UK Import
A familiar sound updated with then-latest studio technology, I'll admit I like rockabilly much more now than I did when Stray Cats hit the scene - they didn't seem to fit the Johnny Slash/Jeff Spicoli hybrid image I was trying (with very limited success) to cultivate in high school. But I eventually came around after the fact. Even so, a little rockabilly goes a long way with this guy, so a full album is a bit much, all of which would explain why I didn't pick up any Stray Cats albums in the '80s. For a group of very young musicians, their instrumental technique is consistently impressive; their songwriting less so. The story goes that Dave Edmunds originally went into the studio to produce the album, then left to go on tour before the album was complete, leaving the production of the remaining tunes to the band.
Note: the word "saxophone" is misspelled as "saxaphone" throughout which makes this former school band director pull out what little hair he has left. At least they were consistent.
Press of the time:
- Smash Hits (5 out of 10): "a strong, consistent rockabilly long player is a contradiction in terms?"
- Trouser Press: "The world isn't ready for protest rockabilly."
- Record Mirror: "the most auspicious debut since 'The Clash'"
Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Not released in the US
Tracks: 12 tracks in 37 minutes, ranked in order or preference:
| Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Rock This Town | Setzer | Edmunds |
| Double Talkin' Baby | Danny Wolfe | Edmunds |
| Jeanie, Jeanie, Jeanie | George Motola/Ricky Page | Edmunds |
| Wild Saxaphone | Roy Montrell/John Marascalco/Robert Blackwell | Setzer/Stray Cats |
| Fishnet Stockings | Setzer | Setzer/Stray Cats |
| Crawl Up and Die | Brian Feli/Jim Feli | Edmunds |
| Stray Cat Strut | Setzer | Edmunds |
| Rumble in Brighton | Setzer/Phantom | Setzer/Stray Cats |
| My One Desire | Dorsey Burnette | Edmunds |
| Runaway Boys | Setzer/Phantom | Edmunds |
| Ubangi Stomp | Charles Underwood | Setzer/Stray Cats |
| Storm the Embassy | Setzer/Phantom | Setzer/Stray Cats |
Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I don't recall any of my friends buying Stray Cat albums, either. And back when we would watch MTV for our evening amusement, the beginning of the Stray Cat Strut video was normally met with collective groans and a mad dash for the bathroom to recycle some Mickey's Big Mouth. Rockabilly just wouldn't do when you were downing malt liquor and achin' for some New Romantic synth-pop. Nothing about the above scenario sounds appealing to this 54-year-old, but that was what passed for small town fun for our small pack of involuntarily celibate teenagers back in '82.
Also, I spent a week in Brighton in the summer of 2010 and never saw a rumble.
No comments:
Post a Comment