Virgil, Auteur à the rockabilly chronicle

Colbert Hamilton & Hellrazors / Nitros

7 May 20238 May 2023

Reviews

Colbert Hamilton

Colbert Hamilton and the Nitros – Like A Rebel

Migraine Records ‎– MR 45-042
Like A Rebel / Cruel Hearted Girl

Released in 2020, this single (limited to 500 copies on red vinyl) features two songs recorded in 1993 during the Still Taggin’ Along sessions.
If the excellent Cruel Hearted Girl is not new, the A-side, Like A Rebel penned by Hamilton and O’Malley is even better. It’s an outstanding neo-rockabilly number and it seems hard to believe that it didn’t end on the original album.

Colbert Hamilton and the Nitros – Love Or Glory Man

[2013]
Shake Rattle Bump ‘n’ Grind – Falling To Pieces – Roxette – Rehab – Bella Donna – Everybody Loves Me – Life’s A Bitch – Blue – Molly’s Chambers – Love Or Glory Man – I Was The One – I Didn’t See Memphis – Livin’ La Vida Loca – W.M.D.

It’s good to see Colbert Hamilton team again with John O’Malley and the Nitros (who are for this album Jason King on double bass and Guy Shalom on drums). This is great neo-rockabilly, Hamilton having a perfect voice for that style and O’Malley’s jazzybilly guitar is everywhere. There’s a majority of self-penned tune either by Hamilton or O’Malley that are quite good. I wouldn’t say the same about the covers. “I Was the One” featuring Mark Keeley of Good ROckin’ Tonight on piano is okay but Amy Winehouse’s Rehab, Prince’s Everybody Loves Me or worse Ricky Martin’s Livin La Vida Loca seem very odd choices to me but as I said the originals are good enough and you can skip the covers and have a solid neo-rockabilly album.

Colbert Hamilton and the Nitros – Wild At Heart

Nervous Nerd076 [1994]
Lucille – Wild At Heart – Still Rockin’ After All These Beers – Bad Reputation – Too Late – Boom Boom – Do You Wanna Rock? – Abused By You – High Flyin’ Cat – Boogaville – Pass The Bottle To The Baby – The Boys Are Back In Town – Big In The World – Ninety Nine Girls

Colbert Hamilton and the Nitros returned in 1994 with Wild At Heart (in the process, Hamilton returned to Nervous records), produced by the mighty Alan Wilson (the Sharks). And believe it or not, this one is even better than its predecessor.
Not only is the sound perfect, but the band and the singer are in top form. Moreover, they expand their musical range. Next to Neo-Rockabilly nuggets on which O’Malley, Taylor and Day show the full extent of their talent underlining Hamilton’s voice, you’ll hear more different tunes. Hence, the listener will find rather unusual covers like a superb reinterpretation of the Reverend Horton Heat’s Bad Reputation, or Thin Lizzy’s the Boys Are Back In Town turned into a magnificent Rockabilly tune (to be honest, the original one begged for this treatment). Also, the band and the singer delve into blues territories with Boom Boom (Little Walter), and Too Late. Both songs feature Detroit Donny on harmonica (who also played on the Frantic Flintstones’ Jamboree). Do You Wanna Rock is a solid mix between modern stuff and Rockabilly, quite similar to what the Rockats achieved with Make That Move. Totally on the other side of the Rock’n’Roll spectrum, Day’s Pass the Bottle is a traditional-sounding Rockabilly with piano and saxophone and plenty of references to Gene Vincent. The piano and the sax return for Boogaville, an instrumental, on which O’Malley’s talent seems to have no limits. Imagine an instrumental penned by Danny Cedrone, Franny Beecher and Mark Harman, and you’ll have a slight idea of the result. As if it wasn’t enough, Big In The World brings a touch of Soul (with hints of Roy Orbison) to this already superb album.
We couldn’t agree more with John O’Malley when he said about Wild At Heart: “I wouldn’t change a thing about that one.”

