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Rockabilly - Page 20

The Number 9 Blacktops – Cool On My Right

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number-9-blacktopsPart-Cd 6108.001

Steel Belted Radicals – Kentucky – Berlin – Big Rig – Monster Truck Takeover – Frankfort Avenue – Queen Of Hearts – Rock ‘N’N Roll Band – Come On Already – Out Of Sin – Boomland

Produced by Supersuckers frontman Eddie Spaghetti and with a bass player proudly sporting a Motorhead t-shirt, don’t expect the Number 9 Blacktops to play doo-wop.
This is raunchy and straight-in-your-face rock’n’roll with big guitar (Skinny Jim their singer-guitarist is endorsed by Gretsch), warm and round bass (electric, that is) and hammer-pounding drums. Imagine a hard hitting rockabilly band ingested, digested and regurgitated by ZZ Top, add a dash of surf (there’s a couple of instrumentals), a bit of early Reverend Horton Heat and a solid dose of country-punk ala Jason and the Scorchers and you’ll get a close idea of the sound of this album. And the whole thing is rounded in less than 30 minutes. Yes, this is Rock’n’roll! Highly recommended though clearly not for the purists.

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

Slick 49 – Go Wild With Me

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Slick 49 - Go Wild With Me

Slick 49 - Go Wild With Me
Slick 49 – Go Wild With Me
Western Star WSRC045
Go Wild with Me / Got Rockin’ On My Mind / Cattin’ Baby /The Stars Don’t Look So Bright / Jumpin’ Round / Prove You Wrong and Do You Right / ’41 Dodge / Riverside Jump / Shake ’em Up Rock / Sweet Rockin’ Baby / Still I’m Gonna Love You / Don’t Shoot Me Baby / All That’s On My Mind / Tear This World Apart / Hot Headed Mama.

Slick 49 are a classic drummer less rockabilly trio with a sound as authentic as you can dream. The pair made by the acoustic guitar and the slap bass lays down a strong rhythmic giving lead guitarist Nigel Mc Corkell plenty of room to express. It’s obvious that these guys have listened to Charlie Feathers (notably on the hiccupy Still I’m Gonna Love You) and most generally to the Meteor label (Bill Bowen’s Don’t Shoot Me Baby).
Slightly different is “Tear This World Apart” that sounds more modern, even neo-rockabilly at places. But different doesn’t mean bad though maybe a question / answer backing vocals would have added something to the tune.
Globally, I wouldn’t use the word “wild” to describe them but tense, always menacing to explode. All in all with eleven original songs and only four covers, Go Wild With Me makes an excellent debut album and as usual you have the Western Star quality in term of production and sound.

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

V/A – Ain’t Rocket Science 101 & 202

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rocket202

rocket101Wild Hare Records WH06001- WH06004
Vol.1 : 1 Scotch Whisky 2 Gypsy Eyes 3 Minnesota Snow 4 Through With You 5 Red Lipstick on Cigarettes 6 Big Wheels Roll 7 Dear Old Dad 8 Crazy About Nancy 9 Doorbell Dreamboat 10 Buried Hopes 11 Cool It 12 Blue So Blue 13 Lovesick 14 I Want You 15 Its All Life 16 Live This Way 17 Tell Me Darlin 18 Honey Honey 19 Wined and Dined and Pocket Lined 20 Mrs Jackson 21 Why Cant You Be True 22 24 Hours a Day 23 So Untrue 24 Cant Keep My MInd Off Of You 25 Just Take Me Home 26 Feels So Good 27 Catch My Breath
Vol. 2 : 1.We’re Gonna Rock 2 Devil Doll 3 Let Me Be Your Baby 4 Let’s Rock 5 Give a Little Lovin’ 6 Have a Ball 7 Uptown 8 I’m Gonna Break a Heart 9 Epilepsy Betsy 10 What I’ve Got 11 Trouble Follows Me 12 Lonesome Trail 13 Hitch Hiker 14 Long Haul Trucker 15 Last Work In Lovin’ 16 Real Live Doll 17 Operation Complication 18 Slim Jim Sadie 19 Break Loose 20 Jambalaya 21 A Single Tear 22 My Puddin’ Pie 23 Loud Mouth 24 Midnight Train 25 My Love 26 I’d Want Your LOvin’ Anyway 27 Don’t Talk Back

