I love a good live album and I love “classic” rock but rarely come across magnificent examples of either these days. And a good live classic rock album is even rarer! So I was hoping that Danko Jones’ latest release Live at Wacken would deliver on both accounts. I’ve only ever heard a few songs of his and never been blown away. It’s all a bit too much like a jeans advert. But I hear a lot of people say he (they?) are great live. On the basis of this set I can imagine that’s probably the case but the excitement only partially translates to CD/DVD. It’s got a great sound and jovial atmosphere. The band is loose and frontman Danko is in charming form, clearly enjoying being the loverman rocker at Europe’s Metal Mecca. But for all their self-professed “mean power chords” there’s not much in the way of decent riffs or songs. But the energy, witty raps and cheery vibe are winning and some Misfits-style pop punk numbers like the excellent The Twisting Knife add melodic substance in amongst all the two-chord dating-manual songs. It’s likely to be the only Danko Jones I will ever want or need but it’s enough of a good time to be worth holding on to. Like their festival slot, it’s fun for the afternoon but they’ll need to do better to score any hot night-time action.
HEAVY METAL OVERLOAD 
That song sounded pretty cool. Do they all sound like that?
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A few do but this is my favourite. The rest are more raunchy rawk…
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Ah I see.
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Danko is hit and miss for me. No songs I dislike but there are plenty I don’t really have any feelings for.
Posted this to my FB for Jessie David our local Wacken girl!
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Tham for sharing it! I think you’ve summed up my feelings there too. Couple of goods songs and a bunch of average ones. But it is CanCon isn’t it?!
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It certainly is my friend. But I didn’t even know about this release! I have to admit that Danko is like tissues for me — pull one out, and an identical one pops up. A lot of the time anyway. I don’t dislike anything, but at the same time, it’s like “Ah, this song again, with new words.”
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It’s totally like that. Definitely a “one album is enough” band. I wonder how often I’ll even go back to this really.
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Code Of The Road is a great track! Nice to see some Canuck stuff rind these parts!
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I had to include some CanCon or I was in danger of breaching your government regulations!
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I think they’re one of those bands that suffer from sounding too familiar after a while. I only have one album, but have all the Danko Jones I need (We Sweat Blood). I’ve heard some others, but it all just seems to blend in after a while.
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I can see how that would happen. There’s just not much going in the writing at all. And even the stuff I like, I like cause it reminds me of better acts!
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Oooft. I believe that right there is what they call damning with faint praise!
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Haha I think you might be right about that!
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What have you got against jeans adverts? You fascist!
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I’ve had a beef with them ever since Levi passed me over for Nick Kamen. Was close though.
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Yup, you and Tony Clarkin I understand.
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We commiserate with each other regularly.
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I think it’s just a real shame they couldn’t use all three of you – wow, that would have sold some Wranglers!
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Me and Tony wrote a great jingle for the ad too. It was called “It Were the Day That The War Broke Out”
Lost forever.
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