Colbert Hamilton and the Nitros – Still Tagging Along

Vinyl Japan JRCD05 [1993]
Get out of my sight – Cruel hearted girl – Rollercoaster rock – Gaze into the crystal – Wasn’t that good – Cadillac baby – Dead of night – Black magic – Get you back – New place in town – Stop – Haunted memories

Recorded in 1992 and released the following year, Still Tagging Along saw Colbert Hamilton teaming with the Nitros (John O’Malley, Rich Taylor and Gary Day).
Get Out Of My Sight, written by Tony Coni (of the Hellrazors), begins with restrained tension before exploding into superb Neo-Rockabilly fireworks. Cruel Hearted Girl is just as excellent but with an emphasis on melody. Rollercoaster Rock is a classic Rock’n’Roll. Gaze Into The Crystal is built around a catchy riff around which O’Malley adds embellishments. The slightly veiled voice adds even more to the mysterious atmosphere of the song. Wasn’t that good is a cover of Wynonie Harris. Without horns, the song takes a more rockabilly turn. Once again, O’Malley’s guitar, combined with Hamilton’s voice, does wonder. Cadillac Baby, written by Hamilton and Coni (probably during the Hellrazors days), ends the first side.
Dead of Night is a Neo-rockabilly masterpiece. It’s one of the very best tunes of the genre. Taylor and Day build a solid rhythm, O’Malley’s guitar keeps the tension before bursting into a hot solo, and Hamilton’s voice is the icing on the cake.
Originally done by Jericho Jones, Black Magic alternates between Diddley-tinged parts and classic Rockabilly. The following three songs, while good, are more average. Get You Back and Stop are not that original in their form and structure, and New Place In Town is slightly too long to convince.
But all that is quickly forgotten with the fantastic jazzy ballad Haunted Memories. Alan Heller adds a second guitar and piano to complete the orchestration. Once again, the rhythm section does a superb job, with Taylor playing with brushes. Hamilton is perfectly at ease as a suave crooner, and O’Malley places subtle accelerations sounding like Django during his electric period, who would have crossed paths with Mark Harman.
Despite two or three more average songs, Still Taggin’ Along is an album that any Neo-Rockabilly lover must have.
The first pressing came out on pink vinyl.

Colbert Hamilton and the Nitros – Cadillac Baby

Vinyl Japan JRT02 [1993]
Cadillac Baby – Silver Bullet – Cruel Hearted Girl – Born To Love One Woman

Released at the same time as the album, this EP is its perfect complement. Cadillac Baby and Cruel Hearted Girl appear on the album. Silver Bullet, a composition by Rich Taylor, the drummer is a superb melodic tune and would have had its place on the album, especially as a replacement for less original songs (New Place In Town for example). Don Johnston’s Born To Love One Woman receives the Hamilton/Nitros treatment and becomes an excellent Neo-Rockabilly. Released in translucent red vinyl.

Colbert Hamilton and the Nitros (John O’Malley, Rich Taylor, Gary Day)

Colbert Hamilton and the Hellrazors – s/t

Fearless Records – FEAR LP001 [1984]
Wow – Mystery Train – Half-Hearted Women – Women Love – Rock Therapy – Long Blonde Hair – Ice Cold – Long Black Shiny Car – Nervous Breakdown – Love Me – I’m So High – Good Rockin’ Tonight – I’ll Never Let You Go – Don’t Knock Upon My Door – Love Me

Some records are revolutionary, some are very good, and some, despite minor flaws, are like good friends you like to stay with. I consider the debut album of Colbert Hamilton like a good friend.
On one hand, this is an all-cover album (ranging from Gene Vincent to Restless), and the sound is a bit thin concerning the production. On the other hand, Colbert Hamilton has an impressive voice, and the Hellrazors (Toni Coni on guitar, Tony Parkes on slap bass, and Julie Gardner on drums) do a perfect job backing him. The rhythm section is simple yet powerful and effective, with prominent slap bass, and Miss Gardner plays mainly on the snare. It keeps the raw essence of the genre and is ably completed by Coni’s lightly electrified guitar.
All in all, it’s a good album recommended to anyone interested in the British neo-rockabilly sound of the mid-eighties.

