While not technically a Killer Dwarfs album, Russ Dwarf’s Wireless is a worthy addition for any Dwarfs completist, featuring acoustic reworkings of many of their best-known songs.
As with any album of acoustic versions, Wireless has its ups and down. (Points to Russ “Dwarf” Graham for calling it that instead of “unplugged,” which conjures up memories of endless 1990s albums.)
Musicians on the album include Glenn Belcher (guitars, sitars, banjo, wood), Rob Zakojc (bass, backing vocals). Also contributing guitar playing are Kevin Simpson, Dan Lear, Kevin Reid, Ron Thal and Glen Drover. Cosimo Crupi plays keyboards, and Fred Duvall is credited for “bottles of anger,” whatever those may be.
Perfect fits
Slower songs from the Dwarfs’ later albums like “Look Around,” “Four Seasons” and “Driftin’ Back” each work so well acoustically they might as well have been the original versions. There’s less layering to, say, “Driftin’ Back,” but it still sounds great.
Out of left field
The wireless take on “I’m Alive,” from Big Deal answers the question “What would the Killer Dwarfs sound like as a twangy honky-tonk band?” And I’m less sure I buy Graham’s crooning reimagining of “Dirty Weapons.” Nothing wrong with his singing; it just got me thinking, “Maybe their heavier stuff can’t be ‘wireless’.” But then…
Songs that shouldn’t work, but totally do
The Dwarfs’ first big hit, “Keep the Spirit Alive” kicks off the album. It’s slower than the original, but no less effective. The optimistic spirit (ha) of the original shines through on this stripped-down version.
Graham follows that up with a song from the same album, “Stand Tall,” which keeps the tempo of the original, but recreates the beat which crisp strumming instead of the soaring power chords and heavy drums. Mike Hall’s outstanding guitar solo, played on acoustic guitar (I assume by Belcher) would give Adrian Legg a run for his money.
I was blown away by the live version of “Comin’ Through” in concert and on Live, No Guff! And the studio original on Dirty Weapons is as heavy as the Dwarfs get. But man… the wireless version loses none of the aggression, and sounds like it should be on the soundtrack for a revenge-heavy Western. (You can hear some of it in the video below.)
Overall…
This is a solid album of different takes on the Killer Dwarfs’ pop-metal standards, with a few curve balls thrown in. Outstanding singing by Russ Graham and guitar work by many make it worth adding to your collection.
Wireless
- Russ Dwarf
- 2013, Independent / 2018, EMP
- Four stars out of five
