Hot Rod Gang – Silver Wedding
PART CD 633.003 [2010]
Silver Wedding Anniversary Song ~ Kingx Of Jesterz ~ Sexbomb ~ Beauty Queen ~ Heatwave ~ I Curse The Day ~ Rawhide ~ Mercury Blues ~ Get Rhythm ~ Little Less Conversation ~ On The Road Again ~ Honey Hush ~ 10 – 11 – 12
A wise man called Bo Diddley once said: “you can’t judge a book by looking at the cover”, that’s exactly what I thought when I listened to the latest output by this German rockabilly trio.
They celebrate their 25th birthday, so you can expect experience. The album is mostly good (very good I’d even say) but I find them more at ease on their own songs than on the covers. They either suffer from a lack of originality (Get Rhythm) or too much originality. I mean it’s good to cover unusual tunes and many rockabilly bands have done that, but all songs are not good to cover (Sexbomb). That said their cover of Canned Heat’s On the Road Again is perfect. And when you listen to the originals you’re rewarded by a strong dose of neo-rockabilly.
Anyway, happy anniversary to the band and hope to hear you soon with more original material.
Hot Rod Gang – Get Out
Note Records – 356713 [1988]
Get Out / Make You Mine
Get Out is the Hot Rod Gang’s second single. The title track is an edgy neo-rockabilly number with a very original melody, reminiscent of the Nitros. The song is backed by a solid rhythm section emphasizing the vocals and the superb guitar part. Make You Mine is slightly more classic in form, but its catchy rhythm remains very enjoyable.
Hot Rod Gang – EP
Note Records – 356711 [1987]
She’ll Soon Be Gone – You Belong To Me / Lonely Nights – B B-Bye
The Hot Rod Gang, from Langenzenn, Germany, formed in 1985, with Uwe Posset on double bass and lead vocals, Thomas Nester on guitar, and Harkus Ebersberger on drums. In 1987, the trio recorded their first EP for Note Records, consisting of four original compositions. “She’ll Soon Be Gone” is a lively neo-rockabilly track whose melody is reminiscent of Mystery Train (in addition to a nod to Tigerman). A saxophone joins the band for You Belong To Me, which is softer and almost jazzy, reminiscent of the Keytones. Despite its title, Lonely Night is very festive with hillbilly influences. The neo-rockabilly track B B Bye closes the EP as it began. The presence of two guitars on the recording shows that the trio didn’t just rush into the studio to record four tracks but took care to refine their arrangements, and the result is clearly audible.
Fred “Virgil” Turgis
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