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| ARTIST: |
Jason and the Scorchers
(Google this artist) |
| ALBUM: |
Wildfires + Misfires |
| LABEL: |
Yep Roc |
| RELEASED: |
2002 |
Okay, imagine that you're from anywhere but the US, (maybe you are, so in that case this'll be easy...) and you're touring the US for the first time and you just wanna see some real good rock'n'roll, the kind you've heard about, the kind that was invented here.
If you find Jason and the Scorchers you die happy.
Jason Ringenberg and the Scorchers - two decades of outtakes and rarities. Basically sounds like good bootlegs, and that excites me so much more than their actual albums. These guys have always been spitfires live. Balls out rock'n'roll slammers with a thick country twist, and you drink each song straight down, bang the bar and howl at the ceiling while you're waiting for the next.
When their cover of Dylan's "Absolutely Sweet Marie" announced the Scorchers arrival so many years ago, hordes of sticky-haired moon-pantsed MTV'ers fled trembling at the sight and sound of this cowpunk phenomenon. Nashville opened one eye, yawned, and rolled back over, smirking securely. I was at the edge of the stage. To me and a legion of other hungry listeners, Jason and the Scorchers represented everything the eighties did not - real music, real instruments, real American rock. Oh, and real fast.
The demo of that song - the opening track of this collection - proves it wasn't just big label studio trickery. "Shop It Around" follows suit and proves that Jason could write 'em, too.
And there are lotsa good covers here - "Lost Highway," "Long Black Veil," "Tear It Up" (with Link Wray), "Polk Salad Annie" - done Scorchers style, including an impressive vocal by guitarist Warner B. Hodges - even "Ruby Don't Take Your Love to Town" with a special appearance by Rick Richards.
Nineteen throat-shreddin', cattle-whistlin', rip-rockin' tunes here with plenty of those ole fashioned big guitar solos. Even when it slows down it speeds up. Doesn't sound like any of 'em ever lost that initial energy the whole twunny years. Pick it up and milk it.
review by Kyf Brewer
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©
Figgle 2001-2007