The Love Dogs

Get Off My Lawn!

T-Ray Records

Based out of Boston, The Love Dogs just celebrated their 20th year wowing audiences and critics alike with their combination of great musicianship and pure fun. They combine elements of jump blues, New Orleans R n’ B and early rock ‘n’ roll into their own powerhouse sound. You can hear it loud and clear on their three Tone-Cool cds 1996’s “I’m Yo Dog”, 1998’s “Heavy Petting”, and 2000’s “New Tricks”. Many of their songs have been used in feature films and on television.

Voted “Best New England Band” by Blues Audience magazine, the Love Dogs are part Rat Pack party, part 20th century musical encyclopedia and part revival meeting. The New York Post says “it’s the songwriting that separates these songs from the rest of the pack”. Blues Review magazine agrees “If there was a Superbowl for crowd pleasing rhythm & blues, a photo of The Love Dogs would be on  every Wheaties box in America”. The primary songwriter Eddie Scheer, sums it up “If this band doesn’t put a smile on your face, check your pulse because you just might be dead”.

Today, The Love Dogs include original members Eddie Scheer, lead vocals and percussion; Alizon Lissance, piano and vocals; Myanna, alto and tenor sax, and vocals; Steve Brown, drums and vocals, and the not so new Mark Paquin who joined several years ago. New Members include Rob Lee, tenor and baritone sax; and Mark Poniatowski, bass.

The album includes three tracks written by the team of Scheer and Glenn Shambroom, another by Shambroom, four written by Scheer, and an additional three covers. The album opens with “Fly Away”: “Fly away little bird, fly away from me, fly away little bird, fly away from me, go back to your hen house, get outta’ my tree”. On “Hard To Be Mad”, “my love for you, we’ll always get along, your always right…we both know whose boss, it’s hard to be mad at you. You got me right where you want, it’s hard to be mad at you”.

“Better Things To Do”, I got better things to do…then worry about you …you stay out of sight in the middle of the day, when you come out at night I get the separation blues, keep the ring, give me back my dream”. “Took The Wrong Road” “did you ever wake up in the middle of a dream? I thought I had directions but I took the wrong road…I had the best intentions but I must have taken the wrong road”. On “Keep On  Lyin'”, “well my daddy always told him, to keep on lyin ’cause if I tell  the truth, there’s gonna be some cryin'”.

“How Can You Be So Mean”, written by Alexander, was sung in 1955 by Johnny Ace, “now tell me pretty baby, how can you be so mean… you ’cause me so much pain, how can you be so mean…can’t you  see your love is killin’ me, how can you be so mean”. “Circular Reasoning” is an instrumental written by Pontoppidan with a Latin beat, and great piano from Lissance, a trombone solo from Paquin, tenor and baritone sax from Rob Lee, and alto sax from Myanna.

“Who Do You Think Your Foolin’?” “I be walkin my dog the other  day…and I saw this girl I used to see…she said they wanted her to star in a t.v. show…well I said who do you think your foolin baby, your only foolin’ yourself”. “Burn, Baby, Burn” is written and sung by Lissance, “I know you we’re mine to keep, you helped me turn my life around, but now burn, baby, burn…you know it’s true I’d have died for you but now, burn, baby, burn”.

“Here Comes The Blues”, “I remember livin’ the high life…nobody ever told me…there goes my woman, there goes my future, here comes the blues”. “Gravy Train” was written by Henry Bernard in 1950, and sung by Tiny Bradshaw, “we gonna be ridin’, ridin’ on  the gravy train, slipity slop…one too many Caledonias too, we  gonna be ridin’, ridin’ on the gravy train…all aboard on the gravy train”. On the closer “Get Off My Lawn!” Scheer sings “god damn get off my lawn, don’t mind if you don’t, don’t mind if you do, don’t tick me off, god damn get off my lawn!…again with some great piano.

Take one red-hot horn section, alto, tenor, and baritone saxophones, and a trombone; add liberal amounts of barrelhouse boogie-woogie  piano and stinging guitar. Pour over a funky and swinging rhythm section with a great vocalist, and that’s what you get on The Love Dogs “Get Off My Lawn!”. Season with years together tearing up the  road at juke joints, festivals and concert halls. It’s a time-proven recipe for music and mayhem, it’s The Love Dogs.

Richard Ludmerer
Contributing Editor/Making A Scene

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