The man behind The Brian Setzer Orchestra, front man for The Stray Cats, a recipient of Grammy Awards among other such accolades, I’ve personally took this singer/guitarist for granted over the years, liking the hits heard on radio and TV well enough, but not listening much beyond that. His first album in a few years, Brian Setzer‘s The Devil Always Collects proves much more varied than I expected. Certainly, there’s rockabilly and that old time rock ’n roll, but some roots rock and swing, and maybe a little Americana and old-fashioned punk in there too, but none of it sounds dated.
The A side of the vinyl edition opens with a crack of the drums leading a beat that won’t stop, and Setzer moving proceedings along on ‘Rock Boys Rock’ as notes slide and trip about with joyful ease from his guitar, while a couple of solos flipped out gingerly along the way can’t help but be admired. The female voices chiming in on the choruses with “Rock boys rock, plug it in the box and show me what you got!” have got to be a sexual metaphor, right? Well, that’s how I’m taking it, with a huge grin on my face.
Retaining that smile, we wait for the next track to line up, stand and be counted, and since it’s the title track and few mess around with Beelzebub we pay attention as that guitar continues to locate any notes it missed last time round as it moves up and down the length of its neck, only for the bass to slip in and take over on that run as raw-throated vocals effectively imbue the verses with humour, blending in with female vocals come the chorus. “You bargained for pleasure; fame, fortune, and sex; pay back! Knock, knock, knock, The devil always collects,” goes this little ditty. It’s rockabilly for sure but there’s this overriding feel that it wouldn’t sit uncomfortably within the soundtrack of some alternative spaghetti western that mutated into an Italian giallo.
Girl On The Billboard’ is apparently an old truckers song, popularised back in 1965 song by country musician Del Reeves. What I note is the first of several count-ins to tunes, giving the impression that much of these recordings could’ve been made live, with the odd overdub, and if so the tightness is impressive. Amid some shaking power chords, there’s a kind of Presley-hiccup that Setzer gives on his vocal rendition here.
There’s more fun stuff as we approach the holiday season with ‘The Living Dead’ a tune more akin to Bobby ‘Boris’ Picket’s ‘Monster Mash’ going the blues route than any George A. Romero scream-along. Noting the “1, 2, 3” count-in this time, ‘What’ll It Be Baby Doll?’ is a speedier paced little number, the tonal brightness of the guitar so precise and clear, something of a masterclass. There’s a snippet of Freddy King’s ‘Hideaway’ within the extended instrumental detours, as well as some near-rap be-bop swinging on vocals near the end.
Black Leather Jacket’ is a more down the line rock number, so much so the intro guitar sounds could see some southern rock band covering this. Setzer delivers the song with a sense of urgency and importance not mock rocking as he denotes the very personal attachment one can have to such attire, and it proves a good way to end the first side of the vinyl album.
Flip the disc and there’s 12 bar rock and roll with ‘She’s Got A Lotta…Soul!’ I can picture 60s molls in disco cages jiving to this as much as I can a room full of country line dancers. Seriously. It’s lively, sexy, and soulful, the wailing female near the end just adding to that orgasmic feel.
‘Play That Fast Thing (One More Time)’ proves not to be so turbo charged, but delivered with a Cajun swing while the long inspired instrumental intro to ‘A Dude’ll Do (What a Dude’ll Do)’ is followed by a jitterbug delivery of a song that says it all in the title, but not obnoxiously, though I must admit you do sometimes think he’s singing “Doodle-do”, or maybe that’s the intended misapprehension. Fun lyrical word play continues with the vary-paced ‘Psycho Suzie’ and the album’s seen off with another dandy in ‘One Particular Chick’- Fingers clicking Fonz-like, brushed chords cruise slowly for a sultry blues, then, as it picks up, it begins to feel like one of those quaint Brit flicks of long ago where there’d be some contrived story about kids wanting a rock ‘n roll hop at the local village hall, and Adam Faith making an appearance; only it’s done earnestly with more grown-up lyrics, as a jazz lilt ensues. This was probably my favourite number and there’s some more inspired soloing within it.
The Devil Always Collects is generally a fun listen with several tracks keenly demonstrating why Setzer is such a well-admired guitarist.
Reviewed by Paul H Birch.
The Devil Always Collects is released via Surfdog/DKM and is available now (from here).
Brian Setzer Official Website
Tracklist:
1. Rock Boys Rock
2. The Devil Always Collects
3. Girl On The Billboard
4. The Living Dead
5. What’ll It Be Baby Doll?
6. Black Leather Jacket
7. She’s Got A Lotta…Soul!
8. Play That Fast Thing (One More Time)
9. A Dude’ll Do (What a Dude’ll Do)
10. Psycho Suzie
11. One Particular Chick