Griswalds (the)

6 May 202331 August 2024

Reviews

The Griswalds – Do The Hucklebuck

Raucous Records – RAUC 005 [1988]
Do the Hucklebuck – Cry Baby Blues – Robbie Robot – Sweeney Todd

The Griswalds formed around 1987 (maybe late 1986) with Gary Pudney (formerly of the Nitros) on vocals, Clive Howling, a one-time member of the Frantic Flintstones on slap bass, Jason Loadsman on drums and Jason Barnham (ex-Furys) on guitar.
Howling left shortly before the band recorded its debut EP for Raucous and was replaced by Matt Johnson on electric bass. Though not revolutionary, this four-track EP is quite pleasant. On the A-side, you find a sped-up version of the Hucklebuck (Roy Milton and many others after him) and Cry Baby Blues, a more average rocking tune. The B-side is more interesting with the excellent Robbie Robot, which sounds like a Psychobilly version of Devo and Sweeney Todd. The latter is a lovely ballad, a least musically, with lyrics about the demon barber of Fleet Street.

The Griswalds – Who Framed The Griswalds?

Nervous Records – NERD 047 [1989]
Fright Night – Surfin’ for a Blonde – Dead Time – Happy Hour – Hit Man – Blue Oyster Palace – Who’s Crying’ Now – Stop, Jump About – Rich Bitch – Gay Barndance – Crazy Little Kid – Spasms – Mean Mother… – Tiger Feet

After a tour with Torment, Roy Williams offered a recording contract to the Griswalds. When the band entered the studio to record their debut album, Martin Clark (brother of Rob Clark of the Rattlers) and Keith Bailey (ex-Niteshift Trio) had replaced Johnson and Loadsman, respectively.
With fourteen tracks, which is often too long for a Psychobilly album, Who Framed The Griswalds is close to a certain Psychobilly perfection. The band is tight and has developed an excellent and original brand of Psychobilly.
Many songs have a strong pop edge, some with an interesting and unuasal structure (Who’s Crying Now) and others more threatening, like Fright Night and Hit Man. It culminates with their excellent cover of the Housemartins’ Happy Hour and demonstrates a band who doesn’t satisfy with playing only fast Rockabilly.
Thus, Crazy Little Kid sounds like a cross between the early Frantic Flintstones and the Long Tall Texans, and Surfin’ For A Blonde sounds like a Psychobilly answer to Danny and the Juniors.

But the Griswalds can also deliver mean Psychobilly tunes with distorted guitar, as demonstrated by Rich Bitch and their cover of Mud’s Tiger Feet. There’s also some jungle beat ala Jungle Rock (Dead Time), a blues tune (Mean Mother… with harmonica) and Gay Barndance, which could be best described as Psycho-Hillbilly.

The Radioactive Kid

James Intveld

6 April 20236 April 2023

Reviews

James Intveld & The Honky Tonk Palomino’s – Never Gonna Let You Go

Sleazy Records – SR208 [2020]
Never Gonna Let You Go – To Be As One

James Intveld recorded this excellent single in Spain in 2020 with Evil Bob Gothar on guitar, Lorne Rall on double bass, and Kip Dabbs on drums. Both songs are from the pen of Intveld.
Never Let Me Go is a smooth Rockabilly along the lines of Ricky Nelson. The B-side, To Be As One, marks the return of a lost art: the ballad. And this song, a superb and tender piece of music, is among the very best. Intveld really can handle the vocal for such a thing, and the band is perfect.

James Intveld – s/t

Bear Family Records – BCD 15 900 AH [1995]
Perfect World – Blue Blue Day – Cryin’ Over You – I’m To Blame – Barely Hangin’ On -Samantha – Your Lovin’ – You Say Goodnight, I’ll Say Goodbye – Kermit Vale – Wild Places

James Intveld grew up in California and, from a very young age, developed an interest in Rock’n’Roll. He soon started to sing and play the guitar and enlisted his young brother Rick to play drums and Pat Woodward on upright bass to form the Rockin’ Shadows. They recorded one single with Steve Grindle (Ravenna and the Magnetics) on bass. But soon Pat then Rick left to join Rick Nelson and sadly perished in the plane crash that also killed Nelson.
After a break from music, Intveld eventually sent a demo of Cryin’ Over You to Rosie Flores, who recorded the song for her debut album. Then Intveld recorded the vocals for John Waters’ movie Cry Baby (in place of Johnny Depp) and played guitar with the Blasters between 1993 and 1995. That’s when Bear Family asked him to record one song for a compilation album. The song was so good that the label eventually asked him to record an entire album.

