Mitch Ryder ~ ~ The Roof Is On Fire

Celebrating his 75th trip around the sun, blues rocker Mitch Ryder has released a great two CD album titled The Roof Is On Fire. Released on RUF Records, this live compilation mostly features tracks from his 2020 tour of Germany. Don’t let his age fool you, when it comes to music, age is just a number. It's all about whether the music moves you.

And Ryder can certainly do that.

The man rocks as hard now as he ever did when he was younger and he has surrounded himself with a top-notch band that not only keeps up with him, they perfectly compliment his playing ability.

CD 1

The album kicks off with an energetic Betty's Too Tight. True to RUF's reputation of fast and powerful guitar players, this one starts out out of the gate and never lets up for a second. The lyrics are simple, but we find out that Betty is a virgin - for now anyway - as the singer definitely has his eye on the girl. At almost six minutes, it takes your breath away just trying to keep up with the guitar work and the rhythm section stays in overdrive for the whole song.

One might think that for the next song, Tough Kid, the band might slow down to show off their versatility. However, Ryder and Company keep the pedal to the metal and thrash their way through. Yes, there are segments were things get a little slower, but those changes in tempo just last a few seconds before kicking back into overdrive. There's some good harmonica playing and Ryder's vocals are strong and really feed off the energy of the live crowd.

The wildly enthusiastic audience eats up Ryder's take on the Bob Dylan classic Subterranean Homesick Blues. At the speed in which that Ryder plays the song, some of the lyrics get muddled, but it's Dylan, we're used to lyrics being undecipherable. There is some very good piano runs as well as some outstanding harmonica work. I love this song and plan on playing it on John's Porch in the near future.

The antiwar anthem Bang Bang follows. It's a quick and powerful number that the audience enjoyed. Ryder is in good voice and hearing him work with an audience is a real treat.

Ryder then launches into the song with the intriguing title Ain't Nobody White. It could have a subtitle in parenthesis that goes (Can Sing The Blues). Although I can think of some great players that would disagree with that premise, he does make a compelling argument for his statement. It's a thought-provoking premise and is one that should spur debate amongst blues aficionados.

Next, Ryder does his take on the Fabulous Thunderbirds big hit Tuff Enuff. Like the Thunderbirds, Ryder manages to straddle that thin line between blues and rock very well. It captures the spirit of the song, adds some hot harmonica licks, and manages to keep the song fresh. Great cover.

The band finally slows things down with From A Buick 6, but keeps up the intensity. There's some good harmonica and keyboards. While not my favorite song on the album, it is sufficiently good and worthy of airplay.

The Rolling Stones' Heart Of Stone follows. The lead guitar gets a serious workout and Ryder growls his way through the song. and the audience joins in. It's a solid cover and Ryder is at the top of his game on the number. I love the harmonica break and I'll be playing this one soon on either Time For The Blues or John's Porch. Count on it.

CD 2

Ryder starts the second CD with the introspective Freezin In Hell. At first, I thought it was going to be an instrumental as it was well past a minute before any lyrics were sung. After they started, the mood was somber but somewhere along three minutes in, Ryder screams - whether in pain or frustration, I can't tell - and the audience goes wild. Fascinating song and a very interesting way to start the second CD.

He keeps things slow and intense on the next song, All The Fools It Sees. Ryder proves that he's one of the great screamers punctuating the lyrics. In doing so, he puts all of his emotions out for everyone to see. You can feel his pain through every phrase. Gorgeous number.

If the first CD was Ryder at his rocking best, this second CD is his softer side. If You Need The Pain wives the piano a larger piece of the spotlight to go with Ryder's vocals. This is another beautiful number that allows Ryder to croon and leave his heart on the stage.

The organ gives Many Rivers To Cross a gospel flair and the lyrics solidify that expectation. It's nearly impossible for me to believe that Ryder is 75, with these recordings he sounds like he is decades younger. I guess music really does keep you young. There's a great guitar break about halfway through but the vocals ring true throughout.

I wonder if the next song, Star Nomore, is the story of someone who has had that taste of stardom but now finds himself having to live life as someone who is not a store. Does he miss the road or does he miss his family? Of course it is. And Ryder has lived on both sides of being a star. The plaintive saxophone underscores the loneliness of the singer. Beautiful song.

Red Scar Eyes has some terrifying lyrics ("Gonna tear his head off/And keep it in a jar") but the song is mostly melancholy, and the guitar work is stellar. The audience seems to love it, although I am a little ambivalent about it.

Ryder ends the disc with his take on The Doors' classic Soul Kitchen. At 15-plus minutes, it's by far the longest song on the album, giving his musicians a chance to stretch out and really play. The guitar and sax interchange is especially nice. Ryder's voice is reminiscent of Jim Morrison's, going from sweet croon transitioning to a vocal bombshell. The length might be a hinderance to airplay, but it is a solid reinterpretation.

I am of the belief that live albums are a real crapshoot. Some artists use them as an excuse to put together a "Greatest Hits" package while others have less than perfect sound quality due to the venue's acoustics. Ryder has done neither, putting together a stellar collection of new rockers and introspective numbers mixed in with some solid covers. Plus, I listened to the disc through cheap headphones and it sounded great.

I don't know if this will return Mitch Ryder to the top of the charts, but The Roof Is On Fire is a strong effort that blues fans who like their music with a rock edge will appreciate it as will straight up rockers. Mitch Ryder has aged like a fine wine and his vintage is yielding great dividends. I'm glad it's in my collection and look forward to sharing it.