History & Biography
Reviews ZINNY J ZAN - CITY BOY BLUES - FASTLANE
Zinny J Zan is the Swedish former singer for Shotgun Messiah and Easy Action who after a lengthy absence from the scene has now returned with the release of City Boy Blues via Fastlane Records. With a little help from a couple of old Shotgun Messiah colleagues and Motorhead's Mickey Dee, Zinny's album comes across as a mixture of Thin Lizzy, Tesla and the The London Quireboys. Pay special attention to that first name for it's a comparison which will come up often.
City Boy Blues has a nice sound and manages to be melodic without coming across as forced. It's Sweden gone L.A. glam which oddly enough, not having a bio, comes across as if fronted by two singers. One of whom sounds like a dead ringer for Lizzy's Phil Lynott, while the other has a less bluesy vice.
This boy kicks off the blues with the title track which is a song where the singer sounds particularly close to Lynott, Grin 'n' Bear It is more of a crossover L.A. tune which sports a solid hard-rocking rhythm. The leads are fluid and the backing vocals harmonic. This is a fun song which rocks. Love Is Like Fire gives a nod to both Aerosmith and Kix. It is a slower track about the time-honoured 'baby.' Are those slide guitars in the background? Hollywood is completely Thin Lizzy again. The song has cool leads. This is followed by I Believe, a more straightforward rocker whose vocal phrasings are actually reminiscent of Big Country. The solo is soulful and wailing. For Your Rights is right next and has a sleazier melody. It is slower and has a message about freedom of speech. Is that Axl himself singing back up on this one? Point Of No Return picks up the pace again with its kick-off ominous riff. It goes on to explode into a hard-edged riff. The vocals too are sharp and angry on this song. Lost Generation is another commercial up-tempo hard rocker with Lynott on vocals - just can't get over this - and has more intelligent lyrics about self-empowerment. This one is catchy as hell. Reach For The Sky comes, ironically, with a more gloomy beginning. This sad power ballad would have been on heavy rotation on M$TV were this 1987. Those vocal harmonies present two distinct styles throughout this (nearly) six-minute song. The song before last is called Blow By Blow and is a weaker composition. The vocals are semi-rapped and the power chords, although later lightened by a solo reminiscent of George lynch, are primitive overall. The boy comes to a stop with the song Wild As A Rose. This bud is both slower and bluesier. Slide guitars and acoustic guitars mingle for an effect reminiscent of an unplugged Tesla crossed with Aerosmith. Like it or not, the courage of this material is undeniable - Ali "The Metallian"
Interviews Who is Zinny J Zan? What is the City Boy Blues? What does it have to do
with
any of us? If you thought Zinny J Zan was the new leader of the Chinese
Communist Party, you must have been hiding under a hard rock for the
past
decade. He is the former front man of Shotgun Messiah who now has
returned
after a decade-long absence with his very own solo band. City Boy Blues
is
his album's title and that's where things begin to get interesting. It
concerns us because he has glammed it up, sleazed it down. and rocked
hard
all the way from his hometown of Stockholm, which explains the part
about
the city at least. So was that a good story? Hell no, it was just the
beginning. Ali "The Metallian" tracked down J Zan in his homeland of
Sweden
for a quick story. Read on! - 10.11.2002
METALLIAN: Zinny, thank you for speaking with Metallian.com. Why don't
we
begin with your outlining the early years for the readers?
ZINNY J ZAN: Absolutely, the early years, for me, were a blend of
Aerosmith,
Kiss, Sex Pistols , Clash , Ramones, Sweet and Thin Lizzy. My early
bands
sounded just like that: a big mixture of all those bands. After a few
years
one gets the feel for it, picks out the best in every band, takes the
result
and makes it his style. I was in a few bands of that style. My early
bands
were Belsen Boys, Brilliant Boys, Alarm X, Bangshot, then came
Easy-Action
and later Shotgun Messiah.
METALLIAN: It is for the latter band which you are known. How did you
arrive
at Shotgun Messiah?
ZINNY J ZAN: Simple, Tim Tim and Harry Cody called me up and asked me
to try
out for them and I did!
METALLIAN: Why did you depart from the band? What have you been up to
since?
ZINNY J ZAN: We never really hit the jackpot on a personal basis. Tim,
Harry
and I never got along so after a few years together... it became too
much to
handle.
