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Guitar Ace: Link Wray Tribute
A highly recommended tribute from Art and his fine Musick
Recordings. The instros are great, and the vocals over the top. The
Majors should be mining "Guitar Ace" for the "Rock and Roll/ Garage
Bands". They put the "The" bands to shame. My fave is the Woggles'
version of "Deacon Jones" with the Fleshtones, Jackie and the
Cedrics, Deke Dickerson, and the Volcanos close runners up. Get this
tribute NOW!!!
For those who want a track by track review...read on. (too much time
on my hands)
Raw-Hide: Great CD intro that stays very true to the original
recording (including the pumping piano track). Evan's guitar tone is
classic Link, and Dusty's playing is, as usual, great.
Ain't That Loving You Babe: If I didn't know any better, I'd guess
that this was the original Link version. Bleed nails this one right
down to the vocal hic-ups.
The Shadow Knows: Electronica meets Twang. The intro could be
something from one of those new fangled electronica bands. The tune
quickly crashes in with an O-so-Rumble-tone, with sampled drums and
the like. Cool idea, but not near the combining of styles I was
expecting from the group. The song is one of Link's many "Rumble"
variations.
The Outlaw: Spaghetti Twang and Cowboy pulp at its best. Though I
haven't heard the original, I can't imagine it being any cooler than
this version.
I'm So Glad I'm Proud: Big Link garage tone. Full of Bravado and
swagger...step aside the Vines, the Stokes, and the Hives. This is
Rawk & Roll.
Friday Night Dance Party: Lo-fi 12 Bar vocal. Everything is
distorted! Should drive the teens wild.
Soul Train: Three chord rave up. Farfisa and fuzz guitar. The
Fleshtones have made this their own. If you like the F-tones you'll
dig this one.
Mustang: Very tight, and nice twangy low end guitar tones. The two
guitar build ups are very cool.
Ace of Spades: Solo acoustic version for those lazy Sunday
afternoons, or MTV Unplugged.
Slinky: Link meets Booker T meets Preston Epps meets R&R. The wah-
wah pedal is a nice and unexpected touch. Very cool arrangement
Rumble Mambo: Davie Allan guitar tone (reminiscent of "Born Losers
Theme"), cowbell (all the best songs have cowbell), and organ. Great
groove. Very solid performance.
Deacon Jones: Testify brothas and sistas. Kneel down in the Church
of the Woggles. Raw, loose, and a very Link guitar tone. This is
one my faves.
Fire and Brimstone: Sonically one of the best on the comp. Kinda
reminds me of a lot of 70's rock, with a Nazareth "This Flight
Tonight" groove meets old Stevie Winwood. That Evan sure can sing.
Fallin' Rain: Calexico turns this tune their own: laid back & desert
drenched with a touch of sadness and melancholy. The pedal steel is
nice, but a little too mellow for my likin'.
Genocide: One of Link's more obscure Rumble-ish tunes. Great
playing with lots of grunge in the guitar. The triplet patern in the
bass drum/tom drives this one. "This ain't rock and roll, this is
genocide"
I'm Branded: Could've been recorded in a tiled bathroom with one mic
with the SCOTS gathered around it. Trashy with a capital T. Very
cool whammy barring on the guitar solo. Captures the Link Wray vibe
to a T.
Baby Doll: Trashy, garagy, lo-fi and fun.
The Girl Can't Dance: Evan Foster's over the top performance
captures Rock and Roll's last stand. My fave of the 3 tunes he's
involved in. The addition of the organ is great.
Jack the Ripper: A fast n' drivin' version of the popular Link
tune. The wash of feedback in the verses turns PDM's version into a
Phil Spector Wall of Sound recording. Excellent.
Commanche: The Volcanos capture Link's sound and vibe on this one.
This ranks near the top of the comp for me.
Run Chicken Run: This is the first time I've heard a Jackie and the
Cedrics recording. I'm gonna track down all of them! Another
authentic performance of a Link Tune. Sounds like it was recorded by
Link himself. Great chicken guitar tone.
Run Boy Run: A Johnny Cash rendition of Link Wray by Deke
Dickerson. Smooth vocals, twangy guitar, slappin' r-abilly bass, and
2 'n 4 tambourine. Nice guitar and sax break. This one sticks in my
head for days.
Rumble: The Bambi Molesters are brave to take on this this tune.
Adding an extra chord, an electric rhythm guitar, and a triplet/slow
blues bass line, they make it their own while capturing the teen
delinquent sneer of the original. It rocks!
Roughshod: A nice tune to end the tribute. Growling sax, steel and
an understated rhythm section groove along nicely. "Good night
ladies and gentlemen and drive safe"
