I'm checking the stock of one of my preferred online mail orders and what do I see? A Steve Hooker release! Well, not quite. This is Levi Dexter & Steve Hooker. And if this is carefully chosen, then this is really a Levi Dexter release with some help of Steve Hooker. Well again, I'm sorry, the whole enterprise has the stamp of the latter hammered into the plastic. Not least because Steve Hooker provides electric, acoustic and bottleneck guitars, harmonica, vocals and last but not least handclaps. Anyway, this is also a Steve Hooker production and comes to Europe via Japan. The CD has very recently been released on Thousands Records (1000's Records).
They claim that Rockabilly is the Punk of Rock'n'Roll and they're here to remind us of this fact. Might be so, I wouldn't know a thing about this. To me, Rockabilly was always the mellower family member. A bit like the older brother or sister (Rock'n'Roll) being out on the streets and when he or she returns home, they're taking care of their young siblings. I might have gotten my bearings wrong ... I'm a bit irritated. If the Punk analogy holds at all, it's the other way round. The likes of Wild Bob Burgos are the ones with the Punk attitude. And that guy is certainly Rock'n'Roll. I'm confused.
Some of these songs have already been released on previous albums, for example Steve Hooker's "Before The Rooster Crows". Others, I don't know about, as I'm not familiar with Levi Dexter's releases. What you get is a very entertaining slice of Rockabilly (there it is, I almost wrote Rock'n'Roll). Nine tracks that clock in at just thirty minutes (with 2 seconds overtime). But I'd rather have half an hour of high energy Rock'n'Roll (I can't deny it, this is more Rock'n'Roll to me than anything else), than 80 minutes of music I can't stand. Well done!
The music is a bit rougher, than on a "real" Steve Hooker album. This can be measured only with the most advanced scientific methods, but I'll swear to it, the music has an edge, that's usually not there. I'm talking slight variations here. Just don't think one's the "Music For A Late Night Date" type of stuff and this here is the Death Metal bit. No, this is certainly not so. Compared to the aforementioned "Before The Rooster Crows", this release seems to be somewhat straighter. I don't know, if it's less finesse ... it's straighter, that's all. Maybe that's the Punk in here.
Nine tracks, the last being an instrumental "Wicked Blues (Remastered)", will remind you, why you like this kind of music. One thing though, I have to mention. Being a major Screaming Lord Sutch Fan, I think "Jack The Ripper" should have been left off the CD. While it might be a honourable attempt at the song, it just had to fail. Some songs you just can't cover, and only because the definitive version has already been done. Mind you, this is not a bad version, but as a singer, Screaming Lord Sutch's take (or takes) is/are in their own league. A plus point for the sleeve. Excellent. But what I really want to see, is exactly this on an LP version of this album. This cries for graphics about nine times as large.
You can buy this CD at well stocked Rockabilly mailorders (or visit Steve Hooker's Website at http://www.stevehooker.co.uk).
Cheers
Devon
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