MOTOR SISTER

On his fiftieth birthday, ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian gave himself a wet dream present. As a huge fan of long-ago L.A. rock trio MOTHER SUPERIOR (who eventually went on to become Henry Rollins' backing band),Ian was able to persuade guitarist/vocalist Jim Wilson to jet over to his place for an impromptu jam session of the band's catalog. As Wilson has already been a musical affiliate of Ian's wife, Pearl Aday, the table was set once Ian invited ARMORED SAINT/FATES WARNING bassist Joey Vera and WHITE ZOMBIE/THE CULT drummer John Tempesta to the party. Playing for a handful of friends including record label executives, the chemistry was so good Metal Blade Records expressed interest in releasing an album of these MOTHER SUPERIOR covers.

Taking this revelry to the recording studio, Ian, Wilson, Tempesta, Vera and Aday dubbed their improvised ensemble MOTOR SISTER after one of MOTHER SUPERIOR's fan-favorite songs, "Little Motor Sister". Laying the tracks down in only two days, MOTOR SISTER's homage piece, "Ride", is sure to please MOTHER SUPERIOR followers, much less fans of the members' external bands.

The energy poured into MOTOR SISTER is felt immediately with the pounding "A-Hole", where Tempesta clobbers the tempo with eagerness instead of mere obligation to honor MOTHER SUPERIOR. Wilson's naturally having a blast as he and Ian tear up the KISS-driven riffs and rip out sicko solos well-up to the original. Vera and Tempesta trundle the backbeat of the bluesy "This Song Reminds Me of You" and Wilson grows stronger and smoother with each second, morphing slickly with Pearl Aday into the second verse. Aday then peeks in and out of "Beg Borrow Steal" as accents to Wilson. "Beg Borrow Steal" is a cool choice for this MOTOR SISTER project, since the lumbering yet aloof riffs of the verses serve as reminder that MOTHER SUPERIOR was a step ahead of the grunge bands who would send them packing along with most American hard rock and metal bands of the day.

The scratchy ballad "Fool Around" gets a loving caress of distortion and a slow-riding shuffle tempo as Wilson and Aday once again work magically together. The twanging verve of "Hang Low" provides Wilson and Aday a breezing gale to throw their balanced voices into while John Tempesta keeps a hard thrust going behind them. Tempesta's fast bang on "Fork in the Road" galvanizes the rest of the group and the riffs are as tight as the vocals. To harp on Wilson and Aday's effectiveness, they tear up the slinky and fuzzy grooves set before them on "Pretty in the Morning" like it's second nature, as they do the AEROSMITH-driven blues cranks of "Doghouse".

What the components of MOTOR SISTER were able to put down in quick time is pretty astounding, notwithstanding the professional acumen of each performer. Familiar and well-loved songs being the glue, there's a natural gel to Ian, Wilson, Tempesta, Vera and Aday under this banner that could protract into something more serious. Or it might be a shared moment in time for the players to reflect fondly upon in the years to come. Thus "Ride" is exactly that, a fun little trip through old gems that speak well of the original songs.

Wilson, MOTHER SUPERIOR's lone guitarist, probably had to be marveling at having Scott Ian playing on his opposite side and filling up what he once had to overdub on record. One can imagine, for instance, what Wilson was thinking having a second guitarist roll with him during the slowdown section of "Fork in the Road", much less the song's blitzing outro. If you're a MOTHER SUPERIOR fan, this is not just a mere cash grab covers album. It's five people celebrating not only a band many fans have forgotten about, but the spirit of pure rock n' roll.

Aday will be hard-pressed to outdo this gift when Scott Ian turns sixty.