Category Archives: Darkness
THE DARKNESS – One Way Ticket to Hell… and Back
The Darkness – One Way Ticket to Hell… and Back (2005, Atlantic Records)
Track Listing:
1. “One Way Ticket” … 4:28
2. “Knockers” … 2:45
3. “Is It Just Me?” … 3:07
4. “Dinner Lady Arms” … 3:18
5. “Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time” … 3:46
6. “Hazel Eyes” … 3:27
7. “Bald” … 5:33
8. “Girlfriend” … 2:35
9. “English Country Garden” … 3:08
10. “Blind Man” … 3:25
Band:
Justin Hawkins – Vocals, Guitar, Sitar, Piano, Hammond, Mini-moog, Synthesizers
Dan Hawkins – Guitar, Bass, Marching Drum, Percussion, Backing Vocals
Richie Edwards – Bass, Backing Vocals
Ed Graham – Drums
Additional Musicians:
Stuart Cassells – Bagpipes
Produced by: Roy Thomas Baker
Though Permission to Land is the more successful and better reviewed album, I actually think this is The Darkness’ best moment. The album lacks the heavy crunch of Permission to Land and replaces it with a lush, slick & polished sound backed by all kinds of musical instruments… and this is actually an improvement. I love it.
Though the formula has been polished, the band hasn’t lost their sense of humor. “Bald” is quite the hard rocker, one of the best rock songs of the decade, in my honest opinion, and it’s about, guess what? Going bald! “Knockers” and “Girlfriend” also showcase the silliness of the band.
Truly, a low down dirty shame this album went unnoticed because it has some great moments and the band was really onto something incredible. Of course, the parody became too real as Justin Hawkins entered rehab and the band eventually broke up after initially deciding on replacing Justin. Hopefully the Hawkins brothers can reunite and we can get that third Darkness album.
It must’ve been a dream come true for the Queen-influenced band to get Roy Thomas Baker to produce.
Highlights: “One Way Ticket”, “Knockers”, “Is It Just Me?”, “Dinner Lady Arms”, “Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time”, “Bald”, “Girlfriend”
www.teamhotleg.com (Justin Hawkins’ band)
www.myspace.com/teamhotleg
www.stonegods.co.uk (Dan Hawkins’ band)
www.myspace.com/thestonegods
THE DARKNESS – Permission to Land
The Darkness – Permission to Land (2003, Atlantic Records)
Track Listing:
1. “Black Shuck” … 3:20
2. “Get Your Hands Off My Woman” … 2:46
3. “Growing on Me” … 3:29
4. “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” … 3:36
5. “Love Is Only a Feeling” … 4:19
6. “Givin’ Up” … 3:34
7. “Stuck in a Rut” … 3:17
8. “Friday Night” … 2:56
9. “Love on the Rocks With No Ice” … 5:56
10. “Holding My Own” … 4:56
Band:
Justin Hawkins – Lead Vocals, Synthesizer, Guitar, Piano
Dan Hawkins – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Frankie Poullain – Bass, Backing Vocals
Ed Graham – Drums
Produced by: Pedro Ferreira
“I Believe in a Thing Called Love” was a bit of a phenomenon 2003, causing the album and the single to both go Gold, and while I appreciated the *music*, I absolutely hated Justin Hawkin’s falsetto vocals. But, after enough airplay on the local radio station, I kinda started to like it so I finally broke down and bought the album. Funny enough, I bought it just in time (for $9.99) at FYE because they song *really* took off a few weeks later and they jacked the price up to their usual $18 0r $19.
It’s odd that Hawkins high pitch singing would bother me, because hair metal (my favorite genre) and heavy metal in general are no strangers to high pitched voices and I’ve never had any problem with it. These days, his voice doesn’t bother me at all.
After hearing the album a few times, I wasn’t really impressed with it. I thought it to be average at best, though my fiancee LOVED it and basically kidnapped the CD for close to a year. A few months previous to their follow up One Way Ticket to Hell… And Back being released, I gave this album a chance and fell in love with it.
I don’t know why I wasn’t getting it the first time around, but this album is a great hard rocker embodying everything that was good about 70s glam rock and 80s hair metal while adding a bit of Brit quirkiness. The influences are obvious here: AC/DC, Queen, Aerosmith, Def Leppard, Van Halen and the like.
Unfortunately, the band’s greatness was entirely too short lived, they managed only to put out one more album before the band faded away due to Justin Hawkins entering rehab and later, both Hawkins brothers pursued separate projects.
Highlights: “Black Shuck”, “Growing on Me”, “I Believe in a Thing Called Love”, “Love Is Only a Feeling”, “Stuck in a Rut”, “Friday Night”, “Love on the Rocks With No Ice”, “Holding My Own”
www.teamhotleg.com (Justin Hawkins’ band)
www.myspace.com/teamhotleg
www.stonegods.co.uk (Dan Hawkins’ band)
www.myspace.com/thestonegods
