Tommy Stinson is quite the busy man. After being with The Replacements for more than a decade, he took over for Duff McKagan as bassist for Guns N’ Roses in 1998. In addition to GnR, he is also a permanent member of the rock band Soul Asylum. Apparently, Tommy is still looking for more work, as his second solo album, One Man Mutiny, was released Aug. 30.
Tommy grabs you with the bass-heavy “Don’t Deserve You” to start out the disc. His voice is decent, though a little raspy, and he’s really a great guitarist. Speaking of guitars, “It’s A Drag,” really contains some impressive riffs, and features his fiancée, Emily Roberts, handling some of the singing duties, as she does in-part throughout the album. “Meant To Be” is a nice, easy listening track, where Tommy’s voice sounds a bit like Bob Dylan’s and Emily does a good job complimenting it.
The CD gets much calmer yet diverse with the acoustic, “Come To Hide,” which features a piano and saxophone, among other instruments. Tommy gets a bit emotional on “Zero To Stupid,” as he talks about a relationship that’s gone sour. Unfortunately, it sounds like a lackluster country track. “Destroy Me” starts out fairly dreary as Stinson performs a duet with Roberts, though the guitars make this tune somewhat enjoyable. The CD rounds out with just Tommy singing and playing his acoustic guitar on “One Man Mutiny.” It’s tranquil and nice but his voice isn’t too great here.
Seven years since he released his first solo album, this one doesn’t do too much to impress. He does incorporate several instruments and uses them well, but there’s nothing that really wows you here.
In A Word: Subpar
