40FT RINGO
Funny Thing
Mojo Vegas Recordings 2004
www.40ftringo.com

What’s the 4-1-1?
Did you ever wonder what happened to the guys from the eighties metal band Trixter? Me neither, but a couple of them have gotten back together and formed a new group, 40 Ft. Ringo. Funny Thing is the New Jersey based group's debut album, and I guarantee you'll be surprised at how good is.

Genre
Hard rock / melodic rock

The Good
“Inside Your Head” uses a simple yet effective chord pattern, highlighted by a melodic chorus. “Anyway” is just as effective, as 40 Ft. Ringo echo most men when they sing about; despite the abuse, we are all crazy in love. “Big Fat Smile” is led by an infectious guitar lead and drumbeat, and describes someone who is a bad ass, or at least thinks they are. There are arena rock riffs aplenty on “Origami Mommy”. For such a happy sounding tune, it sure has a dark message about destroyed feelings.

A Freak Like You” has a Green Day-like feel to it with its three chord progression and catchy little riffs. The tempo slows down a bit “I Miss You Blue”. Soothing and touching vocals are backed by serine acoustic guitars. As with most of the songs on this CD, “Anti-Zero” has a very radio-friendly appeal to it. An obsessed stalker is the main focal point of the bluesy track “Fanatic”. The song is meant to be all in fun and is about a celebrity stalker, not a scary ex-boyfriend/girlfriend kind.

The Bad
It’s been out for a year and had pretty much fell under the radar. However, it was just recently re-released with five bonus tracks.

The Verdict
I never really listened to Trixter when they were around, so I couldn't tell you if they were good or bad. 40 Ft. Ringo’s latest however is a great modern melodic rock album. Between the familiar chord changes, instantly recognizable guitar riffs, well-written sometimes playful lyrics, and melodic vocals, it really is a no-brainer to have this one in your CD collection.

Did You Know?
40 Ft. Ringo got their name from a giant image of Ringo Starr on screen while watching a Beatles movie.

Rating: out of 5

--George Dionne