If you are turtle, don’t try to catch this Wild Hare cause he’s running fast and .he ‘s got a double mission : “to help promote historic artists as well as promising new artists involved in the Rockabilly and Hillbilly Circuit”. Since Dave and Kiersten Moore founded in 2003 this label “of Rockabillies for Rockabillies”, they recorded historic talent such as Pat Cupp, Roc LaRue Ron Berry and Joe Penny, both present on this two “Ain’t Rocket Science” first class compilations but also new talents such as The Garnet Hearts, Thommy Burns,Jason Hoss Hicks, Amber Lee, Jerry King, Screamin’ Scotty and many more.
As announced by the owners of the label “no big city attitutes or corporate schemes here”, no “rocket science” “no tracking, no overdubs” but for sure some good ol homebrew rockabilly chemistry concocted by an ever-present Dave Moore (engineer, guitarist and member of the The Saddle Pals)
The 101 is a blend of smooth honky tonkin’ rockabilly sounds (The Saddle Pals) with some raw hillbilly songs as the ones composed by the 20’s and 30’s inspired Thommy Burns hepcat There ‘s even some Sun soundin’ with the veteran Ron Berry (listen to “It’s All Life” that could come right from the fifties Union Avenue studio) and the Steubenville Knight Jason Hicks “close to the Sun Elvis bone” melodic rockabilly
On 102 the starting mood is more on the rockin’ and rollin’ side with the terrific Amber Lee. That gal sure knows how to rock.! Jerry King and his assured strong voice that we already know with his Rivertown Ramblers is here with The Falls City Boys on a more hillbilly repertoire and sounds like an american Jack Baymoore. The legendary Hank Williams sideman Joe Penny sincere and true rockabilly is tremendous; “Real Live DollI” is a “real live masterpiece” and his Jambalaya rendition sounds like a real early fifties Cajun one popped up from the past. Screamin’ Scotty ends up brilliantly and frenetically this second compilation with a great “Don’t Talk Back” rocker.

Dave “Long Tall” Phisel

Preston Rockabilly – Vol. 2 – Out Of The Valley

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Preston Rockabilly - Vol. 2 - Out Of The Valley

Preston Rockabilly - Vol. 2 - Out Of The Valley
Preston Rockabilly – Vol. 2 – Out Of The Valley
Vol. 2 – Out Of The Valley
Press-Tone Music PCD 13
Pat Capocci, Ezra Lee and Danny Wegrzyn (Danny & the Cosmic Tremors) are three Australian cats who play in each other bands. For this album they went to Graeme Thomas’ Preston studio with Cal Robinson on bass, Paul Hainey on drums and Dave Cantrell (the Wildcats, Toni & the Tomcats) on steel.
Pat Capocci performs six songs, all self penned. Full Grown Woman is one of his wildest track, almost garage, Second Best is a traditionnal rockabilly, Burnin’ the Candle is a solid rocker. He also performs a country shuffle (Try To Forget Me), a Jerry Lee type of number (Til I Get to You) and a superb instrumental (After Hours) that has shades of T-Bone Walker and Johnny Guitar Watson.
Danny & the Cosmic Tremors perform five songs (four origiuals and one cover) including two classic rockabillies (my Baby Wants to Rock’n’Roll, So Long). Much wilder is the cover of Bill Johnson’s You Better Dig It. Little Darling, as its title indicates, is a smooth ballad and Feel Allright With You is a hot bopper that reminds me the style of Rip Carson.
Last but not least, Ezra Lee, the piano pumpin’ man, is present here with two rockers (Abby Jane and Goodbye Astrid Goodbye), a strong Rockabilly number (Werris creek Devil). I’m Gonna Kill Your Daddy sees Capocci playing a mean slide guitar that evokes Elmore James and Coalfire Man is more in the style of memphis Slim.
Without a doubt this trio counts among today’s hottest rockabilly/rock’n’roll acts

