So, what have you been listening to lately?

[Dave W]

[Dave W]

Not what I would have expected.

[Ken]

Not what I would have expected.

Two things I wouldn't have expected there.  Rick playing AC/DC and Rick playing drums.

[uwe]

Man, The Osmonds have really aged:



And BÖC alumni Albert Bouhard plays with them now too.

Honorary mention of the original:

[uwe]

Not what I would have expected.

Très lovely and I've heard countless less inspired versions. I was never one of his haters (he had a nice baritone) even though I loved Nick Lowe's epic rhyme about him "Do you remember Rick Astley, he had big fat hit, it was ghastly. He said I'm never gonna give you up or let you down, well, I'm here to tell ya that Dick's a clown!". 

[Dave W]

The Dictators had multiple influences.

[Ken]

[Ken]

For the record, Handsome Dick Manitoba is an incredibly nice guy.  He's a friend's kid's godfather.

[Dave W]

That's good to know. Always nice to hear, since there have been so many stories about well known musicians who act like jerks.

[uwe]

The Dictators, for all their ultimate commercial failure, were always a lovable bunch (basically, they were the Jewish New York Dolls minus the drag and the heroin). Ross the Boss was also the sanest guy in Manowar, though that is perhaps not saying a real lot given the field of competitors there. 

But Handsome Dick's and Andy Shernoff's paths must have separated somewhere along the way, he's not a member of the current line-up. Albert Bouchard holding the sticks now is explainable via the fact that BÖC Svengali Sandy Pearlman managed and produced The Dictators in their Manifest Destiny era - and Albert is a quirky guy always happy to try something different.

The new lead vocalist, Kieth (sic!) Roth doesn't do a half-bad job, less bum notes than the still wonderful Handsome Dick too ... 

[Ken]

Excellent.  Too bad Kieth doesn't spell it as "Kief."

[Dave W]

The Dictators, for all their ultimate commercial failure, were always a lovable bunch (basically, they were the Jewish New York Dolls minus the drag and the heroin). Ross the Boss was also the sanest guy in Manowar, though that is perhaps not saying a real lot given the field of competitors there. 

But Handsome Dick's and Andy Shernoff's paths must have separated somewhere along the way, he's not a member of the current line-up. Albert Bouchard holding the sticks now is explainable via the fact that BÖC Svengali Sandy Pearlman managed and produced The Dictators in their Manifest Destiny era - and Albert is a quirky guy always happy to try something different.

The new lead vocalist, Kieth (sic!) Roth doesn't do a half-bad job, less bum notes than the still wonderful Handsome Dick too ... 

Ummm...that's Andy on bass in the video you posted. He's still very much a part of the band.

[uwe]

Of course he is, where did I say he isn't (I meant Handsome Dick being no longer in the band)? He's the heart of the band (+ chief songwriter)! But these days he doesn't sing lead that often anymore (like on the Dictators debut), he later on let Handsome Dick sing more and more songs (though Andy has the more tuneful pop voice, but no rasp) and also reverted to keyboards for a while when future Twisted Sister Marc "Animal" Mendoza (not the Nugent/Whitesnake/Thin Lizzy/Dead Daisies/Journey guy) played bass for the 'Tators.





(That's what I meant with Handsome Dick and pitching live ...  )

[Dave W]

Sorry, I misunderstood. Without Andy, it really wouldn't be a legitimate Dictators.

[uwe]

True.