Review: Brian Setzer’s album ‘Gotta Have the Rumble’

TAMPA BREAKWAY FESTIVAL – April 26th-27th

TAMPA BREAKWAY FESTIVAL – April 26th-27th
Brian Setzer

By Chyrisse Tabone, Rock At Night Tampa

Album Review: Brian Setzer’s Gotta Have the Rumble-Release date-August 27, 2021 via Surfdog Records

Brian Setzer

Rock At Night says: OK, I have a penchant for rockabilly. I said it. So, when I heard three-time Grammy award-winner Brian Setzer was releasing his first solo album in seven years, listening to it was a no-brainer. Rock At Night has covered his holiday tours every December and a special moment was meeting him at the Troubadour in 2017 as winner of a Sirius XM contest.

So, I already sound biased–but still try to keep a discerning opinion.  Well, Gotta Have the Rumble totally blew me away and exceeded my expectations!  A few of the songs are straight-up rockabilly like “Rockabilly Riot”, “Stack My Money”, and “One Bad Habit.” “Turn You On, Turn Me On” sounds like it could come from the soundtrack of Grease. But, what really impressed me and will keep me coming back for more listens are the songs with a different tilt. “Checkered Flag” captures a dark, sleazy rockabilly sound. Very “bad boy”.  However, “The Wrong Side of the Tracks” and “Cat with 9 Wives” brings full-on 50s, big band swing. I’m lovin’ the bossa nova beat of “Drip Drop” and the Middle-Eastern cool riffs and almost Latin beat of “Smash Up on Highway One”.  “Rockabilly Banjo” is straight-on country-billy.

Honestly, Gotta Have the Rumble feels creative, fresh, and authentically rockabilly. Relaxing during COVID 2020 obviously brought new inspiration to Setzer!

 

Produced by Julian Raymond (Glen Campbell and Cheap Trick), GOTTA HAVE THE RUMBLE contains songs, all written or co-written by Setzer, and was recorded in Minneapolis (Setzer’s adopted hometown) and Nashville. 

SONG LIST AND CREDITS

  1.               Checkered Flag
    Written by Brian Setzer and James McDonnell
    2.            Smash Up On Highway One
    Written by Brian Setzer and Mike Himelstein
    3.            Stack My Money
    Written by Brian Setzer and Mike Himelstein
    4.            The Wrong Side Of The Tracks
    Written by Brian Setzer and Mike Himelstein
    5.            Drip Drop
    Written by Brian Setzer
    6.            The Cat With 9 Wives
    Written by Brian Setzer and Mike Himelstein
    7.            Turn You On, Turn Me On
    Written by Brian Setzer
    8.            Rockabilly Riot
    Written by Brian Setzer and Mike Himelstein
    9.            Off Your Rocker
    Written by Brian Setzer and Stephen “Dibbs” Preston
    10.          One Bad Habit
    Written by Brian Setzer and Mike Himelstein
    11.          Rockabilly Banjo
    Written by Brian Setzer and Stephen “Dibbs” Preston

 

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Chyrisse Tabone, Ph.D.
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