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The Master Plan
is everything you'd expected from this New York supergroup. A
solid record from top to bottom, and it all ends with a blazing
cover of The Eastern Dark's 'Tonight I'm Walking,' one of the
more obscure gems from the great wave of Aussie post-punk in
the early-mid '80s. - Larry / Carbon 14 |
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Combine
mid-Atlantic son Paul Johnson (once Paul Tiers of the Waxing
Poetics) with pillars of the New York garage sound community,
namely Andy Shernoff of the Dictators, and Bill Milhizer/Keith
Streng of the Fleshtones, and you have just what you might expect.
Great guitar work and a straightforward style that pays
homage to basement-driven, beer-battered, saxophone-thickened
rock n' roll. If you want pensive lyrics, go to Target.
"Colossus of Destiny' starts off with "What's up with
That?" and "Better Get Better." Two 50s
style, twangy rockers that highlight the range of The Master
Plan with their catchy choruses and restless guitar work. There
are several covers in Colossus, namely the Cadets' "I Got
Loaded," which laments "I got loaded (I shoulda got
high)." Paul Johnson contributes an aggressive, Ramones-esque
"You're Mine" with another infectious chorus and enough
out-of-control guitar to guarantee no one would watch this standing
still at a live show. Great song. One of the best tunes
in this "side project" release (although the Master
Plan's web site assures us it's more than just a side project,
with a tour underway this year) is "Find Something Beautiful."
In this catchy, pop-minded tune, we're told: "Time
will let you know/ Strike a match and let it go/ If you wanna
show/ Then you gotta go/ Find something beautiful/ And set it
on fire." One small surprise was the ballad "Just Because,"
just because, to this reviewer, the song seems to be sung slightly
out of tune, and never really gets it back. However, this
is a small upset in an otherwise power-packed release that has
much to offer. If Master Plan means what they say about a tour,
then count me in. The energy in Colossus of Destiny proves
I'd be sweating from head to toe, covered with beer, and probably
arrested by the time it was all over. - Bruno Westover/Left of
the Dial |
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Howzabout the Cramps
in a Silly Putty spat with Twisted Sister ("Dead Horse"),
the Beach Boys' "Don't Back Down" dragged kicking and
screeching into the 22nd Century ("Find Something Beautiful"),
a torturedly twanged interlude which injects the lysergic straight
[sic!] into Laika's Cosmonauts ("Picketts Charge"),
and as if this weren't more than enough already, more-than-stately
stabs at "Annie Had A Baby" and even "Just Because,"
the latter of which pretty well neuters even J. Lennon's version.
In other words, just four big galoots busy kickin' it Old School
--and doing lots more than merely smoking in the boysroom, believe
you me. - Gary Pigold / In
Music We Trust |
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Take two parts Fleshtones
(guitarist Keith Streng, drummer Bill Mihizer), one part Dictators
(bassist Andy Shernoff) and one part Waxing Poetics (guitarist
Paul Johnson) and apparently you get the Master Plan. I guess
having two members with shared history means the scales tip in
their favor, since the 60s party garage rock of the 'tones is
the ruling aesthetic here. Amongst the originals and covers,
the best cuts are Shernoff's hard rocking "Find Something
Beautiful" (the followup line being "And set it on
fire!") and "Kickin' It Old School," but any fan
of New Yawk trash pop will likely shimmy and shake to everything
here. Michael Toland / High
Bias |
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The
kind of tunes that are so good that you think you know them already,
that are well played - if possibly too well played! - and rocks
just about enough to suggest that a trip to see them in a live
setting could reward you with an intense experience. - Paul Marsh
/ Shindig |
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Not to be confused
with the German death metal supergroup Masterplan, this Master
Plan is a garage rock powerhouse headed by two of the leading
lights of the old school New York garage scene, Andy Shernoff
of the Dictators and Keith Streng of the Fleshtones. Fans of
those two bands already have an excellent idea of what 'Colossus
of Destiny' sounds like: strippeddown, nofrills rock and roll
is the order of the day, but without the Dictators' occasional
feints towards heavy metal and the soul fixation of the Fleshtones.
(The Original Sins and early'70s Flamin Groovies are good touchstones
as well, for true aficionados of the style.) The rockabillytinged
"Kickin' It Old School" is the most aptly titled tune,
especially considering that '50s RB classics like the Cadets'
"I Got Loaded" and Hank Ballard's "Annie Had A
Baby" are among the poprocking originals, sounding like
they might have if a British Invasionera quartet had added them
to their set lists. This album is nothing but fun, with no pretensions
towards anything more. - Stewart Mason / All Music Guide (4 star
rating) |
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This
is an interesting project featuring members of the Fleshtones
and the Dictators. The music is pretty much all over the pop
map. There are songs that are closer to the quirky new wave sound
of the Cars, others that are closer to the happy go lucky roots
sounds of Dave Edmunds and Nick Lowe and plenty of others that
fall somewhere in the middle. The majority of songs are band
originals and Keith Streng, Andy Shernoff and Paul "Peppermint"
Johnson take turns singing lead, usually on their own compositions.
The overall tone is upbeat and fun. Clever lyrics in songs such
as "What's Up with That," "Kickin' it Old School"
and "Find Something Better" help define the type of
band this highly talented quartet is. - Edwin Letcher / Garage
Beat |
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Rootsy rock and
roll seems to be popping up in everybody's garage these days
and it seems to be a game most adroitly played by the old guys,
more often than not. Indeed, rock and roll itself looks to be
heading the same way (but that's a point of discussion for another
place and time). Given that the foregoing is even partly true,
why not call on members of two of New York City's finest bands
to start your party? Andy Shernoff (the bassman who writes the
songs for the Dictators) and Keith Streng (guitarist with theJohn
Cale comb-over and longtime member of the Fleshtones) are probably
the best-known half of The Master Plan, but that's not where
the story ends. Their co-members, Fleshtones drummer Bill Millhizer
and guitarist-vocalist Paul Johnson (Waxing Poetics), bring plenty
to the table on a baker's dozen of spirited songs. A varied trip
it is, with more than vigorous nods to the '50s and a couple
of more recent decades. Dashes of doo wop, a trace of surf and
overwhelming lashings of goodtime rockin' infiltrate the music
of The Master Plan (more a Master Party). This is a musical co-op
with Streng, Johnson and Shernoff singing four tunes apiece and
one, "Picketts Charge", a supercharged surf instro.