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

Johnny Burnette and the Rock’n’Roll Trio – Shattered Dreams

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Johnny Burnette and the Rock'n'Roll Trio

Johnny Burnette and the Rock'n'Roll Trio
Johnny Burnette and the Rock’n’Roll Trio – Shattered Dreams
El Toro ETCDVD10010
Tear It Up – You’re Undecided – Oh Baby Babe – Midnight Train – Shattered Dreams – The Train Kept A-Rollin’ – Honey Hush – Lonesome Train (On A Lonesome Track) – I Just Found Out / Blues Stay Away From Me – All By Myself – Drinking Wine Spoo-Dee-O-Dee – Chains Of Love – Lonesome Tears In My Eyes – Please Don’t Leave Me – Rock Therapy / Rock Billy Boogie – Please Don’t Leave Me (Alt) – I Love You So – Sweet Love On My Mind – My Love, You Are A Stranger – Your Baby Blue Eyes – Lonesome Train (Alt) – I Love You So (Alt) – Tear It Up (Live) – Oh Baby Babe (Live) – Hound Dog (Live TV Clip) – You’re Undecided (Von Version) – Go Along Mule
After its good work on Buddy Holly’s 1956 sides, El Toro released another batch of rockabilly classics with one of the most influential band of the era: The Johnny Burnette Trio. I won’t make a song by song review as they are all familiar to almost everybody here and the interest of this release is elsewhere. Probably for a question of right the last session held by the Trio (by convenience I use the term trio but it is clearly known today, and the very well written 8 page booklet explains it too, that for some sessions Dorsey Burnette and Paul Burlison parts were played by studio musicians notably Grady Martin) in 1957 that gave If You Want It Enough, Butterfingers, Eager Beaver Baby and Touch Me is not included here. Instead you have their Von single (Go Along Mule and an earlier version of You’re Undecided) as well as live takes of Tear It Up and Oh Baby Babe. For those who possesses the Bear Family release (BCD 15474) the main interest of this release besides this live version is the DVD included here which features The Rock’n’Roll Trio appearance in an amateur contest TV Show, some kind of Pop Idol of the day, performing Hound Dog. Until now I only knew the footage of the Johnny, Paul and Bill Black’s brother in the movie “Rock Rock Rock” so it’s a real thrill to watch more material from them. The dvd features the complete show, including commercials, which is very fun to watch even if most of the act are not rock’n’roll related. A must have for any rock’n’roll fan.
Fred “Virgil” Turgis

Coral Lee

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Coral Lee - The Weather Vane
Coral Lee – The Weather Vane

Coral Lee – The Weather Vane

Rhythm Bomb RBR5825 {2015}
All I Can Do Is Sing – Big Wide World – Rock and Rollin’ Fever – My Sweet Baby Blue – Me and My Chauffeur – Cadillac – Black Cat Blues – Hi Fly Boogie – Lover Man – Rodney – The Weather Vane – Boppin’ On The Moon – Bobby Brown – I Stole The Train

Another excellent surprise from Rhythm Bomb. Coral Lee comes from the land down under and for her third album has teamed up with the fine folks of Lightning Recorders Studio in Berlin. The combination made by the young girl’s voice, the talent of the band and a bunch of self penned originals (the sole cover being Memphis minnie’s Me & My Chauffeur) is superb. The core of the album is made of hillbilly/rockabilly with the occasional detour by 50’s Rock’n’roll with a hint of doo wop and some songs have a more 60’s feel.
There’s a lot of good singers out there (well, at least there’s a few) but Coral Lee has a little something more than many others with her songwriting talent. Tthis is not your run of the mill Rockabilly/hillbilly that you’ve heard for the umpteenth time elsewhere, and the guys at LRS know how to arrange her songs and make them sound.
Follow this girl closely, as I bet that she’ll soon become the darling of the festivals across Europe.
Fred “Virgil” Turgis

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