Lee Rocker's latest release, "Night Train to Memphis," is a covers project which is decidedly more rockabilly than 2011's covers EP. But the album also has a countrified feel to it, with Lee bringing acoustic guitars, banjo, and even a dobro to the proceedings on some of the songs.
Lee kicks the door open with the first track, "Rockabilly Boogie." The driving bass is out in front of the mix, as you would expect on a Lee Rocker record. Lee's vocals infuse some serious energy into the song, with screams and yelps surpassing the urgency of the original. It's a great way to start the album.
"Night Train to Memphis" is a song I associate with Carl Perkins, though I'm not sure who first recorded it. Lee plays bass, guitar, banjo, and dobro on this track, which features layered harmonies from Lee's sister, Rosanne Drucker. The harmonies blend well with each other, but they lack a clarity the lead vocal has. It may have been one of the perils of using so many overdubs to create that old-time gospel quartet sound. Even with the relaxed country feel, the recording lacks the warmth it might have had if the instruments were recorded live rather than overdubbed. Still, it's a decent showcase for Lee's multi-instrumental talents.
"Slap the Bass," the lone original song on the album, features Lee's bass chops, with several bass breaks throughout the tune. Buzz Campbell's jazz chording and playful licks keep the song light-hearted. It reminds me a little of "Rooster Rock," from Setzer's "Ignition" album.
"Twenty Flight Rock" is more readily associated with Eddie Cochran devotee Brian Setzer, but the upright bass is an important part of the iconic original. Jimmy Sage's drums remind me of some of the stuff Earl Palmer did for Specialty in the 50's. The track clocks in at just under 2 minutes, giving it all the authenticity of a great 50's single, but I wish Lee would have showcased his band a little more. Buzz has a great solo here, but it's over far too quickly. Lee has two great guitarists in the band, and it would have been great to let them play a bit more, particularly on the rockabilly tracks. However, since this is a covers album, Lee should be given credit for capturing the essence of the great 45s of the rock-n-roll era: rock hard and leave 'em wanting more.
"Wild Child" takes after the Jerry Lee Lewis version, rather than the Ivan/Buddy Holly or Iggy Pop versions. I think that's Brophy hitting the high notes in the background - maybe Buzz yelling as well? All that hootin' and hollerin' and a blistering guitar solo keep this song blazing through every one of its 116 seconds.
Lee's recorded several Carl Perkins tunes over the years, and he continues the tribute with "Honey Don't." Brophy Dale's percolating Tele is the backbone of this song, and dovetails nicely in and out of Buzz's solo. It's a pretty straight ahead cover that offers nothing new to the song, but fits in well on this collection.
"That's All Right Mama/Blue Moon of Kentucky" are songs Lee has been playing live for years. The bass is at the forefront of the mix, which I find refreshing. It's as if Lee is teaching a course on the History of Rockabilly Slap Bass. Take iconic rockabilly songs, and boost the bass so you can see how vital and important this instrument is to the sound. There's nothing particularly groundbreaking on this medley, but with the two songs combined, there's a little room for Buzz and Brophy to stretch their guitars a bit.
Lee explores his hillbilly side with the easy-rolling "Tear in My Beer." Banjo and Dobro are both heavily featured here. I can't tell if Lee's playing all of these - the liner notes only indicate he's playing them on "Night Train to Memphis." There seems to be a greater proficiency on these instruments here. The dobro solo is especially good. It sure sounds like the most of the instruments were recorded together, with few overdubs. A much more cohesive sound than "Night Train to Memphis."
"Lonesome Tears" is one of my favorite Buddy Holly songs. The Stray Cats' cover is far and away my favorite track on "Original Cool." Not every song has to be a note-for-note cover of the original. But Lee's interpretation lacks many of the elements I adore from the Holly record. Lee's vocal range is not quite expansive enough to cover the notes sung by Buddy. So he takes it down an octave in places, up an octave in others. Buddy had a lot of soul in the original with his desperate pleading on the middle eight, while Tommy Allsup's legendary guitar work underscored how brilliant the Holly record was. None of that is apparent on this cover. The guitars are more subdued as Lee chooses a more tender vocal treatment. Plus, he flubs the lyric on the bridge, changing "Now need I tell you more?" to "Now I need to tell you more." As a Holly-holic, I just can't let that slide.
But it's not all bad news. Lee revisits the Stray Cats classic "Built For Speed," and it's a highlight of the album. There would be no point in trying to ape a note-for-note cover, so Lee astutely reinvents it, like he did a few years back with "Rock This Town." "Built For Speed" is now re-imagined in an acoustic setting, complete with Buzz Campbell on banjo! There's some great acoustic work by Brophy Dale here as well.
Lee closes the album with back-to-back Everly Brothers classics. "So Sad (To Watch Good Love Go Bad)" and "All I Have to Do Is Dream." Both songs are beautifully recorded, swimming in Buzz Campbell's reverb and nice vocals by Lee. I can't quite tell who is harmonizing with Lee, or if it's Lee overdubbing himself, (Brophy Dale has a "background vocals" credit on the album as a whole) but the harmony is set way back in the mix. I had to give both tunes a closer listen to make sure the harmony was there throughout the songs. The Everlys' evenly-balanced harmonies are such an integral part of the original recordings that you would think it would be hard to hear a cover without a more prominent harmony vocal. But on Lee's versions, it works. Maybe it's because I'm so familiar with the originals that I'm hearing the harmonies louder than they actually are (when I'm not singing along, pretending to be Phil Everly). Or maybe it's just because the melody line is so beautiful, it can stand on its own just fine. Lee sings them very well. It would be interesting to hear Lee perform these songs live to hear the vocal blend.
I don't know if these last 2 songs were tacked on to an already complete album, as Lee's website only has the first 10 tracks available for preview. These last two ballads are lovely, and either one of them would have been a nice way to close the album. I wonder if it would have made for a more cohesive album to put one of them somewhere in the middle of the album.
It's always a risk to do a covers project. If you're too much like the originals, you get criticized, and if you deviate too far, you get criticized. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. I think with a rockabilly cover album, sticking close to the original feel is the safer, more successful choice. Lee has shrewdly chosen to go this route on most of the tracks. But the song with the most notable makeover, "Built for Speed," is executed perfectly, and may be the best song on the record. At 12 reasonably short songs, the album doesn't last nearly long enough. "Rockabilly Riot" it ain't. But there's more than enough highlights on this album to satisfy Lee Rocker fans. I can't wait for Lee to get out on tour so I can hear some of these songs live.
Leave 'Em Wanting More-a-billy
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Subject: Re: Lee Rocker 
Wed Feb 15, 2012 4:17 pm
