Virgil

Al Foul

Al Foul - the one and only
Al Foul – the one and only

Al Foul – The One & Only

Rock’n’Roll Purgatory RRP009
Flat Broke – Oh My Lover – Gonna Be A Fight – Wanted Man – Ruthless Information – Singing The Blues – 10 Bucks – Lonesome Tears – Bo-Wang – Ever Been Hit By A Flying Saucer – Dropping Quarters For Jane – Rock Island Line

Being unable to say “yeah” without loosing a beat when I play drums, I’m kinda fascinated by the one-man-bands. Recorded totally live (except for one song, Wanted Man, that have a guest fiddle) with raw and powerful sound, Al delivers a fine collection of Rockabilly-Blues-Country tunes. Apart from his voice, a powerful and soulful growl, Foul’s strength has to be found in his lyrics. In “Flat Broke” he explains the good side of being a one-man-band : “There ain’t no use in me having a band anyhow / just a couple guys I got to learn to pay somehow / 50 dollars divided three ways”. Money, or the lack of it, is also the theme of “10 Bucks” where the poor guy finds himself hanging on the telephone and telling lies to his girl to get 10 bucks cause “10 bucks will get me two six packs and a half pint of old crow”. But the best tune, one that has an immediate addictive effect is “Dropping Quarter For Jane”. This “romantic song” tells us about the singer’s love for… a peep show dancer. The one man band format isn’t a musical limit (like often) for Al, as the songs’ structures are diverse and sometimes rather complex. Add to the mix a couple of covers like Burnette’s Lonesome Tears, Endsley/Robbins’Singing The Blues and the traditional Rock Island Line and you have one hell of album.

Read more and listen to soundclips at www.alfoul.net
Fred “Virgil” Turgis

Al Foul – Keep the Motor Running

alfoul-keepKeep the Motor Running – I Wanna Know – The D.A.W.N.- Baby Clothes and Dishes for Sale – Been Through This Before – Memphis – Phoenix – Bring Me a Little Water Sylvia – Call Me When You Get to Dudleyville – 3 O’clock in the Morning

There are quite a few one man bands out there but Al Foul is one of my very favourite. Actually if you keep the late Hasil Adkins aside, he’s on top of my list. I dig his mean vocals combined with dirty guitar and hypnotic beat (or is it hypnotic vocals, mean guitar and dirty beat, you’ll be the judge).
In fact it would be a mistake to attach too much importance to the one man band format – it’s only the vehicle he chose to express his art – and you’d miss the main point: the songs. They’re always original, varied, melodic and surprising. And this guy really can craft lyrics that are like little slices of life. Songs like Baby clothes and dishes or Phoenix are not that far from the poetry of one Sam Shepard.
But the poetry doesn’t prevent it from being a great rock’n’roll album and his cover of the Skiffle classic “Bring A Little Water Sylvie” is totally insane and is a breath of fresh air for all those who, like me, thought that crazyness in Rock’n’roll had died with Lux Interior.

 

Adam and his Nuclear Rockets

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Adam and His Nuclear Rockets
Adam and His Nuclear Rockets

Adam and his Nuclear Rockets – Little Piece of Souvenir

El Toro Records ETCD 6041 {2009}
Call Shout Scream – Can’t Run Away From You – Blue For A Day – I Gotta Have You – All You Left Behind – Crazy legs – Your First Kiss – No Other Baby – Say No More – Park Outside – Little Piece Of Souvenir – Fear – El Toro Star – I’m Gonna Take My Baby Dancing – I’m Crazy (Alt)

Adam and His Nuclear Rockets (what a name!) are a hot traditionnal rockabilly band coming from Croatia. It’s very good to see that bands from all around the world carry on the torch of good old music. Each adding his bit to the history. Back to the band. Recorded live at the famous Lightning Records in Berlin, these 13 originals and 2 covers have everything to please any true rockabilly fans: wild songs but a sense for catchy melodies, great guitar licks and their lyrics ain’t bad (they are included in the booklet). Three songs feature a steel guitar adding a nice hillbilly boogie feel. I personally think you can judge the talent of a band in their way to write ballads. With “Little Piece of Souvenir”, on which they are helped by the harmony vocals of the Mellow Men, they easily pass the test. Another song (El Toro Star a tip of the hat to their label) has a slight Charlie Feathers feel (with hiccups) but they have their own sound and way of playing. Follow these guys closely. Also available as a beautiful gatefold lp.