It is one of those rare records with no bad or even weak songs. Think about it and try to name just five; you’ll see it’s not that easy.

Perfect World lives up to its name. It’s the kind of tune that moves slowly but surely, almost inexorably, with a Presley-like drive and a solo reminiscent of Heartbreak Hotel.
Don Gibson’s Blue Blue Day suits him to a t and shows he can play steel guitar too. Cryin’ Over You sounds like an old classic. And it’s fine to hear Intveld’s version of his own song (not that Rosie Flores’s version was bad, far from that.) Mickey Gilley’s I’m To Blame is the second cover. While the original had a Jerry Lee Lewis/swamp pop flair, the Intveld version seems darker and more resigned.
Barely Hangin’ On is a superb country shuffle, whereas Samantha is more emphatic and closer to the great Roy Orbison. Your Lovin’ is a classic Country-rock tune with a slight 60’s feel. Next is You Say Goodnight, I’ll Say Goodbye. Listening to this song, I wondered why more artists weren’t singing such pretty and poignant ballads. And the answer struck me in all its obviousness: you must be a good singer. It doesn’t just mean singing in tune and having a good voice, but it includes the emotion, the dosage of effects and all those little things that make subtle differences. Almost anyone can make edgy Rockabilly songs, but a song like this is unforgiving and allows no mistakes.
Kermit Vales sounds a bit like Solitary Man, only darker. This stripped-down track, featuring just acoustic guitar, once again showcases Intveld’s vocals.There is a purity and an evidence in each of these ten songs, an intelligence in the simplicity of the lyrics, highlighted by the subtlety of the arrangements. All these qualities are confirmed by Wild Places, which closes the album in style.

James Intveld – Introducing

Bear Family Records – B10 10001 [1995]
Perfect World – Blue Blue Day – Cryin’ Over You – I’m To Blame – Barely Hangin’ On -Samantha / Standing In A Rock – My Heart Is Aching For You – Important Words – Your Lovin’ – I Love You – You Say Goodnight, I’ll Say Goodbye

This is the ten-inch vinyl version of the above CD with a slightly different tracklisting. Kermit Vales and Wild Places are not included, but instead you have four additional tracks. Standing On A Rock is a pure bouncy Rockabilly gem. I Love You is a Presleyan ballad whose recipe we thought had been lost. You will find two rereadings: a very fine one of Important Words and a new version of the muscled country shuffle My Heart Is Aching For You previously recorded with the Rockin’ Shadows.

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

Tiny Minds

5 April 2023

Reviews

Tiny Minds – s/t

Kix 4 U Records – Kix 3357
Trouble Bound – Tell Me – Don’t You Lie – Young And Restless – Wortless and Weak – Out For The Cold / Song For You – Made In the Shade – It’s Not Me – Psycho Music – Crazy – Psycho Therapy – Shout

File under “another Psychobilly album”. Tiny Minds was a Swedish trio formed by Dan (slap bass, some guitars), Henry (guitar) and Harry (drums and acoustic guitar). Not sure, but it seems that each of them sing.
Considering that the band looks pretty young on the cover (confirmed by the vocals, too), you don’t want to be too harsh, but honestly, this is a more than dispensable album. It’s not as bad as the Punishers, but you can easily live without it. There’s enough slap bass to satisfy the psychotic crowd, and some songs are original and could be very good (Don’t You Lie, Wortless and Weak, Song For You) if mistakes, uneven musicianship and approximate vocals didn’t plague them.

The Radioactive Kid

Sgt. Fury

4 April 20235 April 2023

Reviews

Sgt. Fury – Cold Cold Sunday

Raucous Records RAUC 10 [1989]
Cold Cold Sunday / Death Ship

Sgt. Fury came from the Isle of Wight and was on this single: Mike Couch (vocals, guitar), Rog Hillier (double bass), Rick East (guitar) and Terry Cooke (drums), who replaced Aubrey Langridge, who played on their demo. Cold Cold Sunday, penned by Couch, is highly melodic yet also very aggressive. The band could be seen as a meaner and punkish equivalent to the Long Tall Texans. Death Ship, penned by Hillier, is a fast number on which you can hear mod influences (the Who, Jam).

