Dirty Looks Gasoline/California Free Ride Value Pack Review
Dirty Looks
Gasoline/California Free Ride 2CD Value Pack
Perris Records
2026
Perris Records - one of the few labels that made damn sure Rock N’ Roll didn’t die when the world turned its back on loud guitars, whiskey-soaked hooks, and sleazy back-alley swagger, is doing the right thing yet again. The label is gearing up to release a killer 2-CD Dirty Looks value pack featuring “Gasoline” and “California Free Ride.” Both discs are factory pressed with the original artwork intact, making this much more than some cheap throwaway repackage. This is for the diehards, the lifers, and the latecomers who somehow let these albums slip through the cracks the first time around.
And trust me, if your Dirty Looks collection isn’t complete, your collection isn’t complete.
Originally released in 2007, “Gasoline” was a full-blown return to form. Henrik came roaring back to his greasy, barroom AC/DC-inspired roots and lit the fuse on one of the strongest Dirty Looks records in years. According to the press sheet, the original pressing sold out within a week, and honestly, that doesn’t surprise me at all. This thing is loaded with blue-collar riffs, street-level attitude, and enough cigarette-burn sleaze to stink up the room in the best possible way.
“If The World Stopped Spinning” alone is worth the price of admission, a swaggering smokeshow packed with everything Henrik did best. Then you’ve got crushers like “See You In The Morning,” along with bonus cuts “New White Naked” and “Trick Of The Moon,” both featuring Paul Lidel and Jason Fuckin’ McMaster. That alone should tell you how serious this release is.
The second half of the package is 2008’s “California Free Ride,” an album I stupidly slept on when it first came out. I’d heard people saying it didn’t sound like classic Dirty Looks, and like an idiot, I listened. Big mistake. Once I finally gave it a spin, it hit me immediately - Henrik was Dirty Looks. As long as he was behind the wheel, the band still had gas in the tank.
And honestly? “California Free Ride” stands as the last truly great Dirty Looks release. Sure, there were later records, but none of them touched the intensity, hooks, and hard-living soul that’s found here. Tracks like “Take A Look In The Mirror,” “California Free Ride,” “Shake That Thing,” and “Burning Rain” absolutely rip. These songs ooze late-night dive bar energy, stripper-heels-on-sticky-floors sleaze, and the kind of unapologetic Rock N’ Roll attitude that bands nowadays are too polished to pull off convincingly.
Good on Perris Records for bringing these albums back into circulation and making them affordable again. Hunting down original copies isn’t easy, and this value pack is the perfect excuse to finally fix the hole in your collection.
Sadly, Dirty Looks truly died with Henrik in 2011. Sure, the name has resurfaced here and there for one-off shows, but Henrik was the heartbeat, the grit, and the danger behind the band. The silver lining is that labels like Perris Records continue keeping his music alive for both longtime fans and younger Rock N’ Roll degenerates just discovering it for the first time.
These value packs are limited, and they’re not going to sit around forever. Don’t drag your feet on this one. Crank it loud, crack a beer, and do yourself a favor, pick this bastard up while you still can.