Sometimes the most interesting projects arise from the most unusual circumstances. So it is that DOWN 'n' OUTZ, a project fronted by Def Leppard's Joe Elliott, have recorded 13 modern cover versions of rare yet monumental ... more »tracks by 70's rock pioneers Mott, Ian Hunger and British Lions. "Mott the Hoople has always been my favorite band and it's nice to see the rest of the rock world finally catch up and give them their due" says Elliott. Joe Elliott's DOWN 'n' OUTZ supported the legendary British icons, Mott The Hoople, at one of their critically acclaimed 2009 reformation shows at the Hammersmith Odeon. Following a rapturous reception, the one night project took on a life and energy of its own and a demo was born. Joe Elliott's DOWN 'n' OUTZ then set out to record a full length LP of classic material entitled "My ReGeneration." The album was produced by Joe Elliott with co-production by Ronan McHugh. The album was recorded in Joe Elliott's own studio "Joe's Garage" and Moor Hall Studio in Bedfordshire. In addition to Joe (Vocals/Guitar/Keyboards) the band features Paul Guerin (Guitar), Guy Griffin (Guitar), Keith Weir (Keyboards) and Phil Martin (Drums) of the Quireboys, and bassist Ronnie Garrity of Raw Power.« less
Sometimes the most interesting projects arise from the most unusual circumstances. So it is that DOWN 'n' OUTZ, a project fronted by Def Leppard's Joe Elliott, have recorded 13 modern cover versions of rare yet monumental tracks by 70's rock pioneers Mott, Ian Hunger and British Lions. "Mott the Hoople has always been my favorite band and it's nice to see the rest of the rock world finally catch up and give them their due" says Elliott. Joe Elliott's DOWN 'n' OUTZ supported the legendary British icons, Mott The Hoople, at one of their critically acclaimed 2009 reformation shows at the Hammersmith Odeon. Following a rapturous reception, the one night project took on a life and energy of its own and a demo was born. Joe Elliott's DOWN 'n' OUTZ then set out to record a full length LP of classic material entitled "My ReGeneration." The album was produced by Joe Elliott with co-production by Ronan McHugh. The album was recorded in Joe Elliott's own studio "Joe's Garage" and Moor Hall Studio in Bedfordshire. In addition to Joe (Vocals/Guitar/Keyboards) the band features Paul Guerin (Guitar), Guy Griffin (Guitar), Keith Weir (Keyboards) and Phil Martin (Drums) of the Quireboys, and bassist Ronnie Garrity of Raw Power.
CD Reviews
Awesome!!
The Rooster | 07/16/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I have always been a fan of Def Leppard and like most fans I always like to know who influenced my favorite bands, singers, etc. On Joe Elliott's side venture he offers up some really good remakes of classic Mott the Hoople songs and made them his own with out compromising the awesomeness of the original.
If you enjoyed Def Leppard's YEAH!, or his other side gig The Cybernaughts then this is a must have. I strong l recommend this cd for anyone who loves music."
An Amazing Listen with Amazing Songs!
D. Greene | Palm Desert,CA USA | 07/19/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Joe Elliott's Down N'Outz My ReGeneration is a Must Listen, a Must Buy! I am a huge Leppard Fan and Mott, The British Lions & most of Ian Hunter's solo stuff is a lil' bit before my time but, these songs that Joe & The Quireboys belt out are Awesome, just Awesome! Classic Rock is way more than Stairway, Freebird, etc...and songs such as Overnight Angles, Golden Opportunity, Shouting & Pointing, are just Impeccable. Glad to see VH1 Classic airing the new England Rocks video btw, a catchy tune that was out before Cleveland Rocks.
This CD is Fun to listen to, especially for Summertime driving."
Great Covers Album
Brandon J. Smith | Philadelphia, PA | 07/22/2010
(4 out of 5 stars)
"To me, this is Yeah! Pt. 2. I'm not as familiar with Mott the Hoople as I am with Def Leppard, and I admittedly approach this album primarily as a Def Leppard Fan rather than as a Mott fan. Def Leppard nailed the Yeah! album, and Joe Elliott brings that same spirit, energy, and respect to a full set of songs by the members of Mott. It's focused, well-played, and a ton of fun.
Amazon's exclusive download version was irresistible. Not only are there more songs than the CD version, but the price was lower, too. I like CDs (it's easy to convert them to digital files and the CDs serve as back-ups, if nothing else), but this was a no-brainer. Great value for a great product."
Good Solid CD
campboy83 | Virginia Beach, VA United States | 08/01/2010
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I was not too familiar with any of the songs covered, but Joe and the gang do a great job. It was smart to recruit band members who could do backing vocals as well as Def Leppard. By the way, for those lucky enough to have "Classic Rock" magazine at their book stores, a 10-track version of this cd comes packed FREE with this month's issue (Summer 2010)."
All hard rock should be this much fun
Danno | NY, NY | 07/30/2010
(4 out of 5 stars)
""My Regeneration" is, technically, a tribute album but the subject of the tribute is Ian Hunter who is best known as the eccentric leader of Mott the Hoople and Mick Ronson's sometimes collaborator. Since Ian Hunter is essentially a cult hero, the material on the CD doesn't suffer from overexposure the way that Hendrix and Stones and Beatles tributes do. (Absolutely no tracks are drawn from Mott the Hoople, and the best known track is "England Rocks" which is better known internationally in a different version as "Cleveland Rocks"). Furthermore, Ian Hunter is - let's face it - the author and singer of some very quirky material so the Down N Outz' performances need to have tough hard rock mixed with a tongue-in-cheek attitude if they are going to pull this off.
Joe Elliot's singing is absolutely great. I haven't listened to Def Leppard in a long time and wouldn't regard myself as a fan but fair is fair - he knocks himself out on this one. He sings these songs like he owns them. There isn't a bum track on the album. Production is sharp, but not glossy - it's classic-style hard rock production.
If you like Cheap Trick or Kiss, you're going to love this CD even if you've never heard of Ian Hunter or hate Def Leppard.