I Like Instru-MENTAL!

Enjay, what did you think of the new album? I'd like to read your review. There's plenty of mutual admiration from everyone on the forum to go around!

So glad to see THIS topic heading instead of the negative!
I LOVE this album and it is great to see so many others of the same opinion!! Rickabilly, awesome review Thank you for sharing!

I'm really diggin' the production. Hatton's bass sounds great, very powerful and up front in the mix. Earl's Breakdown, Intermission, and Pickpocket are still at the top of my list, but I also like the one he plays by himself.

I can't help loving more & more this new record !
As with SFLA, thre is no tracks "under". It's all high level.
Totally agreed with Rick about Spazz work & sound. He's the guy for that kind of record.
This said, the young Noah Levy is good too. On Hot Love & Pickpocket, I really like the way he plays.

I didn't want to write anything on this thread since this is an "I like Instru-mental" topic, rather than "What do you think about Instrumental"... however, now that Andi has asked Enjay about his/her opinion..., I'd like to tell you about mine:

I've already been quite harsh with this album on my blog, despite the fact that I've bought the CD, the pictured LP and the regular LP. However, my point of view is this:

I don't think this is one of the albums from which Brian is going to keep any song to perform in the future years. The same happened with "Ignition" (despite being a wonderful album), "Nitro" or "13". Besides, the fact of being instruemtal, gives it somehow a bit of "weirdness", it's strange not to hear Brian singing not even on a song, but from the experimental point of view is great

BUT, and there's a really big BUT:
I think it's a very very poor album but for 2 songs or 3 at the most. "Be Bop A Lula" again?? What's the point in recording it again since it was arelady done with Stray Cats in "Original Cool"?? Then, for most of the songs, specially Setzer's original, I think they are just a bunch of poor riffs/licks assembled in a more or less decent way just to fill up an album and go on tour.

I mean, Brian does not need an album to go on tour. I would rather he said "hey, I am going to go on tour" (with no album) instead of having this minor album as an excuse. I consider this album to be even below "Original Cool" or "Let's Go Faster".
What is going to be next?? "Setzer goes to the toilet with his guitar and see what happens then we release the album on CD, LP and pictured LP and we go on tour with nothing really interesting or new from the latest release??

My aim is not to make anybody angry nor offend anyone. This is just the way I feel it. I have always supported Brian and I always be doing it, but as a fan, I don't feel satisfied with this album. I know for sure that it's more than impossible to get a great success with each and every record done, but this album is complete rubbish.

Besides, he goes on tour (which is wonderful!) to play the same songs over and over again... I mean, the old classcis, which is also great, but I'd love to hear something different, something he has hardly ever played... I don't know, maybe Rebelene, something from The Knife... something different, not the same song over and over again.

Having said this, I must also add that the latest live albums are very dissapointing. They have hardly offered or given anything new at all. "Don't Mess With..." should have included other hardly ever played songs like "Ring Of Fire", "Orange Blossom Special" and not "Fishnet Stockings" or "Runaway Boys", already included in many Stray Cats live albums. "Christmas Comes Alive", nothing new from the "Christmas Extravaganza"... Sometimes this sucks, honestly.

I really wish Brian the best, but he should take care of his fans in a more attentive way, and offer something different.

As I said before, I don't mean to offend nor make anyone angry, but this is just the way I feel when it comes to the "Instru-mental" in particular and to other releases in general.

I didn't find anything to anger or offend in your post SJP, in fact thanks for adding your opinion! As we've seen, I don't think the album's for everybody. Some will dig it, some not so much. I can see him rockin' Pickpocket in the trio set of future BSO tours. That tune would be a great way to kick off that segment of the show in my opinion. As for recent live releases, I think my favorite was Red Hot and Live, with the '04 BSO live collection a close second. Hopefully we'll see some kind of document from the upcoming tour, I'm hoping at least a dvd. This line up he's taking out should be interesting...

