Michael Des Barres & The Mistakes – “Crackle And Hiss”

Michael Des Barres & The Mistakes

Since the release of his 1986 album “Somebody Up There Likes Me,” Michael Des Barres has been in one of the most active recording periods of his career, He has released three new albums (2012’s “Carnaby Street,” 2013’s “Hot ‘n’ Sticky Live,” 2015’s “The Key To The Universe“) and two singles, “Living In The USA” / “Serve Somebody,” and the latest, “Crackle And Hiss / Stop In The Name Of Love,” the first with his new band, The Mistakes.

Between “Somebody Up There Likes Me” and “Carnaby Street,” he has remained the prototypical “Hardest Working Man In Show Business,” adding an impressive number of TV and movie roles to his prodigious acting resume, while serving as the host of his Monday-Friday radio show on Little Steven’s Underground Garage (SIRIUS XM Channel 21).

Since forming The Mistakes, Michael has performed multiple live gigs in Los Angeles at The Redwood Bar, The Hi Hat, and The Viper Room. The band seems to have given him a new level of energy and excitement for recording and performing Rock & Roll. The Mistakes are made up of well-seasoned music veterans:

Matt StarrDrums (Ace Frehley (KISS), Joe Lynn Turner (Rainbow), Kevin DuBrow (Quiet Riot) Guns n’ Roses, Bon Jovi, Whitesnake and Mr. Big)

Paul Ill Bass (L.A.-based musician who has sold over 20 million records as a studio musician and over 4.5 million records as a songwriter)

Erik HimelGuitar (Powerman 5000, Mumiy Troll, JES, The Alan Parsons Live Project, Puddle of Mudd, Candlebox, Robby Krieger, Matt Sorum of Guns N’ Roses)

Loren MolinareGuitar (The Dogs and Little Caesar)

…and, of course, there’s Michael Des Barres himself, who has sold over 7 million albums as a singer / songwriter via bands like Silverhead, Detective, Power Station, and his aforementioned solo career.

“Crackle And Hiss” is a love letter to music, specifically the tactile sensations of vinyl. We’ve become a streaming society, with digital downloads and CDs also withering the experience of good old vinyl albums. Of course, vinyl has seen a resurgence in recent years, and Little Steven’s Underground Garage has been a major proponent in celebrating the format and keeping it alive. The single is released on Wicked Cool Records, also founded by Steven Van Zandt. It’s straight-ahead, no-nonsense Rock & Roll, beckoning the listener to “drop the needle on the vinyl.” The song is a celebration, a rallying cry to those who love music and remember it in its purest, most primal form…the crackle of the shrink wrap as you enter a new realm, the hiss of the needle in the groove.

Billed as a “Double A-Side Single,” “Crackle And Hiss” also includes the Diana Ross & The Supremes classic, “Stop! In The Name Of Love.” Just as he reinvented Bob Dylan’s laid-back, low-simmer shuffle “Serve Somebody” as a hard-charging anthem, the Supremes track summons images Jimmy “What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted” Ruffin fronting Vanilla Fudge or Grand Funk Railroad. The soul groove remains intact, while rocking in the style of the best 60s / 70s Rock ‘n’ Soul radio hits.

The new recordings and club dates Des Barres has logged in just the last year bode well for the future of this band, as well as the future of Rock & Roll. As Rick Derringer and Johnny Winter famously intoned, “Every now and then, I know it’s kinda hard to tell,” but Rock and Roll is “still alive and well.” This band is offering ample proof. Get on board, follow the links above, and get your own copy.