Review Summary: Jake does a misstep
Runnin’ with the Devil, a new solo album from the guitarist Jake E. Lee, followed three years after the excellent
Retraced. Just like the 2005 LP,
Runnin’ with the Devil contains covers of songs by other bands and musicians. However, while the former focused on blues and hard rock from the 1960s and 1970s, the latter has different geographical scope: it is dominated by 1970s hard rock and heavy metal, with a brief return to the 60s and a one-off detour into the 80s. The previous attempt was surprisingly successful, so will the same happen to Jake’s next cover effort?
The answer in this case is closer to an explicit “no” than a “yes”. For whatever reason,
Runnin’ with the Devil changes the formula that made
Retraced a success, leading to an expected and rather sad outcome.
Many things on the album prompt raised eyebrows. For example, it was a smart move to cover more obscure songs on the previous album, so that those unfamiliar with the originals could perceive the LP as a full-fledged Jake E. Lee solo effort. The selection on
Runnin’ with the Devil, however, feels aimed at a wider public. This is how we get a limp version of
Van Halen’s eponymous classic, a decent rendition of
It’s a Long Way to the Top (with Lemmy on vocals) by
AC/DC, a secondhand take on
Seek & Destroy by
Metallica, and a solid version of
Wango Tango by
Ted Nugent. The latter artist actually dominates the album, taking up 6 tracks out of 11. There are both popular Nugent numbers (luckily,
Stranglehold is not covered here) and deeper cuts, which comprise the more interesting part of the LP.
Also, unlike
Retraced, there is not a single vocalist to create a sense of consistency and cohesion; instead, we get a new vocalist on almost every track. Predominantly coming from the 1980s himself, Jake invited his contemporaries – mostly from the glam metal variety, such as Stephen Pearcy of
Ratt, Phil Lewis of
L.A. Guns, and Jani Lane of
Warrant. Also making appearances are Chuck Billy of
Testament, as well as Lemmy and
Glenn Hughes, who need no introductions. It should be stated that, in general, the featured vocalists handle themselves well, most of the time even overshadowing Jake E. Lee. However, this time around, that does not seem to have been very difficult.
As it happens, Jake E. Lee – the main selling point of the record – evokes no enthusiasm for the first time in many years. The always reliable guitar-player with a signature sound, Jake delighted us with his riffs and solos on the
Ozzy Osbourne and
Badlands albums, as well as his solo efforts. Now the situation is different. By no means is anyone going to accuse him of incompetence; quite the contrary, Jake, being a true professional, easily handles easily the thrash classic from
Metallica or the languid
Get Down, Make Love by
Queen. Still, despite the technical strength of the six-stringer and all his licks and solos, Jake sounds rather uninspired, and the tracks rarely manage to quicken the listener’s pulse, leaving them indifferent by contrast with
Retraced. Moreover, there are periods when he doesn’t play anything at all, shifting the focus to the featured vocalist or rhythm section. On the one hand, this is admirable, but on the other, it is Jake’s name on the cover that attracts potential listeners, and the fact is that on
Runnin’ with the Devil he is a shadow of himself.
And so it seems that the LP would be of little interest to the fans and those who appreciate the originals. The somewhat successful Ted Nugent covers do not justify purchasing it. Even the historic throwback to the early days of Jake E. Lee’s career, represented by
Cry in Time from Mickey Ratt (before they renamed themselves Ratt and released their most successful work,
Out of the Cellar), does not make the album a required listen. Well, missteps are common, and for Jake, this is the first one.
