This is straight-up rock & roll, shaking and stirring, and not watered down by vocals beyond an occasional "Hey" or "Olé." It's as basic as you can get, retro to the core, but all the better for it. J.P. Thunderbolt Patterson concocted this instrumental CD during a hiatus of his main gig as a drummer for New York's mighty Dictators. A man of many talents, Patterson wrote and produced the album as well as played most of the instruments by himself. Then he recruited his 'Tators pal, Ross The Boss Friedman -- also of Manowar and Brain Surgeons fame -- to play the Jeff Beck role over his base tracks. With the help of their longtime road manager, C.J. Scioscia, who added occasional instrumentation, the power duo deal out a hard rock set that mostly adheres to their tried, tested, and true backgrounds. Hey! R/T, and The Box, Pts. 1-2 are less rock anthems than Dictators' Stay with Me or Two-Tub Man, but then again, what isn't? Thunderbolt Theme is the closest the band gets to the '60s Ventures sound, and Katie Free distinguishes itself as a chugging blues layered with Patterson's harmonica. Other highlights include Olé, on which Ross the Boss delivers a chunky, zigzagging lead ending in an "Olé" chant as a nod to the Dictators' enthusiastic Spanish fan base, and the scorching 283, which wraps up the album with Ross' electric bolts delivered amidst Patterson's thundering beat, all within a brisk 32 minutes. Overall, the production is a tad too crisp, and a couple of tunes would have benefited from added vocals. Where's Handsome Dick Manitoba when you need him? The only other missing ingredients are sweat and a screaming crowd packed into a tiny watering hole -- this set would peel the paint off the walls performed live. J.P.'s grandpa Jake "Thunderbolt" Patterson, who is featured on the cover, passed on his nickname to the perfect percussive pugilist. ~ JT Lindroos, Rovi

1		Hey
2		Fast or Finish
3		R/T
4		The Crube Train
5		Thunderbolt Theme
6		Katie Free
7		Goddess of This Place
8		King of the Road
9		Olé
10		The Box, Pts. 1-2
11		283

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