I think a lot of Setzer fans became fans because of the rock-n-roll and rockabilly side of his music that emphasized the "rock" more than the "billy." His talents extend beyond his guitar playing to the his vocal prowess. In his prime, Brian had an incredible range, and could croon like Bobby Darin, snarl like Elvis and Eddie, and soar through a doo-wop number.

These two things are not showcased on "Setzer Goes Instru-Mental." It feels like a side project, and clearly, it's meant to showcase his considerable talents on the guitar. 11 instrumentals are a lot for fans accustomed to just one or two an album. Given that so many of his fans fell in love with that voice and want to rock, it's understandable that this album isn't for everyone. Sure, "Godzilla" and "Hot Love" rock, but it's a different kind of rock from what he's given us before. I suppose "Pickpocket" sounds the most like the Setzer from the Stray Cats days. Maybe I'm just used to a few more rockin' offerings per album.

Personally, I love that he covered "Be Bop a-Lula" again. Who says you have to do a song once and put it away? He has multiple arrangements of "Rock This Town," "Stray Cat Strut," "Rumble In Brighton," "Drink That Bottle Down," "Your True Love," and trio versions of "This Cat's On a Hot Tin Roof," and "Drive Like Lightning" that he has performed live. There are quite a few tunes on "Original Cool" I'd like to see him re-record. And I really like listening to this latest version of "Be Bop a-Lula." The sound quality of this recording makes it especially satisfying as the bass is prominent in the mix, the drums simmer, and Brian strikes the perfect balance of being able to showcase his guitar skill while staying true to the melody of this iconic song.

I realize that the "rock" side of his vocals, especially shouting over a Big Band all those years, combined with the hearing loss and Father Time have all taken a toll on the vocal range. He sounded great on "It's Gonna Rock," but I've noticed on the last few live projects he has handed over more of the vocal chores to the vixens. On "Songs From Lonely Avenue," he stuck to vocal arrangements that played to his strengths. There's definitely some aging in the tone of his voice, but I like it, especially on melancholy crooners like "Lonely Avenue," the cautionary "Trouble Train," the badass sneer of "King of the Whole Damn World," and the defiant "Dimes In the Jar." Brian still has a fine instrument in that voice, and he knows how to use it. It's just that two of the last three albums he hasn't really used it, and I think a lot of fans miss that.

To Jon's point about feeling obligated to tour behind an album - I don't think the upcoming tour has anything to do with "Instru-mental." People said he didn't even mention it at the BSO shows earlier this month. In 2005, on the Christmas tour, he barely mentioned "Rockabilly Riot," as it was all about "Dig That Crazy Christmas." Brian wasn't forcing out an album to tour behind. He wasn't trying to make some sort of deadline. Just like "Songs From Lonely Avenue," he had a project that he was excited about, and it happened when it happened. Of course, as a professional recording artist, it is his job to record albums and perform live. So maybe he just has a work ethic. No siesta for Setzah!

Fans of instrumental albums, like those of Chet Atkins, can tell you that instrumentals are, in fact, a collection of riffs and licks. Just like a song is a collection of words and phrases. It's their language! I don't hear this complaint about Brian's extended guitar solos at his live shows. These tracks are simply more developed extra-extended guitar solos. I think maybe Jon's waiting for the solo to finish so he can sing along with the lyrics that never come.

I don't think that there is anything about Brian's playing on this album that is "poor," but I do think the number of tunes that are rooted in the country-jazz idiom prevent the album from being as versatile as it could be. Maybe that's why he stopped at 11 tracks. It's easy to impress fans with 2 or 3 instrumentals on an album. Perhaps at 11, the well ran dry. I have to say that even though the album is shorter, I like the pacing and the flow of the songs. "Intermission," for example, is perfectly placed, and I love how the album begins and ends with some Sun-influenced rockabilly.

