Andy Black Makes Dancing Mandatory

Don't you love a song title that practically begs you to ignore its overt meaning. Take Andy Black's "We Don't Have To Dance" for instance. The groove is so lightning fast you'd have to be completely averse to the changing times not to want to shuffle your feet. What's more Andy's a fascinating character study. His vocal delivery cuts right to the heart of the matter. If you make him mad, watch out. He knows which buttons to push because he installed them. This glam metal leaning artist had the good sense to recruit quality drumming. It pretty much makes the chorus line fly right off the page. Usually a hard rock drum has you thinking third gear at most. "We Don't Have To Dance" fires up the equivalent of a sixth gear. That slap in the face from "It's so nice to meet you, let's never meet again." Cruelty with a capital "C". You likely weren't expecting that, were you? Black and white cinematography serves this number well. Brings out the cobra strike in Andy's eyes. It also makes his tats easier to appreciate. You shouldn't look for any sort of letup in energy because there's none to be had. Visualize a boxer who from first round to last throws haymaker after haymaker. To make matters worse, if your his opponent, he can reload at will. Brutality can be the only outcome. Beefy guitar driven composition which propels Andy to greater and greater heights. I appreciate the opening Steve Millet Band reference because I was a fan of the early '80s gem "Abracadabra". Possibly I'm alone in the admiration society. Much greater love appears to be directed at "The Joker" but I kind of thought that song a little too goofy. Label me a prig if you must but I couldn't wrap my essence around it. Back to Andy's venting session. You can sense from "Fresh regrets, vodka sweats." Andy's the type of guy who you don't want to double cross in a bar fight. He's amassed quite a few don'ts, namely "We don't have to dance." "We don't have to smile." "We don't have to talk." Why not put gags over their mouths so we can't make out any expressions at all. What the face doesn't express the heart no doubt can pick up the slack for. "Why is there joy in this poison?" Okay everybody, a shower must be taken. That last question was far too repugnant to be left without substantial cleansing. Still, as questions go that one lingers in the memory bank for a fair length of time. The rock scene's about cult of personality. Billy Idol has the sneer. Bob Dylan's the troubadour storyteller. Billy Joel has his piano rep to stand behind. At this early stage in Andy Black's career what he has going for him is presence...oodles of it. On a concert stage that translates into packed arenas, imposing record sales and a career that potentially could span decades. Candid expression of thought proves itself an asset for Andy. The best example I can sniff out is "I'm a hazard to myself." Lesser souls wouldn't be that bold. He obviously shoots from the hip and, as an added bonus, doesn't get his splatter all over us. "We Don't Have To Dance" settles into an irresistible melodic pattern and then dares us all not to sit idly on the sidelines letting the moments pass, unaware of what we're missing out on. Andy has great reason to cop an attitude. With what he brings to this dance, he knows the future looks glorious.