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Ann Arbor Revival Meeting

Scott Morgan’s Powertrane with Deniz Tek & Ron Asheton “Ann Arbor Revival Meeting” 2LP         GUWDM0003  

Scott Morgan’s Powertrane with Deniz Tek & Ron Asheton “Ann Arbor Revival Meeting” CD          GUWDM0004  

For fans of Radio Birdman, Sonic’s Rendezvous Band, The Stooges, The Hellacopters.

Originally released on CD only by Real O-Mind Records in 2002,  “Ann Arbor Revival Meeting” is one of the great live albums. As a measure of the Detroit/Sydney connection in the high-energy rock world, it’s probably better even better than the monolithic 1980 recording “The First & Last” by Radio Birdman/Stooges/MC5 supergroup New Race. Yes, it really is that great, and now it’s available with extra tracks and on vinyl to boot!

Living up to its title, “Ann Arbor Revival Meeting” is a cross-generational project that brings to life Ann Arbor’s rock legacy through a combination of some of its key protagonists. Scott Morgan, who leads the band at the core of the record, Powertrane, goes back to mid ‘60s days, to The Rationals, who ruled the local teen scene alongside the likes of Bob Seger & The Last Heard. In the ‘70s, Scott fronted the seminal Sonic’s Rendezvous Band, alongside Fred “Sonic” Smith of the MC5 and Scott Asheton of The Stooges. Guest for the entire show, Deniz Tek, of Radio Birdman, is an Ann Arbor native who spent most of the ‘70s in Sydney and led the mighty Radio Birdman, who invested Australia with its love of all things Ann Arbor/Detroit, and had themselves a huge influence on successive generations internationally. The special guest who appears playing guitar on the handful of Stooges tunes here is the man who played on them originally, the great and sadly now late Ron Asheton, whose guitar playing was at the core of The Stooges huge influence across of the ‘70s and beyond. Ron’s phenomenal appearances with Powertrane and Deniz got him back in the saddle and no doubt inspired Iggy to get Ron and brother Scott “Rock Action” Asheton back onside and reform The Stooges in 2003.

Representing the younger generation are Powertrane’s rhythm section Chris Box Taylor on bass, who instigated the band’s shows with Tek & Asheton, and Andy Frost, a great drummer who was mentored by Scott Asheton. Additionally, local identities Robert Gillespie  and Hiawatha Bailey are present. Robert Gillespie is Powertrane’s regular lead guitarist, a long time time sideman from the original white R&B belter Mitch Rider and a former member of Rob Tyner’s new MC5 in the late ‘70s. Hiawatha, who sings a couple of the Stooges covers,  was reportedly a Stooges roadie back in the day and later front man of local punk- rockers The Cult Heroes.

In addition to the Stooges material, the album includes a selection of tunes spanning Scott Morgan’s career from Sonic’s Rendezvous through to records he made with Nicke Anderson of Sweden’s Detroit-obsessed Hellacopters as the Hydromatics, the brilliant rob Tyner/Robert Gillespie co-write “Taboo”, and a bunch of songs from Tek’s illustrious career, including a possibly definitive “What Gives?”, a “Smith & Wesson Blues” that swings like an out of control train on a winding track, and intense versions of a couple of his post-Birdman tracks, “Outside” and “Blood From A Stone”.

Now featuring 3 extra tracks*, remastered for maximum impact, and available on vinyl for the first time as well as CD again with new notes, “Ann Arbor Revival Meeting” is an essential listen for anyone who loves Detroit high-energy rock’n’roll.