brian setzer gotta have the rumble

​Brian Setzer (from the album Gotta Have the Rumble available on Surfdog Records) (by Brian Rock)
Rock and Roll legend, Brian Setzer, returns to his Rockabilly roots on his new solo release, Gotta Have the Rumble. Unlike his band’s, The Stray Cats, (in)famous “Rumble in Brighton”, the rumble here refers to the sweet purr of a 6- cylinder ’57 Chevy Blue Flame Six engine. Recapturing the energy of his Stray Cat days, Setzer sings fiery songs about rocking, racing, and romance. Celebrating its original form, Brian Setzer manages to spice up the already raucous sound of Rockabilly by adding elements of Jazz, Western Swing, and even Middle Eastern rhythms. Gotta Have the Rumble races into high gear on the lead track, “Checkered Flag”, staring off with a gritty, Link Ray-bass line, Setzer moans ‘your daddy says that I’m no good. He don’t know what’s under my hood’. Building tempo and urgency he continues, ‘looking like the cover of a hot rod mag, baby’s wrapped in a checkered flag’. Capturing the excitement of an impromptu street race, Brian Setzer and backing bass vocalists sing in unison, ‘Can’t be humble, gotta have the rumble’. Setzer’s signature guitar chops complete the experience as he surges to the finish line.
Brian Setzer introduces Middle Eastern rhythms on the unexpectedly up-tempo teen tragedy “Smash Up on Highway One”. “Stack My Money” incorporates Marty Robbins-style Western rhythms to sing this decidedly Rockabilly version of the working man’s Blues. “The Wrong Side of the Tracks” gets slinky with a Jazzy string section to recount a rendezvous with a mysterious woman. Continuing to push the boundaries of traditional Rockabilly, Brian Setzer adds Latin/Bosa Nova percussion to “Drip Drop”. “The Cat with 9 Wives” returns to straight ahead Rock’n’Roll. The spirit of Bo Diddly permeates every note of “Turn You On, Turn Me On”. “Rockabilly Riot” indulges in the Psychobilly sounds of Reverend Horton Heat as “Off Your Rocker” lets the bass guitar take center stage. “One Bad Habit” tempts his goodie two-shoes love interest with early Stray Cats swagger and style while Brian Setzer finishes the set with “Rockabilly Banjo”, the bands’s sound paying tribute to Marty Stuart’s style of Hillbilly Rock. Brian Setzer’s devotion to that incredibly creative three year burst of Rock’n’Roll energy from 1954 -1956 is well documented. His ability to take that small subset of Rock music and create a diverse, eleven-song album where no two songs sound the same is the mark of a true virtuoso. Brian Setzer’s reputation as a guitar slinger par excellence is on full display here, and his voice is as strong and sultry as ever. Gotta Have the Rumble proves that this Stray Cat may have been around the block yet he hasn’t strayed far from his roots.  (by Brian Rock)
Listen and buy the music of Brian Setzer from AMAZON
Please visit the Brian Setzer website for more information
 

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