Brian's had a few albums now where he tries to connect all the tracks with some sort of thematic concept. Of course, there's the Christmas albums, and the classical swing of "Wolfgang." "Rockabilly Riot" and "Songs From Lonely Avenue," also had unifying elements. And now, "Instru-Mental" is the latest concept album. I worry that he might be painting himself into a corner. Maybe Brian needs that kind of focus for the inspiration and drive to complete an album. Or maybe he just needs to write a collection of great tunes with nothing in common and see what comes out.

Just remember your own words, Brian. "It's Gonna Rock, 'Cause That's What I Do!"

Ramblin' Rickabilly

I think at this stage in Brian's career these new projects help inspire him. I remember an interview for SFLA, stating that he felt prior to the album that the well had run dry before, bam, we get a whole new album. If these new projects and ideas keep Brian creative then I'm all for it, it's always great to have new releases and I certainly intend to make the most of them! I'm sure that instru-MENTAL was in no small part inspired by the critical acclaim his instrumentals have always attracted, it's just a shame they've now knocked his favourite grammy spot off of the list!

I've written up a review of Instru-Mental and it's available here: http://rockitnroll.wordpress.com/. As ever, please comment away, I really appreciate the feedback!

Nice review (and great site !) richjohnson26
I am with you on few tracks.
It's really a shame there won't be intru-mental grammys next year...

So I'm continuing my internal debate with the voices inside my head ...

In this age of cherry-picking individual tracks to purchase on iTunes and other digital media sites, it seems the art form known as the album or LP is fading away. I appreciate the time Brian and other artists take in sequencing their albums to create the way they want their music to be experienced. I spent some time yesterday trying to impart to my daughter that she needs to re-acquaint herself with the Beatles by experiencing all of "Revolver," "Abbey Road" or "Sgt Pepper," not just the hit singles. Her band is covering Led Zeppelin's "Living Loving Maid," and she has no knowledge that the tune is linked, at least on the album "Zeppelin II," to "Heartbreaker" (though Zeppelin almost always performed "Heartbreaker" on it own in concert.) Friggin' iTunes!

In my previous post I suggested that Brian might break away from the concept album on his next project to possibly open up some creative channels and bring some more variety within an album. I'm re-thinking that notion a bit. I think these albums are examples of what's driving Brian's creative force at the time. These albums, with their distinct thematic links, stand on their own. You can't hear one tune without anticipating the track that's coming next. And there's still a nice variety of styles within the framework on these albums. Even on "Wolfgang's Big Night Out," the Comstock charts (which are works of art, but definitely a departure from typical BSO charts) are mixed in with the Setzer, Setzer-Jones, and Murillo arrangements to send the listener on a journey unlike any other Setzer album. The same could be said of "Riot," "Songs From Lonely Avenue," "Setzer Goes Instrumental" and even "13," whose concept, according to Brian, was "to piss people off."

Each album takes me back to where I was and what I was doing when I first heard it. Or a time when the album had special meaning years after its release. Like when Brian broke out several "Ignition" tunes during a 2006 Nashvillains show, and, facing a 7-hour drive home immediately following the performance, I used the "Ignition" album as an audio amphetamine to keep me awake. Even when I hear a tune out of context on a playlist or in concert, I immediately think of the album it came from. And considering the variety of tunes within each album, each album still has its own unique mood and character. A "Rockabilly Riot" tune would sound out of place on "13," a song from the first BSO album doesn't belong on "Vavoom," and while I might argue that "Far East Noir" would fit right in on "Songs From Lonely Avenue," I don't think any of the other instrumentals in the Setzer catalog would have a place on "Setzer Goes Instru-Mental."

I've spent enough time listening to "Instru-Mental" for it to really grow on me. I don't think I was this enthuiastic about the album when I first heard it. But taking the time to write a review forced me to give it a really careful listen. With all the overdubs and the fantastic sound, there is quite a lot to take in. I still believe I hear something new with each replay. And I think it has opened my ears to the degree that I want to start going back through the Setzer catalog to re-acquaint myself with some old friends. It's going to be a great summer, listening to old albums with new ears!

