Don Felder gives away the game with the title of American Rock 'n' Roll. This 2019 album is a celebration of classic rock, the kind of old-fashioned, Marshall-burning hard rock that just isn't made much anymore. Felder brings in some fellow survivors to help get the party started. "American Rock N Roll" alone contains dueling drums from Mick Fleetwood and Red Hot Chili Pepper Chad Smith, not to mention some guitar from Slash, and that's just the start of the cameos. Sammy Hagar, Bob Weir, Joe Satriani, Steve Porcaro, Peter Frampton, and Alex Lifeson all make an appearance, livening an album that, like so many latter-day self-produced records from veteran rockers, feels just a bit stiff. Felder occasionally varies the volume and tempo -- "Little Latin Lover" does indeed breeze by on a Latin rhythm -- but American Rock 'n' Roll winds up feeling like an updated version of a forgotten AOR album from the days before MTV. It's louder, cleaner, and longer, not to mention self-congratulatory, a blend that will please converts and keep everybody else far at bay.
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