Johnny Thunders was one of the original purveyors of the sin-ridden, guitar-based rock 'n' roll experience. If you're not familiar with The New York Dolls and The Heartbreakers, go do some studying at your local record store pronto! Unfortunately, Thunders was also the poster boy for the fucked up, heroin-soaked, alcohol drenched 70s rock 'n' roll lifestyle, which ultimately ended in his presumed methadone OD in 1991. Whether his reckless lifestyle helped create his musical legacy or his masterful musicianship led him down the path of self destruction is a topic for another time; for now, Amsterdamned Records has assembled this live recording to let Thunders live in your stereo for eternity.

In the Flesh documents the late guitarist's solo work at a latter day gig at The Roxy in 1987. Thunders energetically cruises through some marvelous and memorable guitar riffs on such timeless tunes as "Personality Crisis," "Too Much Junkie Business" and the classic "Born to Lose" as if he just wrote them that morning. Thunders' guitar has always had a nasty, slightly sloppy sound to it and this unique six-string signature is in true form as it writes out one of his final musical chapters. It's not all about power-chord mayhem, as Thunders opts for the acoustic guitar on a few numbers, magically strumming a few choice, soul-searching numbers, including "Sad Vacation" and a greasy, inspiring version of the Stones' "Play With Fire." A careful listen to this release will have you contemplating the possibility that Thunders really did have a bottomless pit of intriguing musical ideas, all of them merely waiting their turn to erupt from his fingers and onto the fret board for the world's listening enjoyment. The sound quality is pretty consistent from track to track and as Thunders pipes away on the mic, you can almost picture him doing what he loved to do the most -- bringing rock 'n' roll to the kids. This is a welcome and long overdue documentation of this 70s guitar icon that'll be a welcome addition to your record collection. Some may wonder how a city like New Orleans could kill a man like Johnny Thunders, but his effect on today's music is guaranteed to last until the guitar is played for the last time.