THE KABOOMS - THE KABOOMS

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1. Beggin' On My Knees   2. Only Mine   3. Black Days   4. Johnny Rocket   5. Pretty Baby   6. Let's Do It   7. One More Time   8. Point Blank Range   9. Always Late   10. Burn The House   11. My Baby Don't Bop   12. She's My Woman   13. Pack Your Things And Go   14. Hunter With No Gun

Rhythm Bomb Records / RBR 5807

I wrote at the post dedicated to the Ubangi Stomp Festival 2016 about the show given by the Kabooms, a band that was new to me but which at the end of their show was already among my favourites. I left the festival more than happy after the opportunity of watching them live and with a copy of their cd (and a promo photo signed by El Lega, great guitar player of this band).

By the way, The Kabooms are Matt Olivera (vocals and rhythm guitar), Javier Carrasco (upright bass), Alex Granero (drums) and the above-mentioned El Lega (lead guitar).

It's time to write a few lines about their cd, released in 2015. It happens sometimes that a band that is great live, is not so good on record. That's not the case here. Not at all. Their cd sounds as fresh and wild as their live show. They have the skills to do so and, more than that, they recorded at the Lightning Recorders studio in Germany, with Axel Praefcke at the control booth. Oh yeah!

Matt, the singer, leads the action giving the required strength at each moment. Javier and Alex provide the perfect rhythm for each single song. And El Lega is more than great with his guitar playing. As a matter of fact, all four of them are more than great. Superb.

Among the 14 songs included, all 14 composed by band members, most of them are wild Rockabillies, played full speed but without losing an ich of quality for that reason; some others are a little bit slower. Please note that I've written "a little bit".

To highlight a single song is a hard task. probably I would pick "Pretty Baby", that seems to be an astonishing Rockabilly song, with a perfect beat given by upright bass and drums, wonderful guitar and top quality voice. But more or less the same can be said of "Beggin' On My Knees", "Black Days", "Johnny Rocket", "Let's Do It" or "She's My Woman" to name just a few more.

As I wrote in my review about Ubangi Stomp 2016, "wild 50's Rockabilly style played with rage and guts, as it has to be played". If you really like Rockabilly music, this is a cd you must have. Much more tha very good. Terrific!

GENE VINCENT - THE LOST STEREO SINGLE

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SIDE A = Right Here On Earth   SIDE B = Wildcat

Sleazy Records / SR-104-2

It's clear that there is someone at Sleazy Records who is a Gene Vincent fan and, after the two wonderful Gene's 7" box-sets released by this label from Málaga, Spain, (and reviewed in this blog) here we have this single, the one that started Gene Vincent's success in the UK... but now on "stereo". Back in 1959 it was released on "mono". You can find this info and a little bit more (musicians, session date, etc...) in the brief but informative sleeve notes, written by DeeJay Francho.

The record has been released with two different picture-sleeves and in two different vinyl colours. It is up to you to choose which option do you prefer. My choice has been the "bone-white" colour vinyl (oh, the wonderful world of colour names!)... because I like its picture-sleeve best.

Regarding the songs, they are two Gene Vincent's classics, so little new can be said. Great Rock'n'Roll on side A with "Right Here On Earth" that will make you dance from second one on; and more great Rock'n'Roll with "Wildcat" on side B, with a kind of Stroll beat.

Another "must have" from Gene Vincent. Another "must have" from Sleazy Records.

10th UBANGI STOMP (2016)

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Gran Hotel Bali - Benidorm (Alicante) Spain - 15 & 16 April 2016

Ubangi Stomp Festival is held every year in the city of Benidorm, in Spain, and after 10 editions it has become a kind of a classic regarding Rockabilly and Rock'n'Roll festivals. Let's make a short comment about the bands that played in this 10th edition and the great shows they offered. Well, at least let's do it of those bands I managed to watch.