Thanks, Brian. Whatever it takes to inspire you to continue to write and record, I hope you keep doing it. In the meantime, I've got a lot of listening to do!

Aural Fixation-billy

Rickabilly wrote:

"13," whose concept, according to Brian, was "to piss people off."

Can you cite a source on that? I'd like to read more. I was out of the Setzer loop at the time of 13 so didn't/haven't seen or read much of anything surrounding it.

Brian paraphrased this quote several times when "13" came out. The article/press release quoted on this "Eventful" link below was directly lifted from Shorefire Music at the time. It was their working "Bio." Since "13" is no longer the current album, I don't think it's on the Shorefire site anymore.

Brian Setzer "13"

He never actually cited it as "the concept," but when he tried to describe all the things on this album that were so unlike a typical Setzer release, he said "Basically, I'm just trying to piss people off."

Funny, in making my own counter-argument that there's nothing wrong with an album having a focus or a concept, I uncovered these words about "13":


“The thing is,” Setzer says, “I’ve always thought that you have to have one focus on each album; that just made sense to me. But with this one, I’d written a bunch of songs, and when I played them for people, they’d say, ‘Why don’t you put them all on one record?’ My argument was, ‘Well, records should have one focus or sound.’ Their answer was … ‘Why?’”

For once, the normally loquacious superstar could think of nothing to say.

“Instead, I started thinking about the Beatles,” he remembers. “Their records were pretty much all over the place. And all of my songs are based on guitar riffs, so that ties them together. They’re all rock & roll in one way or another. So, I thought, what the hell, let’s do it.”

So "13" really isn't a concept album. It's an "anti-concept" album.

Anti-billy

I think 13 is a nice album, with a concept. The songs are on the same wave, style, except for a couple of them which I wouldn't have included at all (Hennepin Bridge for instance).

I could say there is an anti-concept on Nitro Burnin... I don't see any relation between the songs, the style... it's a bit strange!!

I definitely agree "Nitro Burnin' Funny Daddy is the Setzer "album with the least musical continuity (and the lowest seratonin levels). And yet, lyrically, I still find it to be among Setzer's most deeply personal albums. Here's what I wrote about it over 3 years ago:

Where Ignition was full of "Hot Rod Songs and Makeout Tunes," Nitro definitely had undertones of disillusionment, darkness, and desperation. In-between Ignition and Nitro, there was the horrific tragedy of September 11, 2001, the death of Joe Strummer, the ending of a personal relationship, and perhaps a little disappointment that Brian's brilliant Ignition album, the first non-BSO project in years, didn't achieve near the success it so richly deserved. I respect Brian's work on NBFD and as a fan, feel more connected to him for allowing some of that pain and introspection to come out through his music.

I still don't think "13" is a concept album. Most of it has a rock edge to it, with a few glaring exceptions, much in the way "Setzer Goes Instru-Mental" has a prevailing country-jazz vibe. You could actually swap out "Mini Bar Blues," and "When Hepcat Gets Blues," with "Go-Go Godzilla" and "Hot Love" to create two cohesive releases. "The Hennepin Avenue Bridge Song" is so out there, I doubt I could find a home for it on any other album. However, "Setzer Goes Instru-Mental" has been pumping through my veins so much lately, I can't picture it any other way at the moment.

Still, I really like "13." I even enjoy listening to "Really Rockabilly," primarily for the guitar quotes during the solo. I still wish the CD came with mixing capabilities, so I could drop the vocals out of "Bad, Bad Girl." That tune would be unbelievable as an instrumental.

Continuity-billy

As a guitar player I'm really looking forward to getting my copy of Intru-Mental.
It's always inspiring to me to listen to Setzer play, no matter what it is!

As Ricky Nelson said "you can't please everyone so you might as well please yourself"

JC wrote:

As a guitar player I'm really looking forward to getting my copy of Intru-Mental.
It's always inspiring to me to listen to Setzer play, no matter what it is!

