“return _of_rockabilly”
The Return of Rockabilly
Various Artists
Beloved
A generic, lukewarm collection at best, The Return of Rockabilly once again proves that Beloved exists solely to produce bland compilations, trying to force-feed helpings of plain white rice and dusty water.
The best track is the two year old plus “Do the Devil” by the Amazing Crowns. While I love the Crowns (and this song), its age only makes me wish that they would hurry up and release their new CD. If that is “#1”, then “#1A” is Mac Curtis’s cool and crisply guitar-driven light stepper “Are You Ready to Rumble.” Other than those two, not one is truly memorable; the remaining tracks meander through varying degrees of average. The Big Six appear twice with their contribution of the swing-a-billian “Hey Hey We’re Gonna Rock It” and “We the Boys Will Rock Ya” (the former being the more catchy of the two.) The Fishnet Stockings contribute two live tunes: “Red Bandana,” and a cover of Eddie Cochran’s “C’mon Everybody,” however, the tracks sound hollow and like they were recorded by bootleg from the back of the venue. While the Belmont Playboys sound like a more bland Georgia Satellites (if that’s possible), the song that really puts the snag in my stockings is the Cigar Store Indians’ “Yipin.’” This song just grates my nerves.
It seems like most of the bands deliberately went for a “lo-fi” feel during recording. Unfortunately this backfires, and leaves the tracks sounding tired and sterile. If this is rockabilly’s “return,” then we don’t have much to look forward to.
Beloved Records, 1621 East Livingston Street, Orlando, FL 32803; http://www.belovedgroup.com
