Published on Apr 23, 1998
At one point in the not-too-distant past, rockabilly was the
flavor of the month. Artists like Shakin’ Stevens and the Stray
Cats were pompadouring their way onto the radio with hits that
sounded like they were carved right out of the mid-’50s. Nowadays,
the Stray Cats have long left the alley, Carl Perkins has passed
on, and even such stalwarts as the Paladins one hardly ever hears
about anymore.
So, into the void comes Kim Lenz and her Jaguars. With their
bare-bones sound and subject matter sounding like something from
Happy Days, their self-titled debut album is pleasant enough
to listen to, but sometimes, one wishes for a little bit of the
modern splash of technology to wake up the sound.
(Just a side note: Isn’t it ironic that a band whose main goal
is to promote the sound of rock’s earliest days is hip to
technology by having their own Web page? I found that kind of
amusing.)
While Lenz might be the focus of the group because of her
vocals, the fact is that this is a band in the truest sense of the
word. Mike Lester gets ample opportunity to strut his stuff as lead
guitarist, while Jake Erwin (on acoustic bass) and Robert Hamilton
(drums) definitely capture the feel of the ’50s with their
pared-down sound.
Trouble is, I often wished that a little splash of digital
technology had been thrown into the mix to bring the instruments’
true sound out into the open. Let’s hear more of the thundering
plucking of the stand-up bass, let’s hear both Lenz’s and Lester’s
guitars really sing out. The disc was recorded live to a one-track
recording – and while this might have been staying true to the
technology available in the ’50s, it wouldn’t have been sacrilege
to – oh, I dunno – go to an eight-track recording.
Be this as it may, Lenz proves herself to be a good songwriter
and singer. Tha album’s opener “Saturday Jump” is a quick reminder
of how good rockabilly can be. Other tracks like “Ten Cats Down,”
“Up To My Old Tricks Again” and “Havin’ A Ball” also stand out on
the disc. Lenz and crew successfully merge tinges of country and
old R&B into the mix, creating an album that often is quite
pleasing to the ears musically.
But just like much of rockabilly,
Kim Lenz And Her Jaguars is an album that is best broken up
into several listens. I don’t know what it is, but listening to the
album all the way through (never mind the fact it clocks in at
under 40 minutes) is rather difficult. I don’t think this is the
fault of Lenz; maybe it all comes down to personal preference. If
you grew up with this kind of music, then I guess fourteen songs is
still not enough.
Kim Lenz And Her Jaguars is a pleasant enough disc that
stays true to the roots of rockabilly, and is a nice disc for the
kids to pick up to hear a modern-day version of rock’s birth
cries.