Tony Valentino - Dirty Water Revisited (2023)

Big Stir Records is proud to announce the May 26 release of a new album, on Vinyl LP, CD and all streaming platforms, from garage rock legend TONY VALENTINO of The Standells! DIRTY WATER REVISITED features ten newly recorded tracks from the guitar hero, reimagining many of the classics that made his band the ultimate purveyors of gritty riffs and swaggering hits in the '60s and adding a pair of blistering new originals to the mix. Packaged in a gorgeous retro-styled jacket (designed in the UK by Champniss of London), it's available for pre-order now at www.bigstirrecords.com and all major online retailers, and will hit record store shelves worldwide on the street date.

TONY VALENTINO is regarded as the Godfather Of Punk for good reason. Now in his sixth decade carrying the torch of the garage rock sound, Tony still kicks up one raucous sound on stage and in the recording studio, and DIRTY WATER REVISITED presents him in all his hard-rocking, riff-slinging glory. As a founding member of hit-making Standells, Valentino is an indisputable titan of the proto-punk form – no survey of the sound, from NUGGETS on down, is complete without a Standells track.

It was all documented on vinyl and on singles back in the day, and fans are thrilled that Tony is taking it back to those roots. The LP has been preceded by no fewer than five singles, including the revved up remakes of four Standells hits -- “Dirty Water,” “Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White,” “Barracuda” and “Try It” -- along with the all new hardcore tribute “I'm A Sexy Punk Rocker”, all of which have become hits all over again on independent radio shows and charts across the globe. And they're all here, joined by four more revamped '60s classics including the cultural touchstone “Riot On The Sunset Strip” and another fresh Valentino composition for the 21st Century, “Vicki”.

The sheer energy of the new performances, each produced by Tony and featuring a powerful backing band including key collaborator GARY KALUZA, is sure to thrill longtime fans and is already catching the ears of the younger generation just now discovering the classic garage rock sound. Of his decision to return to wax with these new tracks in the vintage style, Tony says the inspiration came from another veteran hitmaker: “Rick Springfield was a frequent customer of a restaurant I owned, Bellisimo. He would bring his dog, sit in the patio and we would talk. One day he said that he was going to re-record all of his hits so that he would have control over them. Many musicians in the '60s really had no control over what was done with their music and The Standells were no exception. After hearing what Rick had planned I said, one day I am going to do that. Afterwards, I started working on the concept of Dirty Water Revisted. It was my way of rebelling against the record labels and shady industry types back then for what they had done to us.”

It's a punk rock move, and the classic punk rock records of the late '70s and the '60s garage rock movement before them had all gone down on wax, so a return to vinyl was a natural step. Far from a simple nostalgia trip, DIRTY WATER REVISITED shows TONY VALENTINO at the height of his powers. For garage rock enthusiasts and punk rockers young and old, it's an essential addition to any collection, and proof positive that rock and roll is alive and well in the hands of a true master. Revel in the reinvigorated hits and hear a hint of the future with Tony Valentino, back on wax and the airwaves where he belongs – and CD and worldwide streaming as well! -- with DIRTY WATER REVISITED!