As I write this review on a windy Saturday morning, I have turned 41. Yep, today’s my birthday, warts and all; and in truth, you couldn’t pay me to go backwards. I’ve grown somewhat comfortable in myself at this point in life, and when I remember how painfully awkward I was at times when I was younger, I don’t mind being on the downhill side of forty much. Besides, I’m still 28 years younger than Dion — and his new CD, “Heroes,” kicks so much ass that I have nothing to fear from those next 28 years.
I mean, come on. This is Dion. He could be drawing Social Security — hell, he may BE drawing Social Security. But from the first bars of “Summertime Blues,” Dion proves one thing; he still owns the sound of pure old-school rock and roll. He can still play guitar like a maniac, he still has pipes to die for; in short, “Heroes” is a pretty damned fine CD.
Dion goes through all the classics: “Come On, Let’s Go,” “Bye Bye Love,” “Runaway,” “Jailhouse Rock,” “Blue Suede Shoes” — and they’re all performed with class, style, and cojones. There are a couple of very minor miscues — both “Who Do You Love?” and “I Walk The Line” seemed a little flat compared to the originals — but Dion’s blistering rave-up of “Shake, Rattle, And Roll” more than makes up for it. When at the end he gives us a completely new, yet oddly familiar, version of his own song, “The Wanderer,” we’ve been taken on a wild ride through some of the greatest music ever written and realized (again) how good it — and how good Dion — is.
Anyone who has an appreciation for good old-fashioned rock and roll needs to lay their hands on a copy of “Heroes.” You won’t regret it.
