Hard to rate odds ‘n’ soddsers like this, but these records sure get you thinking about life and the choices we make. Legendary Columbus, Ohio biker rocker Eric Moore is best known for his two records on Casablanca subsidiary Millennium, namely ‘78’s The Godz and ‘79’s Nothing Is Sacred. The latter record showed Moore’s penchant for traditional old time rock ‘n’ roll in an almost wistful southern rock direction. Much of Volume 1 is a continuation of that, this professional package revealing to us the tapes from an unreleased 1980 album by Eric Moore and the Marauders. Again, the style is an almost punky mix of ‘50s rock and southern rock, topped by Eric’s very cool, gritty voice welling up somewhere between Peter Criss, Ace Frehley and George Thorogood. Things get heavier for some unreleased material from the ’84 Godz album I’ll Get You Rockin’, after which it’s a grab-bag of like-minded meat and potatoes metal from a bunch of eras. Recordings vary, cohesion suffers, but fortunately origins are dutifully explained in the booklet, which also offers a trivia-stuffed band history. Nice touch with some radio spots and interview material at the end, Eric shooting out the zingers as usual—the guy’s an inspiration, a machine, machine, machine... Volume 2 leans toward newer rarities, ‘Lonely Tonight’ being a snarling, Dictators-like rocker, ‘Foolin’ Yourself’ even more Ted Nugent-raucous, ‘Island’ a haunting acoustic love song. And man, Eric’s vocals on ‘We’re All Crazy’ and ‘White Line’ are biker rock egregiously personified—the guy’s just a great singer with an set of pipes that are whiskey-soaked to perfection. Toward the end of this 18-selection slab of party metal madness are more commercials and interview bits, but that’s not before a swaggered drinking classic called ‘Wastin’’ and a wobbly live take of The Godz’ tallest classic, ‘Gotta Keep a Runnin’’ from 1990 (worth it for the history lesson!), sadly, from the same legendary Columbus bar where Dime was killed. This is working man’s music, and if you’re a working man whose wages don’t reach to the end of the week, at least scrape together enough to get Volume 2. For more info on these limited treasures, these slices of Ohio bad boy rock history, go to Thegodz.us.