As Ricky Nelson said "you can't please everyone so you might as well please yourself"

You won`t be disapointed.
I think it`s very important to listen to the CD first and not to any free and crappy Mp3 files out of the Internet.
I get a copy of the first online files but i was waiting for the CD before listining
Now i checked the internet songs and there are not good. Very low level and much of the good CD sound is not in.

My opinion, even NBFD is one of my favorite Setzer Album ever. Ignition is a killer album for sure, but NBFD is more emotional to me. And the sound of the guitar is unique.

Agree with the official release being of better quality than the leaked mp3s. I had been listening to the leaked mp3s for awhile, and my previous review was based on those. Then I got the official release, and it definitely makes a difference in listening pleasure.

For the record, I don't think it's a bad album, and there are a few GEMS on there that are some of my favorite Setzer stuff ever. But, similar to my previous review, being a huge Setzer fan & guitar player, I was expecting it to be the "end-all" of guitar instrumental albums for me. But it's still not. No harm no foul- it's not Brian's job to please me. I DO like the record- listen to it alot- BMOK is one of my fave cuts and I have actually been using it as a tone guide & been trying to figure it out (TAB it out).

Instru-Mental could never replace Ignition or Dirty Boogie, but it's different, and a fine addition to the Setzer library.

ruger9 wrote:

Instru-Mental could never replace Ignition or Dirty Boogie, but it's different, and a fine addition to the Setzer library.

sure, that`s not possible.
But he never tried to do a cheap remake what i really appreciate.



Btw.. if you have any tabs of BMOk don´t hesitate to inform us...

I like this album except for two or three songs.
I don't think that Be Bop A lula or Blue Moon Of Kentucky are that great. Sounds a bit like the cd's that come with the guitar methods if you see what I mean. No soul in it.
But the worst is Godzilla. Man! Is it a parody or what? Listening to it I had the same feeling that I had many many years ago when I first listened to "Nervous Breakdown" on Live Nude Guitar: "He can't be serious!".
My fav' would be Intermission.

And why didn't he take a real graphist to design the cover and the booklet. And the man who did it dare calling himself "Picasso". Another joke I guess.

Upon a couple initial listens, Be Bop A Lula is one of my faves.

Dan Picasso, Illustrator - a local Minneapolis artist with an obvious love of retro/vintage styling, who has done work for a list of impressive clients. In my estimation he's a real artist and a good choice for this project.

Andi wrote:

Dan Picasso, Illustrator - a local Minneapolis artist with an obvious love of retro/vintage styling, who has done work for a list of impressive clients. In my estimation he's a real artist and a good choice for this project.

Whether it's his given name or professional name, ya gotta love it when a guy named "Picasso" creates a piece that looks like it was painted by Salvador Dali.

Hello, Dali! - billy

If I could only share the original artwork done for the album by Vince Ray.. man it was soooo cool. but I cant (and I WONT for those keeping score) . I dont like trouble ..but I still wish they'd gone with what Vince did instead.

tvthewiredturtle wrote:

If I could only share the original artwork done for the album by Vince Ray.. man it was soooo cool. but I cant .

Bragger.

Maybe they would consider using it for a t-shirt or other tour merchandise, the way they did with some of the Lonely Avenue submissions. I actually like the cover they used, but I am chompin' at the bit to see the Vince Ray stuff. Here's hoping it surfaces through official channels.

In-Vince-i-billy

Rickabilly wrote:

Maybe they would consider using it for a t-shirt or other tour merchandise, the way they did with some of the Lonely Avenue submissions. I actually like the cover they used, but I am chompin' at the bit to see the Vince Ray stuff. Here's hoping it surfaces through official channels.

In-Vince-i-billy

I'm gonna be clairvoyant and say we fans will probably have a great and passionate live recording from the forthcoming
tour complete with great artwork... no more relaxed chill-out. The Cat is about ready to start dancin on a hot tin roof
I'd say all the way till the christmas tour!