With the exception of the masters, men like John Fogerty, Bob Seeger, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen and occasionally when he is in the mood, Neil Young, there is not the heck of a lot of guitar heavy kick-ass rock and roll that excites me anymore. So I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised to discover a new CD by a man named Ronnie I., called Ronderosa Rancho Motel. Whereas many of today’s new music proponents tend to bog down in heavily over instrumented pomposity, and failed attempts at high brow lyricism, Ronnie I. and his band compose and play straight-ahead, no-bullshit rock and roll complete with refreshingly simple and meaningful lyrics – - no iambic pentameter here – - delivered in a powerful voice - - something else you don’t hear a lot of anymore - - complimented by ground shaking bass and stinging lead guitar lines layered on top of a wall of chugging rhythm guitars, which in style remind me much of the late great John Lennon banging away on his big white Epiphone Casino on that London rooftop so long ago. Also refreshing is that there is no filler on this disk. No crappy throwaway songs there to take up space. All of the set’s fifteen songs stand effortlessly on their own; and by my way of thinking, there are at least 5 or 6 singles in the bunch. Two of my favorites are \"The Lone Stranger\" and \"Wild West\". Clearly Beatle George Harrison’s Day Tripper riff is the inspiration for the musical setup of The Lone Stranger, the story of a late night encounter with one of the denizens of Hollywood’s sunset strip, a man who in an earlier incarnation claimed to be the Lone Ranger from the old TV series. Here, as we will see throughout the set, the lead guitar mimics the emotion of the song. It’s safe to say that Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were the musical inspiration for the next cut, \"Wild West\". With 3 part harmonies that would make the Byrds proud this rollicking, jangling guitar laden musical romp tells the tale of the gun violence that is all too often a part of every day life on the streets of America. Kudos to Ronnie I. for putting together such a great band, though I would love to have the track by track breakdown, so I can see who is making these great sounds. But alas, Itunes and the other music sites are only now starting to supply the liner notes and cover art on PDF files. But to date, they are only doing this for mainstream (read: major label) artists. This is an album of refreshingly excellent Americana Rock that captures your interest from beginning to end and one that I find myself continually playing.

SONICWAVE.COM [MIAMI] – If anything is missing from the modern rock sound, some might say that it’s an artist’s ability to create genuine themes presented in a storytelling fashion that moves forward. What I really appreciate about Ronnie I.’s music is his ability to execute themes common to the American experience in an original way. On his CD "Ronderosa Rancho Motel", one of my favorite songs is My First Love. He revisits his first love while sitting at a bar. He met her “at some teenage dance.” But where is she now? My First Love is loaded with moments that spark up memories common to everyone’s first. The lyrics are visual, something that most songwriters have difficulty capturing when writing. In the sound you get a taste of the Wild West combined with rock instrumentation. Ronnie I.’s songs are far from the usual abrasive noises common to modern rock. You can play these songs loud and really enjoy them. This is one of those groups that would definitely be a treat to see perform live!

RONNIE I. – RONDEROSA RANCHO MOTEL: Ronderosa Rancho Motel is a solo release from singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer Ron Iacopucci. Ronnie has played in bands for the past three decades and has recently been asked to write music for TV and motion pictures. His musical style is pure American rock and roll. Ronnie I has been compared to classic US rockers John Mellancamp, Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen. This fifteen-track collection flies on soaring guitar leads, catchy hooks, heavy beats and great storytelling. Ronnie's vocals vary with the moods of his music. He can sing smooth as silk or add a bit of grit and gravel if the song calls for it. Other talented players who bring expertise and energy to each track join Iacopucci on Ronderosa Rancho Motel. 'Long Distance Runner' has a driving beat combined with fine musical accents from the organ, the congas and sax to give the track a rich full sound that rocks. 'Wild West' is heavy on dueling instrumentation in conjunction with Ronnie I on acoustic and "jangle" guitars. The pace is snappy and the original song as well as the closing remix is catchy. 'Good Possibilities' has plenty of innuendo with its captivating groove, smoking guitar leads and harmonizing vocals. Ronnie I and friends are first-class rockers who bring zip and zeal to the Ronderosa Rancho Motel! • Recommended Tracks: (2,10,13,15) [USA/CA 2004 - web] (Review by Laura Turner Lynch for Kweevak.com)