Mitch Ryder – Songs from the Road
Ruf Records
13 Tracks – 78 minutes
Detroit’s rock icon has been on the road for approximately six decades starting with hits like “Devil with A Blues Dress” in the mid 60’s with his band the Detroit Wheels. Mitch was born in Hamtramck, Michigan and spent his teen years in Warren, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. At age 21, William Sherille Levise, Jr. became Mitch Ryder after seeing the name in a Manhattan phone book. Prior to the Detroit Wheels, he recorded songs under the name Billy Lee and The Rivieras. Mirch Ryder and Detroit Wheels made their debut album, Take a Ride, in 1966. After six studio album and one Greatest Hits album, Mitch released one album under the name Detroit featuring Mitch Ryder in 1971. In 1979, he released his first solo album, How I Spent My Vacation.
With more than thirty albums, Mitch shows he still has the drive with this new live release recorded in March 2025 in Berlin with Laura Chavez and Sam Athens on guitar, Tomek Germann on bass, Denis Palatin on drums and Lea Worms on keyboards. The songs focus on songs from his recent albums with one cover thrown in. The release includes both a CD and DVD. The song “War” only appears on the CD, and “Tough Kid” only appears on the DVD,
He comes out rocking with “Lilli May”, a current song released as a single in 2025. Lea Worms provides an introduction on piano. leading into Mitch’s gruff and growling vocals. He then proclaims “Ain’t Nobody White” “singing the blues”. “No white man ever suffered, never lived in pain.” In a soulful blues, he cites “Love plays “All the Fools It Sees” as he says “I cried last night over you. There was a time I took your word, now I know I can’t trust you.”
“Yeah, You Right” features a keyboard solo from Lea Worms as Mitch spins a tale of crime starting with dog fighting and child abuse, leading to a confrontation in a bar and a stabbing leaving nothing left of him and “everybody cheered”. “Do You Feel Alright” starts with a quiet symphonic sound until launching into a smooth, emotional soul song expressing concern for his woman. He asks, “Do you feel alright tonight, my love? Is your mind at ease, in your heart you believe? It will be alright tonight”. Caribbean rhythms drive the upbeat “Oh What a Night” as he describes an all-night party. “Americans sure know how to have fun” Barbeque and alcohol…we party every night.”
A 9-1/2-minute version of “War”” follows with Mitch declaring “I don’t want to die” in an anthem expressing his views on the challenges facing people today and a fight for their beliefs. An all-out rocker, “The Thrill of It All” is about enjoying all aspects of life. “All right, feeling okay. Let’s do it again” with Laura Chavez launching into a powerful guitar solo. He tells her to just call him “Fly” noting “you were right there with me when I burst upon the scene… those were crazy days”.
He declares “It Wasn’t Me” as he faces multiple accusations of potential crimes. He then expresses fears that our world is in “Wrong Hands” noting “we can help each other, let this love be very well heard”. A 13 minute “Soul Kitchen” originally recorded by The Doors reflects its psychedelic roots and allows Laura to have another fantastic guitar solo. “The Artist” ends the album with a somber mood citing he “uses words as knives, cuts deep and swift”.
On February 26, Mitch turned 81 years old. His vocals are somewhat weathered, but it does not diminish the power of his music or the lyrical content. He proves his legacy in rock is well-deserved and lasting in time.
