Those who don't know the name, those who don't know the pout,
should go whip themselves with barbed wire immediately! We're talking founder
member of glorious glamsters Girl - the band that sported girlie clothes
and lipstick back when Poison were little more than a foetus. When Girl
fell apart, Laffy dissapeared behind the scenes into the video and film
world to team up with director Russel Mulcahey and it fair broke my heart,
even if he did help make the classic 'Razorback' flick - a film about rampaging,
child eating pigs in the Aussie outback (not to mention 'Highlander'
- Smartass Ed.).
Other than a stint with the London Cowboys (featuring ex-members
of the Pistols and the New York Dolls - better on paper than in practice)
and offers to join Sick Sick Sputnick and Duran Duran (DD bassman John Taylor
puts in a guest appearance on 'MATM' alongside
the Stray Cats' Slim Jim Phantom and Gerry's ex-Girl bro' Simon Laffy) it's
been pretty quiet on the musical front: an EP, and now this, his debut solo
album.
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'Money...'was
made on a budget of 10p and produced by Laffy, artworked by Laffy
and released on his own indie lable Die Laughing with Tony Forsythe
(now in Bambalam) on bass, |
Bryson Graham on drums
and Gerry on guitar and vocals. A better guitarist than vocalist - sounds
like he's singing through comb and toilet paper on the opening title track!
- he soon settles into a debauched Pop Rock style.
And there's a bunch of noble songs on offer: Search
and Destroy sounds like something Alice Cooper might have tossed
off (if only Iggy & The Stooges hadn't written it! You should know
better, Simmons - Even smarter-ass Ed.). Mr.
Man's a fine ballad with lush understated guitar. Good enough
to make up for the evils of Mandy on
side two, with it's tears, teddy bears and little girl cooing "Goodnight
Mummy" at the end. While Shoot 'Em Down
is good, nasal brat Pop.
Overall, 'Money...' sucks you
in like an industrial vacuum cleaner. Next time around there's a word of
collaboration with ex-Girl mate and Leppard an Phil Collen. Hopefully there'll
be a major deal by then. With some cash behind him, the mind boggles as
to what Gerry Laffy could come up with.
* * * * Sylvie Simmons Raw
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"crawling
dirty as hell out of the gutter... beating you about the head screaming
for attention"
-Lyn Guy Metal Hammer
I never had
any time for Girl during their brief two album existence. Make up
plastered, sating clad bad boys were anathema to my more traditional
musical values. I've still no time for Phil (LA Guns) Lewis and even
Phil (Def Leppard) Collen's superstar status does little more than
inspire disinterested respect.
Now guitarist and blond bombshell Gerry Laffy is making
a bid for personal musical recognition with a solo album that is working
it's was, leech-like, into my rock 'n' roll lifeline. Reuniting with
ex-Girl collegues Pete Barnacle and (big bro) Simon Laffy, bot amongst
a guest artistes roster that also includes ex-Stray Cat Slim Jim Phantom
and Duranie John Taylor (a touch of the 'old boy network here methinks),
the man has released a listenable package of songs that give a little
more with each spin of the record. |
"Brutal.
Unrepentant...Pure sex."
-Mary Anne Hobbs Sounds
Considering
it's independent status, the production - handled by Gerry himself
- is surprisingly good. Clean and crisp, if a trifle sparse. He lets
his guitar work tear through anything that gets in the way. And that
is what I like most about this album. Whether it be crawling-dirty-as-hell-out-of
-the-gutter on Can't Leave You, singing sweetly from the heart on
Love You or beating you about the head screaming for attention during
the title track - the Laffy guitar is versatile, unpretentious and
rooted in good, honest rock traditionalism.
Currently involved in the film Highlander II on a production
level and claiming his musical career is now "just for fun", Laffy
is in the enviable position of being able to record and release what
HE wants to play, as distince from being compelled to pander to -
or set - trends. Totally undogged by commercialism, if this is what
music for the sake of fun sounds like - I wish a few of today's rock
'n' rollers would learn to have a good time. 'Money And Magic' is
testament to the fact that it doesn't do to take yourself too seriously.
I like it.
*
* * 1/4 Lyn Guy Metal Hammer
|
"great
guitars, raw rock energy"
Tommy Vance BBC Radio
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Gerry was
one of the stars of early glam band Girl, who achieved considerable
notoriety and was packed with talent. Since their demise, members
such as Phil Collen and Phil Lewis have gone on to fame and fortune.
Now Gerry is making a stab at the album market with a strong set of
melodic rockers like Believe It
and poignant ballads like Mr. Man.
There is a strong campaigning element to the lyrics and Gerry says
his album is dedicated to the fight against "apartheid, homophobia,
fascism and worldwide injustice." A noble cause, and Gerry is
joined in his fight by a talented musical team including Tony Forsythe
(bass) and Bryson Graham (drums). He also welcomes guest artists John
Taylord [sic], Chris Martin and Simon Laffy. This is Gerry's debut
solo album and it blends rock, glam and melody as he sings and plays
guitar with laid back cool. He can also get stuck into some pretty
beefy rocking on Search & Destroy
proving Gerry is not just a pretty face! This cut has some
good backgrounding affects signaling war and destruction - all rather
appropriate. Watch out too for the screaming mix of lead and slide
guitar that builds up to an exciting climax. This is actually a re-issue
but is well worth seeking out on this CD version.
Chris Welch Metal Hammer (1991) |
gimme
more
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