The Dirty Knobs – Wreckless Abandon

Very nice mastering. So quiet and flawless and so powerfull.
Great musicians and such a great record.

Great album that sounds just like older Tom Petty music

This record has most been the ingredients of a top notch release: great music, mastered by Chris Bellman and pressed at Pallas. Sounds great but get it out of that paper sleeve.

Revisiting his relentless roots, Heartbreakers’ guitarist Mike Campbell sets out to not only revisit those roots, but to set them on fire, swaggering down the avenue in a rock n’ roll haze of blue smoke, windows rolled down and the radio cranked to eleven.

Wreckless Abandon has a familiar family feel to it, a patchwork that floats effortlessly, an album filled with country comforts designed to slap a mile wide smile across your silly upturned face. That said, coming back down to earth, the record’s not at all daring, nor does the band break new ground, though they really don’t need to, as it’s all about the rock. Dirty Knobs (and I do dislike the band name) are not new to the scene, they’ve been dancing around since 2005, when Campbell and Jason Sinay first crossed paths to roll out a singular album fused with a blistering hippie vibe. I’d be remiss if I did not suggest that the ghosts of the Rolling Stones (especially “Brown Sugar”) are not lurking in the wings, where I’m sure they’re pointing and laughing, falling all over themselves saying, “Now where have I heard those licks before?”

Of course, let’s not leave Mr. Campbell out there on the edge alone, where he professes, “This is a heavier, more raw-boned album than the Heartbreakers stuff ever was,” and in that respect he’s right on the money, though still, my lips curl with a sly smile of recognition, as a more than transparent vision of Tom Petty can be heard all over the track “Southern Boy,” as if it had been written just for him. Though when “I Still Love You” pounds from my speakers, sounding like the the most uncomfortable part of “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” by the Beatles, yet goes on more intensely and endlessly longer, I begin to feel rather uncomfortably stressed … yet as “Irish Girl” begins to weave its magic, I finally imagine that I’ve found the heart of the album, though still, even this song has the stamp of Van Morrison’s take on the Bob Dylan song “It’s All Over Now Baby Blue” infused all over it. Then there’s the lovely “Fuck That Guy,” featuring Campbell doing his best Petty talk-singing, which ebbs right into “Don’t Knock The Boogie,” where Mike channels the spirit of Canned Heat, leaving me feeling that the man has laid down some very good material that’s entirely beholding to far more people than I care to mention in this review.

The record is excitingly punchy and it does rock, brandishing some nice guitar soaring, where all I can say is that it’s a shame this record didn’t come out during the 70’s, where I might have flipped a Frisbee to it all night long, stoned to the max. You’re gonna find material here that you’re going to love, along with and equal number of songs that you’re gonna dismiss with the wave of your hand, nevertheless, it’s gonna be a fine adventure figuring out which you’re gonna keep.

All and all, far too beholding to far too many for my tastes … and I've not even mentioned the album art, which looks as if a 6th grader drew it, though in actuality, the drawing was by Klaus Voormann, the gent who blew open doors, penning the splendid artwork for the Beatles' album Revolver.

*** The Fun Facts: As to the band’s name, it’s all so immature for a group of men of their age, with ‘knob’ meaning a penis, where an obnoxious person is a ‘knob’, and finally, the act of intercourse is known as ‘knobbing’.

Review by Jenell Kesler

Been a fan of Mike since 1979 so this was a must have for me. Great debut album. Has a blues rock sound but with some Petty influence. Great job on this Mike. You definitely got yourself a winner . Great solid album in a nice package .

I eventually got a copy of this record! My dealer had 'mislaid' the copy he thought he had but somehow concluded that he must have sold it even though all sales all recorded on his IT System. Never mind, he found it just before Christmas misfiled amongst a bunch of Warner LPs, much to my delight. I have to agree with others here. It is a fine release, a real rock album, vintage style. It is a tonic in these difficult times in which we live. Everything about this package exudes quality. Also, the pressing quality from Pallas is just about as perfect as it gets and the sound quality/mastering is up there with the best, on my system. If you missed out on the first pressing run (as I nearly did) make sure you get a copy when the repress comes around. I noticed that amazon.de mentions January 2021 as the date when this record will be available again.

Great straight ahead Rock n Roll. The pressing and mastering are great on this one. It seems very well recorded. In my top 10 for 2020.

This record is grooving like hell. Great Stuff. Love it very much!

Simply an amazing album. Great Rock`N Roll you can trust. Stunning sound quality and clean vinyl press. Its the best 20 bucks I have paid in a very very long. Go get this while you can. Looking forward to enter this in concert here in Europe as well.

Great album and God Mike Campbell's voice is almost a carbon copy of TP much of the time. Great production and mastering as well.