The Last Hard Men

The Last Hard Men

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Kelley Deal of Breeders fame, ex-Smashing Pumpkins' drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, Jimmy Flemion of the Frogs, and metal poster boy Sebastian Bach aren't musicians one would expect to be at the same party, let alone together in a recording studio. Yet here they are. This album, recorded in 1997 and caught up in a legal deadlock until 2001, is an eclectic collection of musical ideas. While some ideas aren't fully formulated ("Satan's in the Manger," "I Hate the Way You Walk"), the album ultimately intertwines each member's style and influences. Bach's metallic edge comes through loud and clear on the raw and aggressive "Sleep" and "Spider Love." Deal brings an upbeat alternative-pop aesthetic to "The Last Hard Men" and "Candy Comes." Covers of Alice Cooper's "School's Out," the Rogers & Hammerstein standard "I Enjoy Being a Girl," and the early Scorpions tune "In Search of Peace of Mind" are twisted into almost unrecognizable forms. Elsewhere, the acoustic "Fan Mail" and "The Most Powerful Man in the World" find Bach in ballad mode, while the melancholy "If You Want to Rock, Go to the Quarry" is borderline disturbing. Credit is due, at the very least, for creating an album that's never less than, well, interesting. --Gail Flug

Tracks:

Sebastian Bach Interview
Sleep
School's Out
Kelley Deal Interview
The Last Hard Men
Who Made You Do It?
Candy Comes
The Most Powerful Man In The World
That Very Night
Play In The Clouds
Satan's In The Manager
In Search Of Peace Of Mind
Fan Mail
Jimmy Chamberlin Interview
I Enjoy Being A Girl
Spider Love
When The Longing Goes Away
I Hate The Way You Walk
Jimmy Flemion Interview
If You Want To Rock, Go To The Quarry
Baby, I'm King
Final Interview
Who Made You Do It? (v.2)

Amazon.com

Kelley Deal of Breeders fame, ex-Smashing Pumpkins' drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, Jimmy Flemion of the Frogs, and metal poster boy Sebastian Bach aren't musicians one would expect to be at the same party, let alone together in a recording studio. Yet here they are. This album, recorded in 1997 and caught up in a legal deadlock until 2001, is an eclectic collection of musical ideas. While some ideas aren't fully formulated ("Satan's in the Manger," "I Hate the Way You Walk"), the album ultimately intertwines each member's style and influences. Bach's metallic edge comes through loud and clear on the raw and aggressive "Sleep" and "Spider Love." Deal brings an upbeat alternative-pop aesthetic to "The Last Hard Men" and "Candy Comes." Covers of Alice Cooper's "School's Out," the Rogers & Hammerstein standard "I Enjoy Being a Girl," and the early Scorpions tune "In Search of Peace of Mind" are twisted into almost unrecognizable forms. Elsewhere, the acoustic "Fan Mail" and "The Most Powerful Man in the World" find Bach in ballad mode, while the melancholy "If You Want to Rock, Go to the Quarry" is borderline disturbing. Credit is due, at the very least, for creating an album that's never less than, well, interesting. --Gail Flug

Customer Reviews:

a mixed bag.......2003-09-24

Warning: If you are a Skid Row fan looking for godawful hair metal, there's not much here that you'll like (except maybe track 2). I suspect that's why there are two 1-star reviews posted here so far. My mail order copy came with a note: "File under Sebastian Bach". While Bach (nominally) produced it, it should probably be filed under The Frogs.

The prolific Jimmy Flemion wrote most of these songs. As one half of the Frogs, he's penned albums full of songs that are funny, crude, offensive, and catchy as hell. He has collaborated with Pearl Jam and appears on Mellon Collie-era Smashing Pumpkins B-Sides (as well as touring with the Sebastian Bach band). His contributions to the album are similar sonically to latter-day Frogs, sort of like the Beatles with fuzzier guitars.

Kelly Deal took a hiatus from the Breeders in the mid-90s, going through rehab and forming a group called the Kelly Deal 6000. Jimmy Flemion contributed to a few of her album tracks, and when Deal tracked down Bach to collaborate on the "School's Out" cover, Flemion was brought in and they extended their studio time to record enough material for a full-length.

Jimmy Chamberlin plays drums (in lieu of the unavailable Tommy Lee). Although released in 2001, the album was recorded in 1997, during his drug-problem-induced estrangement from the Smashing Pumpkins. His drums are lower in the mix here than on Pumpkins discs, but you'll recognize his jazzy rolls and syncopated rhythms. (A sidenote: during these sessions, the other Frog and Jimmy's brother Dennis Flemion was employed as the touring keyboardist for the Pumpkins, replacing the late Jonathan Melvoin, who fatally OD'd while shooting up in a Manhattan hotel room with Chamberlin).

From this unlikely summit comes an uneven album. I've never been a fan of Skid Row, but Bach's classically trained, clear steady voice is tolerable at worst, and occasionally really pleasant. Deal's vocals are generally good, and her songwriting contributions are straightforward indie-pop.

My favorite songs are the sequential The Most Powerful Man in the World, That Very Night, and Play in the Clouds. The Last Hard Men is worth buying just for That Very Night - an irresistable melodic duet between Flemion and Deal.

There are a few unfocused clunkers here, but that's usually the case when a group tries to push outside the limits of a genre and experiment with disparate styles. All in all, this odd rock-n-roll footnote is worth a few dollars and a few spins.

ABSOLUTE UTTER [junk].......2002-11-25

Words can't describe how bad this CD is. It is hilarious how terrible it is, but it's only funny if you're not the one that spent money on it. Could very well be the worst CD I've ever heard.

THIS IS WORSE THAN HARD TIME!.......2002-04-20

This just is not a decent effort, I can say there is 3 out of 7 songs you could listen to, the rest is drivel. The interviews are just wasted attempts to fill a cd, intensely mindless and not even serious or funny! No real sound or production. Definetly no rock, ...

YOU WON'T FIND A MORE UNIQUE ALBUM.......2001-11-27

This cd is very odd. Very different from any other album I have heard. The band does not fit into any category. Which is actually some of the appeal for me. I am not a fan of "alternative" music, but parts of this album tread heavily in those waters. However, it is done very creatively. Me, being a Sebastian Bach fan, enjoy his parts most of all. "Sleep" is a heavy tune where we find Bach screamng his ass off. Got to love that. I enjoy Kelly Deal's lead vocals especially on the tune "The Last Hard Men". That soung is very catchy. Jimmy Flemion wrote most of the material here and I think he has a very different writing style. Unfortunately, I am not familiar with the Frogs, but if he was a force behind them as well, they might be interesting. Of course, Jimmy Chamberlain is a great drummer. Nothing on here really shows that off, but you know he has it in him. Also, there are 2 songs that people may be familiar with on here. Anyone who bought Sebastian Bach's BRING 'EM BACH ALIVE knows his live version of "The Most Powerful Man In The World". It is cool to hear the original version on this album. As well, fans who have the SCREAM soundtrack have already heard the Last Hard men's version of "School's Out". I really enjoy that one.
This is a good album. Not 5 star, but a solid 4. It is original and like nothing I have heard. And the interviews are fun too. I reccomend you check it out, if you have an open mind.