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From now on all my reviews are going to be based on how much I
enjoy a CD when I'm stuck in my pickup. We all know how much driving
in L.A. can suck so I've decided that if a CD can keep me awake
while I'm driving or else prevent me from having a attack of road
rage while I'm stuck in traffic then I'll give it a good review.
Royal Crown Revue Passport
to Australia (Live)
 You
might not think that a live CD by a swing band is the kind of thing
that I would enjoy during a boring drive. Well I didn't either but
on a recent drive to Riverside and back I took the CDs I was reviewing
along with me. I started off with Royal
Crown Revue's CD, I was completely prepared to dislike it and
just skip through the tracks and move on. Well I popped it in just
as I got on the 110 headed north and the next thing I knew I was
in Riverside. Not bad since Swing is nowhere near my favorite type
of music and I especially don't care for live recordings in general.
The engineering on this is exceptional for a live recording and
I enjoyed listening to Eddie banter with the crowd and other RCR
members, especially his quick description of the Viva Las Vegas
Weekender right before they do an excellent version of Johnny Burnette's
Lonesome Tears. Throw in a few instrumentals along with some of
the songs RCR has been doing forever, like Fever and Bye Bye Blackbird,
and next thing you know you've ended up where ever it is you headed
out for. If you can find this CD I recommend you pick it up. I'm
gonna have to give it a four out of four mud-flap girl rating.
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Star Room Boys This World
Just Won't Leave You Alone (Slewfoot Records)
 I
was almost positive I was going to love the Star
Room Boys CD. I have usually been pleased with anything I've
heard on the Slewfoot label. The first song, White Lies, Blue Tears,
had me. I was sure that this was a great CD for driving. Well, my
snap judgment was wrong. Most of the songs on the CD are very slow
ballads, which is a shame because the one or two times these guys
wind up and pick up the tempo they really shine. These guys play
great guitar and pedal steel, especially on a truckin' song Daydreamer
that's sneaks up in the middle of the disc. If they had a few more
up tempo numbers on the disc it would have really broken up the
monotony of slow song after slow song. I can't recommend this disc
for long drives; you'll most likely fall asleep behind the wheel.
I'm only gonna be able to give this one two out of four mud-flap
girls.
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Evan Johns and The Hillbilly
Soul Surfers - Moontan Big (Cypress Records)
 Now
here's a CD that'll keep you awake and playing drums on you r steering
wheel. I have to admit I've been a Evan
Johns fan ever since I saw him doing blues at the Wooden Nickel
in Birmingham Alabama once when I was home on leave from the Marines.
I guess I should also disclose the fact that Sherman LeRoi of the
Hillbilly Soul Surfers is a friend of mine. This is a great fun
CD that slips easily between Blues, Surf, Country, and combinations
of all three. There's tons of scorching hot guitar licks on this
CD along with a lot of songs that are just down right silly, but
in a good way, and one country instrumental that's gonna end up
on my answering machine before too long. If had to pick favorites
off this disc they would have to be Surf Don't Crawl (instrumental
surf), Ever So Desperate (rocker), Love Thang (silly ballad), Shootin'
the Merle (country instumental) and All Your Cheatin (country vocal).
I recommend that you run out and get this CD, it wont change your
life but I bet it'll make your commute a little more tolerable.
I give this one four out of four mud-flap girls.
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Kristie Stremel All I Really
Want Slewfoot Records
 With
this CD I figured I was getting some alt-country treats. Mainly
because it's on Slewfoot and the fact that Kristie
Stremel is sporting a nice straw western hat on the cover. Well
don't judge this CD by it's cover, it aint alt-country but it is
good, really good in fact. This is psudo-progressive rock that kind
of sounds familiar, I cant think of who they remind me of but it
must have been a band I liked. I'm really surprised at myself for
liking this CD so much; I think anyone who knows me would be surprised
as well. I can't find fault with this CD at all Kristie Stremel
has a great voice, she backed by a good band, and the song writing
is excellent, as is the engineering. The title track is probably
my favorite of the CD but I didn't find any songs I felt compelled
to skip tracks on. This is a great CD for driving, you can be the
person singing along and bobbing your head at the traffic lights
that we all see from time to time. I have to give this one all four
mud-flap girls, an all around great CD that isn't really so much
of a style that I can pigeon hole it in to any other category than
just plane good ol' rock and roll.
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