"What's Up With That" will be familiar to owners of
the last 'Tators album but for mine this version, with its sassy
sax and lighter touch, shades it. While purists might decry the
Plan's cover of The Eastern Dark's "Walking" for quickening
the tempo and tampering with the lyrics, it's the thought that
counts. (What about the concept of an The Eastern Dark tribute
disc, anyone?). Shernoff's "Find Something Beautiful"
(first heard in these parts as a demo) is a blue ribbon winner
while "Annie Had a Baby" and "Better Get Better"
have the trademark Fleshtones "let's party" swagger
written all over them. "Kickin' It Old School", with
its surf bass runs, exhortation ot "Let's Get It On"
and rock-solid chugging guitars, might be a call to arms . There's
no mistaking the Spectorish influence in the girl back-up vocals
on "Broken Arrow"., pre-dating the Wall of Sound and
assorted firearm offences. It's more goodtime garage than hard-edged
rock but with real guitar sparks flying between Streng and Johnson
to sate six-string fans. There might be other bands mining the
same field, but not many are growing their own as great as this.
- I-94
Bar |
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Some
seriously experienced East Coast rock 'n' roll types (Shernoff/Dictators,
Streng and Mihizer/Fleshtones and Johnson/Waxing Poetics) get
together to throw some rockin' sides onto tape (including a couple
or three choice covers). Production is big and bad and echoes
the sounds crafted in the individuals other bands. That's right,
its kinda a Dictators meets the Fleshtones thing. And if those
bands and that crowd is your bag then you will NOT be disappointed.
Lots of rockin' guitar and chorus action here kids. Cool. - Charlie
P./Mohair Sweets |
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God Bless Andy Shernoff
for pulling together Keith Streng and Bill Milhizer of The Fleshtones
and Paul Johnson of Waxing Poetics for an old-school rock 'n'
roll session. Heavy shades of Shernoff's Dictators and The Fleshtones,
mixed with flavors of surf, '60s garage and '70s glam. Three
of the four contribute tunes, including Shernoff's late-Dictators
era, "What's Up With That," Johnson's Ramones-y "You're
Mine," and Streng's buzzing surf instrumental "Picketts
Charge." Not surprisingly, these rock 'n' roll old-timers
rework some unusual covers, including Peppermint Harris' "I
Got Loaded," Lloyd Price's R&B lament "Just Because,"
and Hank Ballard's answer-song "Annie Had a Baby."
The latter provides particularly fertile ground for the band
to Rock. This record is fun from end to end. It's too bad Lester
Bangs isn't alive to review it in Creem. - E. Messinger / CD
Universe |
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Supergroup
rock&roll that it includes Andy Shernoff of the Dictators,
Keith Streng and Bill Milhizer of the Fleshtones and Paul Johnson
of the Waxing Poetics. A side-project much gustoso where all
and the four our heroes put us of theirs in order to make to
take off an indeed pleasant disc. Shernoff ripropone in sauce
"Roots" the "Whats' Up With That" of the
dictators, plus an other authentic one gioiellino like "Kickin'
it Old School". Thirteen songs in all, with some beautiful
one cover of classics like "Just Because" (Lloyd Price),
"Broken Arrow" (Chuck Berry) and a classic of the Australian
POP-garage, "Walking" (Eastern Dark). - Demolition
Derby |
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The music is fun,
a blast of '60s garage rock. Everyone but Milhizer is credited
with songwriting, which contributes to the variety of this great
rock-n-roll record. With all the history in this band, you know
some cool covers are going to happen. (...) We get here a version
of Lloyd Price's "Just Because" (also recorded by Freddy
Fender), "Annie Had a Baby" the answer song to "Work
with me Annie", "Broken Arrow" (Chuck Berry) and
Eastern Dark's Australian garage pop classic "Walking".
- Outsight |
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While
listenin' to the Master Plan's 'Colossus Of Destiny' disc earlier
tonight I was again amazed at what a fine disc it is, and at
the same time at how just about nobody has noticed so far! The
take on "What's Up With That?' beats the 'Tators version
by a mile. 'Kickin' It Old School' is one of Andy's finest tunes
ever, no two ways about it. And damn if Keith Streng doesn't
blasts even more life into 'Walking' than the Eastern Dark ever
did ... - Jeroen Vedder / Next Big Thing |
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Normally these get-together
project bands with people who have been playing too long isn't
really my cup of tea. Here however we have at least 3 out of
4 that still rocks like shit. Dictators still kicks ass (maybe
more than ever!) and the Fleshtones still rocks their 60s retro
rock'n'roll in the best possible manner. This is pretty cool
too! (...) All in all a great record with some amazing stuff,
some really good stuff and a couple of misses. But try and spin
the opening track "What's up with that?", "Broken
Arrow" or the pop rock masterpiece "Find Something
Beautiful" and you're hooked. They should've been touring
Europe this spring, but it's been postponed due to the up-coming
Fleshtones tour, but 'm sure that's gonna be very worthwhile
as well. I'm looking forward to seeing them at the old stomping
ground here in Aalborg. Until then: Dig this! - SN / Low
Cut (Denmark) |
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