Sgt. Fury – Psycho Vision

Raucous Records RAUC 16T [1992]
Psycho Vision / Summer in the Black Lagoon – Just Run Away

Sgt. Fury continued in the wake of their excellent debut single and released this equally brilliant 10”. Psycho Vision is a perfect mix between Garage, Psychobilly and Post-Punk, on which a welcome organ enhances the band’s line-up. Summer in the Black Lagoon is more sixties influenced with a heady Kinks-tinged riff. Just Run Away is excellent and punchy but seems more average compared to Summer in the Black Lagoon.

Reverend Horton Heat

22 March 202322 March 2023

Reviews

Reverend Horton Heat (the) – 25 to Life

Yep Roc [2012]
Best Of
Eat Steak – Big Little Baby – Loaded Gun – One Time For Me – Five-O Ford – Liquor, Beer & Wine – I Can’t Surf – The Entertainer – It’s Martini Time – Cowboy Love – Now, Right Now – Pride of San Jacinto – Jimbo Song – Sue Jack Daniels – Spend A Night In The Box – The Girl In Blue – The Party In Your Head – What’s Reminding Me Of You – Loco Gringos Like A Party – Like A Rocket – Galaxy 500 – Callin’ in Twisted – Indigo Friends
DVD
Bullet – I’m Mad – Big Little Baby – Loaded Gun – 400 Bucks – The Devil’s Chasing Me – Big Sky – Baddest Of The Bad – t’s Martini Time – Please Don’t Take the Baby to the Liquor Store – Death Metal Guys – Jimbo Song – Spend A Night In The Box – Galaxy 500 – Callin’ in Twisted – Indigo Friends – Psychobilly Freakout – Where The Hell Did You Go With My Toothbrush – Bales of Cocaine – Big Red Rocket/Folsom Prison Blues
Live At The Fillmore
I’m Mad – Big Little Baby – 400 Bucks – The Devil’s Chasing Me – Big Sky – Baddest of the Bad – It’s Martini Time – Please Don’t Take the Baby to the Liquor Store – Jimbo Wallace Introduction – Jimbo Song – Spend a Night in the Box – Callin’ In Twisted – Indigo Friends – Psychobilly Freakout – Where in the Hell Did You Go With My Toothbrush – Big Red Rocket of Love

The Reverend Horton Heat celebrated its 25th anniversary with this three-disc set.
Cd 1 is a best-of gathering songs from every album released so far except for the Christmas album, which is a good idea. With 23 songs (by the way, why not 25?), it’s a good overview of the band, though like every best-of each fan has his personal favorite and could come with a different selection. For exemple, I always believed that James Heat was a first-class country singer, a side of his career absent from this best-of.
All songs come from the albums with no rare or unissued stuff.
Cd2 is a DVD recorded live at the legendary Fillmore Theater in San Francisco. The setlist is excellent; it’s professionally shot and features interviews with the band.
Cd3 is a selection of 16 songs taken from the same performance.
The boxset features a thick booklet full of pictures of the band at different stages of their existence, but if you expect a long and detailed story of the Reverend Horton Heat, you’ll be disappointed.
This set is an excellent introduction to discover the trio, and old fans will be happy with the live recordings.

Rev. Horton Heat – Big Little Baby

Four Dots – FD-1022 [1988]
Big Little Baby / Bullet

This 1988 single is interesting because it’s the only official release of the Reverend Horton Heat featuring the band’s original line-up (Swingin’ Jack Barton on double bass, Bobby Baranowski on drums and, of course, James Heath on guitar and vocals.) Big Little Baby is a frantic rocker, and Bullet is a mid-paced instrumental. Both songs are good, but the rendition lacks the energy the re-recorded version made with Patrick Bentley on drums and Jimbo Wallace on double bass for the band’s debut album.

Fred “Virgil” Turgis