Available at cdbaby.
Fred “Virgil” Turgis

Accelerators (the)

the Accelerators - Let's Turn It Up
the Accelerators – Let’s Turn It Up

The Accelerators – Let’s Turn It Up

SDSMCD2010 {2010}
Gonna Be With You – Sugaree – Donna The Prima Donna – Blue Days Black Nights – Let It Roll – Had To Let You Know – She Moves Me – Pretty Baby – Real Wild Child – Early In The Morning – Sleepwalk – Little Suzie

This is already the fourth album from this Scottish quartet. “Let’s Turn It Up” kicks off with the Buddy Holly tinged “Gonna Be With You”, penned like every originals of this album by lead singer Steve Smith. Next is a set of solid cover played tastefully with “Sugaree” on which they’re joined by Billy Young on saxophone, Dion’s “Donna The Prima Donna” (nice doo wop backing vocals on this one) and Holly’s “Blue Days Black Nights”. Billy Young returns on Smith’s “Let It Roll” and adds his juicy sax to this Rhythm’n’Blues number. Excellent, but with 1’57”, a bit frustrating. “Had To Let You Know” is an italo doo-wop number perfectly sung by Smith.
“She Moves Me” is another original under the influence of Holly with its strong melodic lines, and also makes me think of the Memphis Rockabilly Band. “Pretty Baby” is a straight ahead rocker quickly followed by “Real Wild Child”. Bobby Darin (and Buddy Holly too) “Early In the Morning” is given a hillbilly treatment with Jim Hyndman guesting on fiddle. As a huge Brian Setzer fan, I firmly believed I couldn’t hear “Sleepwalk” anymore, but Dave Burnette brings something really neat into this tune and has a good idea to keep it short and not using it as just a demonstration of his skills. After that let’s all rock with “Little Suzie” to end this platter on a high note. As you can see a very good and varied album. Nice one lads.
Fred “Virgil” Turgis

 

777 (Triple Seven)

777 Ghost Train
777 Ghost Train

777 – Ghost Train

PART-CD 689-002 {2012}
Leave It Behind – Sexafull – Rebel Yell – Ghost Train – Radar Love – Boys Who Dance – Summertime Souvenir – Last Night – Tachycardia – Chernobilly Twist – Come Together – The Woodpecker Song

Ghost Train is the brilliant second album from this German trio. In 2009 Unleashed their debut album was full of promises; it’s nothing to say that Ghost Train confirms all the hopes placed into that band. For this record they benefit of a better production with a fuller and a bigger sound that blasts through your speaker like a rocking thunder. Their music sounds like a mix between Brian Setzer 68 Comeback Special, the Reverend Horton Heat and the Quakes, with elements of Chicago Blues, metal (ah that powerful guitar on the Beatles’ Come Together), latin beat, twisted western soundtrack (Ghost Train), country jazz (Woodpecker Song) and surf with a Russian beat (Chernobilly twist). The choice of the covers is very good too (Billy Idol, Golden Earring, Beatles, Andrew Sisters). Highly recommended.

777 Unleashed
777 Unleashed

777 – Unleashed

PART-CD 689.001 {2010}
My Guitar – Riff Raff Daddy – Boundless Life – Don’t You Dare – Fulltime Jerks – Gamble Maniac – J.O.P. Lady – T*ttenf*ck – No Eye Stays Dry – Spoiled Generation – Don’t Look Back – Kill Tomcat

Bo Diddley once sang “You can’t judge a book by lookin’ at the cover” and he was wise. Keeping that in mind I put the debut long player of 777 (Triple Seven) in the player despite a cover design that first gave me a negative feeling. Boy, was I wrong! This album is excellent. These three boys come from Germany and play neo-rockabilly as if they invented it. They write their own material and they’re pretty good at that. Sure, maybe one song or two lack of originality but I’ll always prefer a rock’n’roll band that writes his own stuff rather than hearing the classics covered again and again.
Brian Setzer and the Stray Cats are obvious influences on the trio. But “influence” doesn’t mean “carbon copy”. The trio brings enough of its personnality, and sometimes even a pop sensibility, in the mix to develop a sound of their own. Nikolai Potter is a strong singer and a very good guitar player too and he’s perfectly supported by his two partners in crime, Oliver Leggewie on drums and Franz Stiegemann on double bass. A very good surprise.

