Chequered Past looks like a promo man's dream band on paper. Take the rhythm section from Blondie, add guitarists Hunt Sales and ex-Sex Pistol Steve Jones, front the operation with journeyman vocalist Michael Des Barres and let them rock out to their hearts' content. A lot of what is here does rock, but things never catch fire the way they ought to. "A World Gone Wild" rocks things out nicely at the start, and the first side continues in much the same way, but by side two (or later in the CD), things start to sound a bit same-ish, as if the musicians have run out of ideas or new ways to express them. In any event, this ought to have been huge, but wasn't. It's flawed, but fun. ~ James Chrispell|

Rovi