Friday, 15 April 2016

LESTER PEABODY TRIO:

We arrived to the hotel on Friday afternoon, in the nick of time to leave our luggage in our room and off we went to the show of this Finnish band, with the so great Lester Peabody leading it with his amazing guitar skills. There are less than just a few able to play guitar as he does. They played at the jazzy side of Rock'n'Roll, if you see what I mean, with some Hillbilly and Hawaiian flavour. Difficult to explain and difficult not to be open-mouthed all the show long. For a part of the show they got the support of a sax player. If I have to highlight one of the songs they played, it will be for sure their cover of "Caravan".

PIKE CAVALERO:

Friday evening started with this great Rockabilly singer, who had the support of a very good indeed band (with well known musicians in the Spanish Rockabilly scene such as Pepe Lee on slapbass or Jesús López on drums for instance). Probably close to the best we can see and listen to nowadays regarding 50's style Rockabilly. Among the songs played, I'll highlight "Wannabes" or that wonderful adaptation that is "Carrera del Desengaño". To be the band to open the Friday evening show is not an easy task, but Pike Cavalero and his band did a great job.

THE HILLBILLY ROUND-UP SPECIAL SHOW:

It was a kind of experiment, a sort of "All Star" group with several musicians going up and down the stage to play some good, old Hillbilly music. Little Boy Arnold, Lester Peabody and other people from The Barnshakers, El Lega, Pike Cavalero, Junior Marvel and so on did a good job reminiscing old Hillbilly hits (and obscure songs also) from the likes of Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, etc. An experiment, maybe, but it sounded great... Well, of course, have you noticed the names I've listed? With such artists it had to sound good for sure.

CHARLIE THOMPSON:

Third in the Friday evening show was this British Rockabilly artist. It was the very first time I saw him live and I enjoyed his performance a lot. Very good indeed his versions of "Movie Magg" (Carl Perkins), "Katheleen" (Wally Lewis) and "Barking At The Wrong Tree" (Don Woody).

MIKE WAGGONER (WITH LOS VIBRANTS):

An original 50's recording artist such as Mike Waggoner (he recorded for the Vee label) had the task of closing the show on Friday night (well, it was already Saturday, but who cares), with the very good Los Vibrants backing him. To have the chance to se live an artist of the golden era of Rockabilly is something I like more than a lot. And if that artist gives his everything to do a great show and he has still the voice and the strength, it becomes just marvelous... And that's just what happens with Mr. Mike Waggoner. Terrific show that started full throttle with "Good Rockin' Tonight" and that kept the rhythm and the top quality till the end, highlights being "Cryin', Waitin', Hopin'" (Buddy Holly), "Lotta Lovin'" (Gene Vincent), "Ubangi Stomp" (Warren Smith), etc. So good! I mean, really so good!

Saturday, 16 April 2016

LOS VIBRANTS:

 

Saturday afternoon show was for these guys from Zaragoza, Spain. A top act that left no doubt at all about why they are required once and again for single shows and weekenders. They played Surf, of course, but also Rockabilly and straight Rock'n'Roll, sung and instro, with songs from their own and covers that came not only from the U.S.A. pioneers, but also from Spanish (and some other origins) Rock'n'Roll pioneers. Songs such as "Black Eyes", "Washington Square" (from Spanish band Los Flaps), a beautiful instro "Blue Moon", "Bailando Twist" (from Spanish Dúo Dinámico) or "La Plaga" (from Mexican pioneers Los Teen Tops) sounded terrific. Great musicians and an amusing show, what else can we ask for?. I'm a fan of Los Vibrants, yes sir.

THE KABOOMS:

First group to step on the stage on Saturday evening was The Kabooms, a group I didn't know nothing about even though they have released a CD and they have in their line-up a great guitar player such as El Lega. Suffice to say that after their show they have become one of my favourite Rockabilly bands (and I will write about their record as soon as possible). Amazing show and terrific songs of their own and well chosen covers in a wild 50's Rockabilly style played with rage and guts, as it has to be played. "Pretty Baby" (what a good song!), "One More Time", "Black Days", "I Got News For You", "Rock del Tom Tom" (Johnny Tedesco) and many others sounded astonishing.

