Published on Jun 14, 2000
In the wake of the brief rockabilly revival that hit pop music
in the ’80s, as well as the solo career that Brian Setzer has taken
to new heights, one tends to forget that it was three distinct
individuals who were the heart of the Stray Cats. Bassist Lee
Rocker was one of those people – and he’s quickly proving that he
could just as well have been the frontman for his former group.
These beliefs are confirmed on
Lee Rocker Live, a regrettably short disc that captures
Rocker with his new band performing not only traditional
rockabilly, but also some more cutting-edge material that fits the
group (and his own style) well. Rocker also proves that he’s got as
solid a set of pipes as Setzer’s.
One early note of regret, besides the disc’s clocking in at a
mere 35 minutes: the liner notes give no clue as to when or where
this show was recorded. A small point, to be sure, but I’m one of
those people who actually likes to know a little history about the
recordings.
Rocker’s band – guitarist/vocalist Adrian DeMain,
guitarist/slide guitarist/vocalist Brophy Dale and drummer Jimmy
Sage – have nearly the same kind of magic that Rocker’s old outfit
did, even if the guitar work isn’t always as sizzling as you’d
expect it to be. The solos on their take of Carl Perkins’s
“Restless,” for example, seem a little tentative, and leave
something to be desired. Then again, the misfires on this disc by
any of the musicians are few and far between.
Rocker dares to dip into his own musical past with “Miracle In
Memphis,” a track which shows his talents as a songwriter. (Part of
the credit should also go to former bandmate Slim Jim Phantom on
this one for his writing contribution.) Rocker’s other two
songwriting contributions, “Love Me Good” and “Little Buster,” are
just as inspiring, and are a lot of fun to listen to.
But where Rocker surprises on
Lee Rocker Live is when he dares to move away from straight
rockabilly to something a little more conventional. Neither “The
Red Neck Mama” nor “Little Piece Of Your Love” could be called pure
rockabilly, but Rocker attacks them with the same gusto and skills
as the other songs on this set. Special attention goes to his cover
of “Please Don’t Touch” – I never realized just how close to the
bone Motorhead kept their cover. (No joke.)
Lee Rocker Live proves not only that rockabilly is still
alive, but that it is still an exciting form of music that has its
admirers and screaming fans. Rocker shines in his role as band
leader, and it almost makes you wonder if fate would have been
different had he been the leader of the Stray Cats.