Never an idle moment. Never a regret. Never a wasted word. My life's philosophy, my mantra, is equally applicable to my writing career. Some time ago, in bursts of inspiration, I snatched up a pen and my favorite beat up notebook and scrawled down my thoughts on an album--and then another--whose songs seemed to have taken up permanent residence inside of my brain. In a year filled with top-notch rockabilly-flavored releases, the Legendary Shack Shakers' Agri-dustrial and Wanda Jackson's return to musical prominence, The Party Ain't Over, are, handily, two of the most well-rounded and enjoyable records my ears have had the pleasure of hearing over the past 365 days. Although the former was released in early 2010, my first listen-to didn't occur until the year's tail end; the latter, on my list of eagerly anticipated "gotta-have-its", was procured before its official release date.
Never one to write without a purpose, I'm putting those pushed aside ramblings to some use and sharing them here. Need some musical motivation to start off your week? Here's the perfect pair of discs to give your case of the Mondays a kick in the pants.
Legendary Shack Shakers Rock On with Agri-dustrial
They’ve topped the bill of rockabilly festivals, yet are equally adept at picking up a banjo and plucking out a bluegrass tune…or a gospel-themed, harmonica-heavy blues number. So, how do you fit the square-pegged, musically schizophrenic Legendary Shack Shakers into the very round hole of music classification?
You don’t. Simply pop a copy of the group’s latest offering, Agri-dustrial, into your CD player, turn up the volume, and enjoy the ride.
In typical Legendary Shack Shakers fashion, Agri-dustrial is filled with songs placing a modern spin on traditional Old South storytelling. Frontman Colonel J.D. Wilkes barrels, full tilt, through the raucous “Sin Eater” before paying homage to his southern roots with the bluegrass-tinged traditional, “Sugar Baby”. Psychobilly number “Dixie Iron Fist”, a contemporary tale of American disparity, is the recipient of Jesus Lizard alum—and recent Legendary Shack Shakers addition—Duane Denison’s guitar work, providing the already sharp band with an even sharper edge. The mournful bluegrass number “The Lost Cause” eloquently describes a war fought and lost, while “The Hills of Hell” gives a harsh elbow poke to the conscience for another reason.
If you’re a pure rockabilly enthusiast, you may find Agri-dustrial a disappointment. Compared to the band’s early albums, longtime fans might believe the limited psychobilly offerings to be a bit meager, but the Legendary Shack Shakers have proven to be more than just another neo-rockabilly group. They’re a blues band, a bluegrass band, a folk quartet, a gospel group…and everything in-between. The Legendary Shack Shakers continue to offer an eclectic blend of well-written numbers covering the entire Americana spectrum, something for virtually every music lover. Agri-dustrial is a fine example of just what the Legendary Shack Shakers are capable of.
Party on with The Queen of Rockabilly
You know the feeling you get when you’re browsing in your local used bookstore, and you discover that one book by your favorite author that you’ve never been able to find…and it’s on sale? Or, you’re attending a family get together. It’s the first time in years that you’ve been in the same room with your mother and older brother. You laugh; you swap stories of childhood antics and adult-era tragedies. Your level of happiness is at its zenith. Life can’t possibly get any better. Just then, your mother emerges from the kitchen. In her hands is a platter of your favorite cookies, freshly baked. Somehow, the perfect moment has been made even better. It’s that feeling of improving the already flawless that makes Wanda Jackson’s latest album, The Party Ain’t Over, an unexpected gem inside of an anticipated delight.
With the White Stripes’ Jack White seated in the producer’s chair, Wanda’s roots-based sound receives a rowdy, brassed-up facelift that makes what would have been another great effort from “The Queen of Rockabilly” even better. From the opening salvo of horns on “Shakin’ All Over” to her brassy versions of the rockabilly classics “Nervous Breakdown” and “Rip It Up”, Wanda proves that she can still rock…and can still shape each song distinctly into her own.
Wanda sweetens the proverbial musical pot with a pair of offbeat cover songs. “Rum and Coca-Cola”, an island-themed calypso ditty made famous by the Andrews Sisters, is flavored with Wanda’s lilting voice and punctuated with guitar licks and bright blasts from the horn section. Starkly contrasting this quintessential soak-up-the-sun tune is the singer’s rendition of Amy Winehouse’s “You Know I’m No Good”. Wanda’s seductive, almost obscene vocal is the perfect compliment to this sinner’s song, and makes for one of the most memorable tracks on the disc.
Bookending the raucous “Shakin’ All Over” is the soft, record-closing “Blue Yodel #6”. Stripped of the album’s brass accompaniment, the tune features Wanda at her finest. The song’s slower pace and minimal musical backing highlight her versatility—and, as the title suggests, Wanda does, indeed, yodel.
If you’re looking for a straight up, bare bones, no frills rockabilly record to add to your collection, keep searching. On the other hand, if you’re appreciative of Wanda Jackson’s musical adaptability, her talent for meshing finger snapping rockabilly into twang-filled country into old time gospel, then The Party Ain’t Over is for you. Wanda may be a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, but her continual blurring of music’s boundaries makes her much more than just rockabilly’s reigning queen. It’s that coloring outside of the stylistic lines that chalks up this album as a must have.
Just like my mother’s almond crescent cookies.
No comments:
Post a Comment