Review: Dion ‘Girl Friends’
By Stephen Guppy
Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, Dion DiMucci is one of the rock world’s greatest survivors, and one of its most Protean talents. Having surfaced in the late 1950’s with his doo-wop group, The Belmonts, he scored a string of top-forty hits as a solo rocker in the early ‘60’s. Columbia Records tried to re-invent him as a crooner, but that—perhaps fortunately—didn’t take. He returned to prominence in the late ‘60’s with the folk-rock eulogy “Abraham, Martin, and John”, then veered into sacred music before steering himself back into the rock-and-roll mainstream with the help of long-time fans such as Lou Reed and Bruce Springsteen.
In recent years, Dion recorded a couple of albums of duets with established stars and some of the major players of the 21st century blues-rock revival. Dion’s latest release, Girl Friends, will hit the road at high velocity on March 8 via Joe Bonamassa’s KTBA Records. Let’s have a look under the hood.
Girl Friends opens with a couple of upbeat rockers, both of which have been released as singles and videos. Susan Tedeschi doesn’t sing on the energetic “Soul Force”, but she does contribute some gorgeous bluesy guitar licks. Dion gives a spirited, slightly tongue-in-cheek performance on “I Aim To Please”, and Danielle Nicole matches him strut for strut and wink for wink. If you want to kick your next party into overdrive, cue up these tracks.
Dion guested on Christine Ohlman’s The Deep End album, and the Beehive Queen returns the favour on “Do Ladies Get The Blues”. Blues guitar ace Debbie Davies adds some swing with her tasty stylings. Dion calls Davies “the Queen of Chicago Blues”, and he’s right on target there. Ohlman has just enough time to re-spray her beehive before she rushes back to join the old master on “Sugar Daddy”, a witty take on today’s Internet-powered dating scene: “Any night you get a twinge/ you can look me up on Hinge”. Ohlman’s responses to Dion’s tomcat boasts right up there on the thermal scale with the Serge Gainsbourg/Jane Birkin epics of the swingin’ sixties. This is PG entertainment, folks, so cover the rug-rats’ ears before you spin it.
“I Aim To Please” With Danielle Nicole
Rory Block guested (with John Hammond) on Dion’s Blues With Friends album (2020), and she’s back for another round on “Don’t You Want A Man Like Me”. She and Dion harmonize effectively, weaving their voices together as they sashay toward a talking outro, and Block’s staccato bottleneck fills add flash and dazzle to the song. Valerie Tyson, meanwhile, is a one-woman replacement for the Belmonts as Dion revisits his doowop roots on “Stop Drop And Roll”, supporting his lead vocal with her rich contralto.
Randi Fishenfeld’s fiddle licks on “Endless Highway” recall the haunted wails on ole Hank’s “Rambling Man”. This number adds a touch of darkness to a generally upbeat set. “Endless Highway” segues neatly into Dion’s duet with country/soul singer Maggie Rose on “I Got Wise”. The chemistry between their voices is impressive; they’re channeling every pair of wounded lovers on the planet.
Dion wrote “Hey, Suzy” for his wife, and he recruited another Sue to record it. The Ice Queen from Canada, Sue Foley, delivers a restrained performance, harmonizing with Dion’s vocal and supplying a country-flavoured solo and fills.
Joanne Shaw Taylor excels at digging snarly licks out of her Telecaster, and she doesn’t waste any time reminding us of her pickin’ skills on “Just Like That”. She and Dion trade verses and harmonize on the choruses, and JST goes into blast mode on her solo. Shemekia Copeland shows why she’s considered one of the finest blues and R&B singers extant on “Mama Said”. This one of the few occasions when Dion seems to be in a supporting role as Copeland gives her world-class pipes a workout.
On his 1968 hit, “Abraham, Martin, and John”, Dion mourned the loss of three of America’s most revered leaders; for his duet with Carlene Carter, “An American Hero”, he’s calling into the void left by their absence. It’s an anthem for these chaotic times, and it will resonate with many listeners. Inviting Carter to the party was an inspired move on Dion’s part. Miss Carlene is among the last of the authentic Clinch Mountain country singers, and it’s a treat to hear her team up with DiMucci.
Dion’s still in amazingly good voice at 84. He’s still got that tough-guy growl at the beginning of his phrases, and there’s still some Bronx swagger in his confident delivery. Most strikingly, he sounds like he’s having fun.
When you’ve declined a seat on the plane from Clear Lake with Buddy Holly, Bob Dylan writes your liner notes, and Lou Reed inducted you into the Hall of Fame, you don’t have a whole lot left to prove. Making the same magic as always is more than sufficient, and if you can do it con brio, so much the better. Having ditched that fickle Runaround Sue and shown Donna the Prima Donna the door, Dion has filled his little black book with an impressive girl-gang of talented ladies and conjured up an enjoyable set of new songs, all of which he co-wrote. Having wandered into blues-rock and country, the Wanderer appears to have found himself a comfortable home.
Pre-order Girl Friends HERE
Yo! Dion has been Rocking my world since I was 11 years old. I’m now 72. I have every Vinyl and CD he’s released. I remember when I got the album Runaround Sue with the white picket fence and Dion wearing that cool plaid flannel shirt.
My Mom agreed to buy me a guitar out of the Sears catalog. I’ve been playing every day since. I know every song. When Suite For Late Summer came out I was blown away. The songs and the passion in which he sang them.
And now the Blues Gues who’s playing the Blues now also. You got it, Me.
Dion keep it coming, We’re all listening.God love you for sharing your music with all of us.