Rick Shaffer’s eighth solo album, Stolen Moments, was inspired by the concept that there are no guarantees or promises in life, and every minute he spends writing and recording is precious time. The result is an album packed with low-tech wallop, bursting energy and immediacy. The production resembles The Stooges Fun House and is a proto-garage raver to end all garage ravers.
The backing rhythm section of Teddy Rixon (bass) and Stevie Carlisle (drums) provide heavyweight status, and no-nonsense precision. Shaffer’s guitars are raw and raucous, with a maverick metallic flair that deliver rockers All I Want, Downtown Suzy, One In Five, and Higher. While tracks Modern Lie, Other One and Danger Awaits have a heavy, thicker 70’s guitar drenched intensity. These three tracks are a hybrid of Iggy Pop / Bowie recordings, The Stooges sound, and contain some of Shaffer’s most extensive guitar soloing expertise.
Time Stays, Call My Name and Chopping Wood lie within the swaggering, hip-swinging garage rockers. There’s unquestionably a taste of early Rolling Stones and Pretty Things on these tracks.
The lyrics and vocal delivery are passionate and compelling, with a sense of urgency. The vocal styling is from the Jagger, Iggy Pop and Lou Reed school-of-snarl but, make no mistake, there are strong melodies contained in those snarls.
With Stolen Moments, Rick Shaffer has delivered a strong and tough album, and it’s a testament to great rock & roll, from this Philly’s guitar slinger, whose bearing down on you with everything he knows — the one-man-last-gang-in-town, who’s never chased trends.
• Eddie Shelton, Witness To The Confession, August 17, 2017
