This week just gone – on 20th November as it goes – was the 27th anniversary of the first gig I ever went to. I was trying to explain to someone the other day, the absolute excitement of seeing a band for the first time. I’ve done it thousands of times since – and everything I do on this website – is probably a result of what happened that night when I saw Skid Row on the Slave To The Grind tour.
I do, though, have a number of regrets that I was born in 1975 and not earlier, because the visceral thrill of seeing Thin Lizzy with Phil Lynott, or Iron Maiden in the early days would have been something to behold.
But then, isn’t that the way of the world? If I was born in 1965 instead of 1975, would I have wanted to be born in 45? Probably.
Can you imagine what it would have been like to watch Elvis for the very first time? Or Little Richard? Or Jerry Lee? Johnny Cash? Surely, what happened in Sun Studios and elsewhere is the absolute genesis of the rock n roll we love? Ok, so we then probably get into arguments about Blues and whatever, but bear with me.
The reason for this reflection was and is “Brand New Life”. The 12th album from Reverend Horton Heat – and their first in well over four years – actually finishes with an Elvis cover (“Leaving Las Vegas” is still the king of party songs too) but it’s the other ten that I find fascinating.
Any of the songs on “…Life” could have come out at any point in the history of rock n roll and not sounded out of place. Yes, it’s a new album (and one with a new-look band as well) but it doesn’t actually matter, given that it is about as lightly to pander to trends as it is to fly to the moon.
And that, absolutely, is its charm.
“Store Bought Clothes” is essentially a vehicle for new piano player, Matt Jordan, to introduce himself. It is such a brilliant song that you are instantly transported to a romantic notion that you may have of middle America in the 50’s. That, you suspect, is the point too.
Jim Heath leads the troops as only he can. “Hog Tyin’ Woman” has a bit more of a country bent, while Heath’s guitar sound on “Hate To See You Cry” would be enough to make Sam Phillips beam with pride.
More positive in outlook than most RHH records, “Got It In My Pocket” is as simple and glorious as you can perceive, while there is – as always with Jim Heath – some things you might not think of immediately. “Don’t Let Go Of Me” to that end has a Doors-like flavour and “Ride Before The Fall” is an instrumental that sounds like the old records that my mum had of The Shadows.
“Tchoupitoulas Street” is enough to have anyone starting a second line and hotfooting it to New Orleans straight away, Arjuna ‘RJ’ Contreras – the bands new drummer – excels here.
“Sunrise Through The Power Lines” is a stomping piece of work – fabulous songwriting too. “Wonky” is as deranged as a Jon Spencer Blues Explosion song, while “Perfect” is a homage to Roy Orbison, and the man himself, he’d approve of his music still inspiring like this.
As befits a band who has toured with everyone from Motorhead to the Sex Pistols to Carl Perkins and Screaming Jay Hawkins, as well as Kyuss and Soundgarden, Reverend Horton Heat don’t fit neatly in anywhere. They do, though, know how to distil rock n roll to its most perfect version. And whilst “Brand New Life” might be a new band and all, it still looks back to the past for its sound. Most important, it is incredible.
Rating 9/10
