Looking for the "Rock" in Swamp Rock?
Maureen Sheridan | Rockaway, NJ USA | 05/06/2000
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Looking for the rock in swamp rock? Be prepared to look hard here. Lil' Band O' Gold, billing itself as a Swamp Rock supergroup, turns out to be slightly off base in this release. The CD is heavy with ballads and laments, with sad songs of lost love and mournful dirges taking up slightly more than half the songlist. If swamp blues are what you're looking for though, you'll be satisfied, especially with the wonderful vocal work, both lead and backup, of "First You Cry". C.C. Adcock (who co-produced this recording) provides his usual gritty guitar sound; the mournful pedal-steel work is that of Richard Comeaux. Of the 'up' tunes on this effort, "Shirley" was a surprise, with the innocent lyrics and raw sound of early 60's pop. A Cajun dance-hall standard written by the late, great Dewey Balfa, "Parlez Nous a Boire" ('let us talk of drinking, and not of marriage') gets a kicked-up treatment here, with driving bass line, hard-edged vocals and an intriguing sax opener. "7 Nights 2 Rock", a familiar rockabilly number, beckons you to the dance floor, but could have used another rockin' number as its follow-up, not the undistinguished 'slow dance' of "Dreamgirl". The swamp rock highlights here? "Allons Rock N Roll" and "Cajun Twist" -- both benefit from Steve Riley vocal and accordion work, and great backing by the St. Martin Horns (Dickie Landry, David Greeley, and Pat Breaux). If you're not up and dancing to the "Cajun Twist" cher, your feet must not work."