Album of the Month
STRAY CATS
ROCKED THIS TOWN - FROM LA TO LONDON
Surfdog Records
10/10
Recorded last year in London, the world’s most famous active rock and roll trio, featuring Brian Setzer on guitar and vocals, performs 23 tracks on this live album. With songs spanning their early days to last year’s studio album, 40, the band is on fine form and it’s very well recorded. Opener is the rollicking Cat Fight (Over A Dog Like Me), uptempo and punchy with Brian’s guitar providing chugging muted riffs, sustaining chords, searing double-stops and a seriously tasty solo. Runaway Boys is moody, with palm muting, Bigsby dips and explosive triplet runs. As the songs steamroller on, the upright bass, small kit and slapback guitar are much more versatile than one may expect and, while we’d be hesitant to suggest that they were jazzy, there’s much to admire as the arrangements imply and state the often classy chord changes with a savvy not seen much in mainstream music. While the big hits are on here (She’s Sexy +17, Rock This Town, Stray Cat Strut), the variety is most appealing as is the flashy instrumental segment Cannonball Rag/ Misirlou. Vibrant and exciting stuff!