After Shotgun Messiah I formed a band called Grand Slam and even signed
with
Warner Music, but the main guy at Warner who had signed us left the
Swedish
office and we soon got dropped. After that I recorded an album with a
band
called Zan Clan that I had formed. The album bombed. I don't like it
myself
either! After that disappointment I took a holiday from the business. I
am
back!
METALLIAN: Zan Clan was actually going to be the subject of my next
question. Isn't the current band in fact a continuation of Zan
Clan?
ZINNY J ZAN: Right, three of the people on this new album were in fact
in
Zan Clan - that is correct. This is not a band though, it is just three
guys
that I thought could get the goods out of the songs that I had written.
I do
not know whether or not we will work together again. Matthew the
drummer
will surely join me on an upcoming tour. Other than that guitarist Kee
Marcello, formerly of Europe appears on Wild As A Rose playing some
guitar
and bass. We hadn't worked together since the Easy-Action days so it
was a
good laugh.
METALLIAN: Are you looking to form a band though or are you content
with
simply hiring musicians as needed?
ZINNY J ZAN: I would like to have a band, but since it is hard to find
the
right people I will just hire musicians for the time being.
METALLIAN: Why don't we proceed to the eleven songs on City Boy
Blues.
ZINNY J ZAN: Some of the songs were written around 1997 and '98. The
rest
were composed between 1999 and 2001. Music-wise, I was just trying to
write
the best songs possible. Lyric-wise I am telling my story up until now.
You
know, what you have gone through, the people you have lost and your
reflection on the events which are going on around you... that kind of
a
thing.
METALLIAN: There is a variety of vocal styles on the album. One, in
particular, sounds very similar to Thin Lizzy's Phil Lynott. How often
have
you heard that comparison made?
ZINNY J ZAN: I hear this a lot and every time in a positive way. People
seem
to think that it's cool, because Phil is gone and then here is someone
else
that can keep up on that trademark.
METALLIAN: My favourite song on the album has to be Point Of No Return.
Will
you say a few words about the tune?
ZINNY J ZAN: It's a bummed out and angry Zinny letting things off the
chest.
I go fucking nuts when we play that one live. You know, it is pure
adrenaline for me.
METALLIAN: Your lyrics seem socially conscious. Is that you as a person
or
is that you while recording City Boy Blues? Do you have anything
specific
you need to get across?
ZINNY J ZAN: I guess that's the way I am. It is difficult because I
have a
serious side, a wild side and then a soft side - like everybody else,
but
yeah I am socially conscious and that is better that than being
unconscious
right?
METALLIAN: You are not about to get an argument from me, Zinny.
Elsewhere,
how did you stumble across the folk at Fastlane Records and what sort
of a
deal do you have?
ZINNY J ZAN: I got contacted by Shawn, the owner, at Fastlane Records
and he
tricked me into this slave deal that I signed (laughs). Just kidding,
no
Shawn did contact me and we have a contract with which we are both
happy so
far.
METALLIAN: You had relocated to the USA during the Shotgun days. Is
that all
in the past?
ZINNY J ZAN: Yes, I am currently living a little outside of Stockholm.
I
bought a house near the ocean where I can isolate myself and write my
shit
in peace. I am trying to cure myself from the City Boy Blues out
here!
METALLIAN: Looked at from a hard rock point-of-view, today's musical
climate
is not so great for your style. In the context of your act's style, how
do
you see the road ahead for music?
ZINNY J ZAN: Well I don't worry or think too much about it really. What
it
comes down to in the end is that it's only Rock n Roll. You should have
fun
and go with the groove.
METALLIAN: And more specifically, What are your latest news and
plans?
ZINNY J ZAN: For the time being I am trying out people to play with me
for a
Scandinavian tour scheduled to happen around December and January.
What's
more, as always, I am writing new stuff for a new album. I was just out
doing a few guest appearances with other Swedish musicians to build up
for
my album over here. The album is not released in Sweden yet. Basically
I
have just been playing with friends around Stockholm. It's not really a
solidified line-up yet.
METALLIAN: Thanks for the chat Zinny.
ZINNY J ZAN: Thank you for your interest. I do hope to hit Canada in
the
future. I hope to see you there then!
Zinny J Zan's City Boy Blues is now out through FastLane Records. Do
you
need more information than that? Then head over to
www.fastlanerecords.com.
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