless profits of working with three different vocalists. Shout it out sounds so different compared to Get ready – and the band is even able to create a bit of a stronger contrast between the verses and the chorus. Finally, Shout it out is a party hard rocker. A venue, two beer per person and the people will just have to growl with the band.
4. So good, you should…
The title track is softer, almost feels like a power ballad. The vibe is a bit of thin – but again; I feel it may be an excellent sing-a-long. Not sure, if I would have put a focus on this track by naming the album after it, though.
5. I think we’re alone now
Tiffany made this song big, Weird Al Yankovic did an excellent parody… and now there is a Munich-based cover version as well. I would have loved Shameless to dare to go for even more guitar power here.
6. Hiding from love
This one is sooo 1980’s – I love it! Charlotte Tybalt leads this very own version of the Bryan Adams classic – just love to listen to Hiding from love in the Shameless version.
7. Bandit
Bandit lasts longer than an Erection at Shameless, but finally, this one is just a 48 second interlude. A touch of country music, which is not too surprising when you look at the next track.
8. Eastbound and down
Jerry Reed wrote this track originally with Dick Feller and released it in 1977. The song from the Smokey and the Bandit movie has a lot more drive and power in the glam rock version. Nonetheless, I feel, they could have done better.
9. Love is blind
The album is in the heart of the cover version section now. And this song is for the heart as well. A very kitschy way to interpret the KISS track. This still keeps a bit of the country music feeling of the predecessor. Not that bad, definitely.
10. Does your mother know
Yes, the credits for this song indeed state Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus as the original writers of this song. Unfortunately, I feel that this version of the ABBA classic is rather made for the skip button on your CD player or streaming software.
11. Stay the night
While the Shameless versions of the songs typically add rock power, Green Day’s Stay The Night turns into a gentle ballad on So Good, You Should… I feel, this really works out nicely. Well done.
12. Ain’t got no sense
The cover of the Teenage Head 1979 track is a nice one. Not a highlight of the album, but just pretty solid. The first half of the album was undeniably better, though.
13. Pretty in pink
A lot of the cover songs on the album are taken from the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. Pretty in Pink, originally performed by the Psychedelic Furs, has been released in 1979. The German re-recording almost half a decade later does not really upgrade the listening experience.
14. Live your dream
With the very last song of the album, Shameless are going back to original tracks and thus connect to the energetic listens of the first songs of the album. I am very thankful – just because it allows me to finish my listen with a smile.
Shameless – So Good, You Should… – Spotify
Here is the album on Spotify:
Shameless – So Good, You Should… – My View
My thoughts about the 2022 Shameless album are mixed. There are some smashing tracks on the album for sure. In average, the originals are much better than the covers – and the whole album would have been better if the Germans would have shortlisted a few of those tracks for So Good, You Should… Still, this album is good average.
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