DR. SNOUT & HIS HOGS OF RHYTHM:

 

These Finnish band gave the Rhythm'n'Blues touch to the weekender. A good show with 7 musicians on the stage and well played songs such as the well known "(Every Time I Hear) That Mellow Saxophone" (Roy Montrell). Top level musicians.

RILEY McOWEN & THE SLEAZY RUSTIC BOYS:

More good, old Rockabilly was delivered by these guys arrived all the way from Sweden. Of their show I enjoyed above all the good versions they did of "Please, Give Me Something" (Bill Allen & The Back Beats), "Jitterbop Baby" (Hal Harris), "Red Cadillac And A Black Moustache" (Warren Smith) and "Country Boy" (Big Tiny Kennedy).

Unfortunately we couldn't stay for the MFC Chicken show as we had to wake up too early on Sunday morning to drive back home, but it seems they did a great show as they use to.

To the great job done by the bands, it must be added the effort done by the DJ's, who kept the rhythm between concerts and at the end of them.

Brief, one more year a great weekend with very well selected bands, with an almost perfect blend of Rockabilly, Rock'n'Roll, Surf, Rhythm'n'Blues and Hillbilly... and in a good hotel. What else can you ask for? (yeah, OK, perhaps a little bit of DooWop). The organizers must be very proud of their good job. They have all the right to be so.

Looking forward for the 11th edition of Ubangi Stomp.

ALIS LESLEY - HE WILL COME BACK TO ME

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SIDE A = 1. He Will Come Back To Me   2. Heartbreak Harry   3. Handsome Man

SIDE B = 4. So Afraid   5. Why Do I Feel This Way   6. Don't Burn Your Bridges

Sleazy Records / SR10-10

Sleazy Records keeps on amazing us, now with an Alis Lesley 10" in stunning pink vinyl in the "TenXTen" new series. It seems that this series will include 10 inchers compiling the work of more or less obscure artists from the golden era of Rockabilly that have not been honoured with a compilation of their own. Not at all a bad idea.

So there we go with Alis Lesley, who was nicknamed "The Female Elvis" for obvious reasons. Just take a glance to her photo and you'll see what I mean (well, also name and surname were quite similar phonetically). If my info is correct, this record includes all the songs that this Chicago born Rocker recorded. That is the two songs included in her only single released by Era in 1957: the wonderful "He Will Come Back To Me" and the very good "Heartbreak Harry", plus four songs that were not released when they were recorded: "Handsome Man" (recorded at Sun studio and penned by Charlie Rich), "So Afraid", "Why Do I Feel This Way" and "Don't Burn Your Bridges".

The two first songs are two good Rockabillies and the best of all six songs included in this record. The other four are slow songs of much less quality than the two released by Era. Of those four, I think that "Handsome Man" is quite OK, but I do understand why it wasn't released by Mr. Phillips in his Sun Records label. And if the best song is the one that opens the record, "He Will Come Back To Me", I feel that "Don't Burn Your Bridges", the one that closes it, is just the opposite: a dull ballad. So the record starts full throttle but it worsens as the songs go by.

Regarding the sleeve, I like the artwork, with photos that seem to be drawings and brief bio notes.

To make it short, I won't say that this is a "must have" record, but it won't do no harm in the collection of any 50's Rockabilly fan.

Stunning pink vinyl for this record.

TENNESSEE. SECRETOS A VOCES - LAUREN JORDAN (BIOGRAPHY)

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Quarentena Ediciones

Just a few weeks ago (see previous post) I wrote about the double CD released for the 30th anniversary of Tennessee's first record.

Now it's time to write a few words about the band's history, written by Lauren Jordan in an interview format which makes the 239 pages book an easy and fast reading one.

More than this, I believe that it was time for someone to write the history of the Spanish Doo Wop pioneer band. From their first days with the name of The Elvis Boys, their name change to Tennessee, their arrival to success, their fight to keep going on after falling from stardom, etc... All that and much more is what we read in the pages of this book.

Tennessee have played an important role in Spanish Rock'n'Roll history and Lauren Jordan has done a good job with this book.

Interesting book if you're a Tennessee or Doo Wop fan (and you can read Spanish, of course).