“My Favorite Album” is a weekly column in which we ask a musician exactly what the title suggests — to name their favorite album of all time. This week it's Ricky Rat, bassist in the current, fired up incarnation of the Dead Boys, and guitarist with underrated Detroit glam-punks the Trash Brats…

David Bowie
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars (RCA)

My perfect album in many ways. Ziggy, along with albums from the Ramones and the New York Dolls, helped save me in my teenage years. It reached out in its shiny sonic vibe and reminded all of us outcasts, “You’re not alone.”

Mick Ronson’s otherworldly guitar tone and majestic melodies were a huge influence on me — the perfect marriage of glam and punk. I still listen to the album in its entirety every time I put it on and I’m just as in awe of it as I was my first time hearing it.

The Dead Boys plays with The Roxy Suicide, Time Out, Robbers, The Raskins and Maximum Bob at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 23 at the Whisky A Go Go. Then with Nico Bones, The Side Eyes and Mink Daggers at 8 p.m. on Saturday, May 25 at Alex's Bar.

Credit: RCA

Credit: RCA

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