NYC Made
Ricky Byrd
Wicked Cool Records
Release Date: March 28, 2025
Boomerocity viewers/followers already know that 2015 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee (as part of Joan Jett & the Blackhearts) is a good friend of Boomerocity. We always welcome him here – especially when he has great, new music out. This is such a time, and we couldn’t be happier!
The Singer/Songwriter/Producer/Guitarist has a new rocker of an album coming out titled “NYC Made” and it’s everything and more that you would expect musically from Ricky. This album is a more-than-worthy follow-up to Byrd’s last mind-blowing album, “Sobering Times,” and features the song that we last interviewed Ricky about, “Rhapsody In Blues” which is a natural fit to the whole album.
Each cut on this album is single/radio worthy. However, I especially love “Transistor Radio Childhood” because it resonates within me and reflects aspects of my own childhood back when radio was king, and you could hear all sorts of great music from various genres on the same station. The tune salutes “to the melting pot AM radio of the ‘60s and ‘70s, with nods to his beloved Yankees and WABC DJ Cousin Brucie, The Beach Boys (the “ba-ba-ba-ba of “Barbara Ann”), The Kinks (“You Really Got Me”), Paul Revere and a lyrical bow to Otis Redding (“I’ve sat on the dock of the bay, Otis whistlin’ in my ear”).”
This bundle of great rock ‘n roll was recorded at Parcheesi Studios and co-produced by Bob Stander, it also features Jeff Kazee (Asbury Jukes) on keyboardist/accordion, “fiddliest” Tony Montalbo, and on the skins Steve Holley (Wings), Aaron Comess (the Spin Doctors) and Thommy Price (Joan Jett and the Blackhearts). As if that’s not mind-blowing enough, Uptown Horns Arno Hecht and Larry Etkin and the Ba Ba Blacksheep Singers (Stevie Van Zandt, Willie Nile, Jeff Kazee and Marc Ribler) on “Translator Radio Childhood” and “Sweet Byrd of Youte” are also helping on the album.
As stated on the press release, “Byrd is approaching a half-century as a professional rock ‘n’ roller from his start as a 21-year-old joining the band Susan (RCA) in 1977 (after answering an ad in the Village Voice) before replacing Eric Ambel in Joan Jett and the Blackhearts in 1981, just in time to play guitar and sing vocals on the platinum-plus I Love Rock n’ Roll and the subsequent six albums over the next decade until moving on in 1991. Signing a deal with Sony Music Publishing, over the next 35 years, Ricky recorded, toured and/or shared a stage with a succession of artists he grew up idolizing, among them Roger Daltrey, Ian Hunter, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Joe Walsh, Alice Cooper, Mavis Staples, Darlene Love, Smokey Robinson, The Beach Boys, Jimmy Page, Steve Miller, Ronnie Spector, Graham Nash, Sam Moore, Gary Clark Jr., Peter Wolf and Stevie Wonder.”
“NYC Made” is a must-have addition to your rock and roll library as well as the libraries of your music loving friends. You can order an autographed copy of this and other of Ricky’s recordings by clicking on the album cover image on this page or right here. You’ll have a wide range of tempting purchase options available to you.
Check out our interview with Ricky by clicking here or pushing the play arrow on the video immediately above. To keep up with Ricky Byrd, visit and sign up on RickyByrd.com.
