Fastway (Bonus Track)

Fastway: Dave King (vocals, harmonica); Fast Eddie Clarke (guitar); Pete Way (bass); Jerry Shirley (drums). Bluesy hard rock and boogie was still around in the early 1980s, even as hair metal started grabbing all the attention. One such British band, Fastway, was led by two veterans: Motorhead guitarist Fast Eddie Clarke and Humble Pie drummer Jerry Shirley. They recruited unknown singer and harmonica player David King and released their successful self-titled debut in 1983. Fastway had no full-time bassist at this point, and whoever played on the album isn't credited. King was a virtual Robert Plant clone, and to say that much of Fastway bears more than a passing resemblance to Led Zeppelin is an understatement. Despite its derivative nature, this is sloppy, unrefined fun. Overall, Clarke's guitar work here is more diverse than what he did in Motorhead, yet the blistering opener, "Easy Livin'," is full of his jackhammer riffing. The tune is actually catchy too, and King's exuberant v