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

Ray Campi

RayCampi

Ray Campi – The Rollin’ Rock Recordings Vol. 1

Part Records PART-CD 613.004

Rockabilly Rebel / Sack Of Love / A 50 Dollar Upright / I Let The Freight Train Carry Me On / Doin’ My Time / The Rip-Off / Rockin’ And Rollin’ / Cincinnati Cindy / Goodbye Love, Hello Heartache / Jungle Fever / When I Saw Your Face In The Moon / You Stick Out In Pretty Places / Second Story Man / Don’t Get Pushy / Cravin’ / Separate Ways / I’m Gonnan Bid My Blues Goodbye / How Can I Get On Top / Little Young Girl / Chew Tabacco Rag / You Don’t Rock ‘N’ Roll At All / Ruby Ann / I Don’t Know Why You Still Come Around / Running After Fools / Jimmie Skins The Blues

After recording a batch of seminal rockabilly singles in the fifties (see Texas Rockabilly vol. 2 – Rollin’ the Rock on Eltoro) Ray Campi more or less retired from music. By 1971, when  Rockin’ Ronny Weiser contacted him, he was an English teacher. It didn’t take long to convince him to record again. Not only Ray recorded albums on his own but also became Rollin’ Rock’s studio band playing with Mac Curtis, Jimmie Lee Maslon and Jackie Lee Cochran.
This fine package gathers Campi’s first two album cut for Rollin Rock on which he plays almost all the instruments. With the help of Weiser, Campi managed to recapture the excitement and the fun of the 50’s rockabilly but with a modern twist thus creating a brand new sound. These recordings are almost as essential as his 50’s sides, not only for their musical quality but also for their historical values and the countless bands they influenced.
The cd comes with a detailed booklet featuring liner notes by Ray himself, Ronnie Weiser, Wild Bob Burgos, Rip Masters and Mario Cobo.
Essential! Part Records must be congratulated for their hard word at releasing this stuff like they did with Mac Curtis’ Rollin Rock sides, Ravenna and the Magnetics and Ripsaw records.

www.part-records.de 

Obscuritones (the)

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the-obscuritonesThe Obscuritones – S/T

Brockwell Records BRKR1
Angel Eyes – HS Baby – 15 Seconds – Bad Mood – Rockabilly Boogie – Jim Dandy – Vapour Club Boogie – This Little Girls Gone Rockin’ – Genocide Blues – Brockell Beach – Dumb Luck – Molly Broom
The Obscuritones are a London sextet fronted by two female lead singer (Joey Hill and Gaby Romano) . The rest of the band consists of Hugh Byrne and Samantha Kidman on guitars, Andrew Bavington on double bass and Phil Casey on drums.
I first came across their name while browsing on youtube and to say the truth I wasn’t that impressed but I was probably in a bad mood because after listening to their debut album I promptly revised my judgement. These guys and gals are good. They play rockabilly but they doesn’t sound contrived or limited by the genre. They approach it with a free and open minded attitude that is refreshing when most of the bands try to either sound mean or more authentic than Charlie Feathers (or both!). To give you a slight idea of their style try to imagine the sweet harmonies of the Miller Sisters backed by the Stray Cats . As said before, they are not limited to Rockabilly, bringing a touch of surf here and there (especially with Sam’s twangy guitar on the surf instrumental Brockwell Beach), a more country tinged number (Molly Broom) and 80’s neo-rockabilly/psychobilly with Andy Byrne’s Vapour Club Boogie and Genocide Blues that he also sings (he also duets on the excellent Dumb Luck).
On the twelve songs that make the album you’ll find three covers (Rockbilly Boogie, Jim Dandy and This Little Girls Gone Rockin’ originally performed respectively by Johnny Burnette Rock’n’Roll Trio, Lavern Baker and Ruth Brown) the remaining nine songs are originals with every member (except for bassist Andy Bavington) having penned at least one song.
All in all an excellent debut album (they also have a vinyl single on Rydell Records with Angel Eyes b/w Rockabilly Boogie).
www.theobscuritones.com/

 

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