Virgil

The Wildcats – Take and Give

wildkats_takeHell’s Kitchen Records HKR CD 66604
Let’s Talk About Us / Pleasure Lane / Baby, Won’t You Ride With Me / Flying Bull / Take And Give / She Wants A Ride / Driving My Life Away / Raging Storm / Get Rhythm / They All Gonna Boogie Tonight / When Will I Be Loved / Handy Man
This trio with members from Germany and Netherland plays straight and sincere rock’n’roll with a good dose of British rockabilly/Teddy boy music (call it whatever you want) influences. They didn’t invent anything (and I don’t think they pretend to) but in those sad days of real TV “stars” who don’t know anything about rock’n’roll and its roots a band like the Wildcats is refreshing. The tight rhythm section made of Mikel Mueller’s rollin and groovin electric bass and Peet Shenk’s drums supports the solid lead guitar of Kees Van Bemmel who delivers fine and innovative solos (you don’t have the feeling to hear another Paul Burlison/Grady Martin wannabee). Half of the songs are originals, written by Kees, my favorite being the Diddley-esque “They All Gonna Boogie Tonight” and “Raging Storm” with its structure close to Bertha Lou. Actually on this one they are not that far to some psychobilly bands like The Meteors.
In their covers you find “Let’s Talk About Us“, which made me think about Dave Edmunds’ version, “Take and Give” that proves they’re not only a rockin’ band but can be sweet too, and a muscled version of Cash’s Get Rhythm.
A good album with a nice package too.
Fred “Virgil” Turgis

The Wildkats – Rockin’, Boppin’ and Strollin’

wildkatsft057 Foot Tapping records FT 057
Lonesome Train – Endless Sleep – Rockin’ Daddy, Get Rythm – Drivin’ Wheel – I Fought The Law – Roll Over Beethoven – Washing Machine Boogie – All By Myself – Baby Blue – Gone Gone Gone – Girl Of My Best Friend – Be Bop Alula – Worrying Kind – Tear It Up(3rd version)
This quartet comes from England. They are an all cover band (at least on this cd) but that doesnt mean a lack of personnality. The songs may be well known (Gene Vincent, Johnny Burnette, Johnny Cash, Chuck Berry…) but the Wildkats play it in their own neo-rockabilly style. You can hear the influences of the Stray Cats on their version of I Fought The Law. This band knows its stuff. the rhythm section is solid with a good work from the acoustic rhythm guitar (too many bands forget the importance of the acoustic rhythm guitar in rockabilly), Alan Wilson’s (not the one from The Sharks and Western Star studio) solos are creative and Bob’s voice sounds a bit like Robert Gordon.
The whole thing is very well recorded/produced and you spend a very pleasant moment in company of these four lads.
Fred “Virgil” Turgis

The Western Aces – Introducing…

westernaces_small El Toro 3021
Ice Cold Water -Same Old Cell – Drinkin’ Man’s Boogie – Seeing Double – Tell Me Why (we Can’t Be In Love) – Leave That Junk Alone -Hep Cat Baby -Four Walls And A Table – Oh Boy – Mean Mean Mama – Old ’32 – I Was There When It Happened.
This is the debut album for this British band, but Phil (Tennessee Rhythm Riders) and Mark (The Ricardo’s) are now well known characters on the scene, and brothers Gordon and Dave Doel were in the Young Savages. With a sound as authentic as you can get, a set of solid originals you’d swear they come from an old 78’s, and well choosen covers (Glenn Barber, Merle Kilgore, Johnny Cash), they offer a solid and highly enjoyable mix of hillbilly, rockabilly, boogie and western swing. Supported by a tight rhythm section, the guitar and the steel shine throughout. Another strong point is that, not only three of them can write songs, but the same three (Dave Doel, Gordon Doel, Phil Morgan) sing which gives to this album a welcome diversity. This is their first, let’s hope it won’t be the last cause this guys have a lot to offer to anyone who has good taste in music!
Fred “Virgil” Turgis
PS – See also the Doel Brothers

Joel Paterson

joelpaterson2Joel Paterson – Handful of Strings

Ventrella
Speedin’ North – Twin Guitar Shuffle – Pensacola Rhythm – After You’ve Gone – Swingin’ Easy – Northern Gentleman – Callin’ the Cat – La Paloma – Flyin’ Low – Seven String Ride – Blue Steel Serenade – Mable’s Rock – Fender Freeze – King Freddie’s Blues

One thing is certain: Joel Paterson is a man of taste. So, when he decides to record an all instrumental album on which he plays all the instruments (he’s also a man of many talents) it doesn’t sound like all those sterile records that too often sound like a guitar method. He draws influences from all the guitar greats. The more obvious here being Les Paul and Buddy Merrill but it covers a wide spectrum of genre from the Jimmy Bryant tinged “Pensacola Rhythm” to the funky tribute to freddie King (King Freddie Blues) with jazz, rock’n’roll and plenty of Joel Paterson in between. And as usual with Ventrella the package is superbly designed. Highly recommended.

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

Yuichi and The Hilltone Boys

yuichiEl Toro Records
I’m Sorry Sweet Heart – So Long I’m Gone – Flyin’ Saucer – Countin’ The Years – Your Heart Oughta Be Broken – High Priced Chick – Hilltone Shuffle – Thunder – She Isn’t Around Anymore – Bluest Boy In town – Ooby Dooby – Sayonara – Hurt
These boys are a classic rockabilly trio (two guitars and one bass) from Japan . But when the music plays, if it wasn’t for the name or the cover you wouldn’t believe it. They have mastered the Sun sound so well, you’d swear they are one of those upcoming artists waiting to be discovered by Sam Phillips.
This album is mostly made of self penned songs with the exception of Roy Orbison’s Ooby Dooby and So Long I’m Gone.
They play a very entertaining kind of melodic hillbilly bop blended with rockabilly and some Johnny Cash too (Countin’ The Year). “Hilltone Shuffle” is an instrumental that gives Kenjo Ohta the occasion to shine on guitar (he also plays steel). A fiddle enhances the trio for “She isn’t around anymore” that shows the influences of the lovesick blues boys Hank Williams on this country weeper. For their cover of Ooby Dooby they made an odd choice in turning it into a Gene Vincent’s number. Imagine the lyrics of Roy’s song on Be-Bop-A–Lula.
Some songs are sung in Japanese which surprises at first but works rather well.
The low point is the last song “Hurt“. It’s too bad the album ends on that not so great Elvis kind of tune, with grandiloquent vocal. It wastes a bit the good impression the whole album exhales.

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

The Straight 8’s – Girl Trouble

straight8s1[2013]
F-Hole – Rock Me – First One Standing in Line – Why Can’t You Love Me Like I Am – Slowly Lose My Mind – Porter Wagoner Suit – Interlude – Help Me Save My Life – El Mirage – You’re Always Gone – Two Stubborn Fools – You’ll Never Get Away – Summer Set

The Straight 8’s are a high-octane rockabilly trio from North Carolina (Chapel Hill to be precise, like Southern Culture On The Skids). “Girl Trouble”, their third album, opens with a powerful instrumental that wouldn’t be out of place on Brian Setzer’s Ignition. The rest of the album varies styles from rockabilly to country stuff (with trumpet), jazz with vibraphone, surf (El Mirage), rockin’ gospel (Help Me Save My Life), 80’s neo rockabilly with a haunting guitar riff evoking Restless (You’re Always Gone), a country duet with Sarah Shook featuring a lapsteel and Summer Set an instrumental in the style of Sleepwalk to close the set.

Good collection.

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

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