skip to main |
skip to sidebar
I heard about The Detroit Cobras on NPR when Fresh Air did a review of this record. I liked one of the tracks I heard and looked for it online. But no luck. The local record store owner and I were talking about it and she said if I bought it and didn't like it, she'd buy it back from me full price. So I bought it.
At first listen, this isn't your typical rock band in any way. They seem to come from the same circle of local bands that produced such acts as Electric Six and the White Stripes. They basically update old rock 'n' roll covers. Since I'm not familiar with most of the original material, the majority sounds new and fresh to me. The songs are quite engaging, catchy and have an alternative punk sensibility to them.
The only odd thing is the nature of the tunes. Some of these songs seem outdated like 'Baby Let Me Hold Your Hand'. You just don't imagine people walking around holding hands anymore. Even though I recently dated someone and holding hands was one of the most intimate expressions in that setting. It was incredible. 'Weak Spot' and 'Hot Dog (Watch Me Eat)' are two of my favorite tracks. 'Weak Spot' is extremely tender and sensitive. I think the tune is sweetly romantic and quite expressive. 'Hot Dog' is more funny and enjoyable for other reasons. It could be worth the purchase price alone.
'Everybody's Going Wild' reminds me of 60s go-go dancers. It has that rolling beat to it. 'Cha Cha Twist' is also pleasing. A very strong rhythm. As an added bonus, you can view the multimedia file of the 'Cha Cha Twist' video. The actual appearance of the band is somewhat shocking and different from the music. But they're still an exciting band. There's some rockabilly sounds here too. Would you call this group a greaser band? Probably if they dressed more sensibly. Live, they look more like a Vegas lounge act with leopard prints and hooker boots.
In the grand tradition of early rock 'n' roll, each song clocks in somewhere between 2 and 3 minutes. Even then, it's an enjoyable experience and well worth the listen. If you like some good rock every now and again, this album will come in handy. I've been thinking about tracking down the history of these tracks and finding out where they all came from. But that's an undertaking I don't have time for. Maybe in the future. Check out The Detroit Cobras. They rock! My final words: OLD SCHOOL ROCKS!
THE DETROIT COBRAS - BABY.
01. Slipping Around
02. I Wanna Holler (But The Town's Too Small)
03. Baby Let Me Hold Your Hand
04. Weak Spot
05. Everybody's Going Wild
06. Hot Dog (Watch Me Eat)
07. Mean Man
08. Now You're Gone
09. It's Raining
10. Just Can't Please You
11. The Real Thing
12. Baby Help Me
13. Cha Cha Twist
14. Ya Ya Ya (Looking For My Baby)
15. My Baby Loves The Secret Agent
16. Heartbeat
17. You Don't Knock
18. Silver & Gold (When I Get Like This)
19. 99 And A Half Just Won't Do
20. Insane Asylum
When I think of the Electric Six one word comes to mind... Inappropriate! These adult frat boys rock the scene with music that is politically challenging, cynical and altogether crass. 'Dance Commander' appeared in the Disney sport flick "Stick It" while 'Danger! High Voltage' appeared in one of the Charlie's Angels movies. That's where I discovered the band. I put two and two together and realized they were the same band. It didn't take me long to track down this disc and buy it. I actually had to special order it in. The local record stores didn't carry it. What a shock. But once I got the disc in the truck I fell in instant love.
Dick Valentine goes out of his way to write lyrics offensive to everyone. He steps on toes, crosses boundaries and shows little or no regard for social labeling or socially acceptable behavior. It's utterly brilliant! Also present is Jack White from the White Stripes. He sings the female lead on 'Danger! High Voltage'. Which makes this song important to Stripes fans.
Most of these songs demonstrate Valentine's rebel nature. Consider 'Gay Bar'... He wants to take his girlfriend to a gay bar because he's excited by the idea of fooling around there. He chooses a setting most people would find unacceptable and then champions behavior completely unacceptable in that setting. In other words, he's inappropriate in inappropriate places. Is nothing sacred?
I also love 'I'm The Bomb'. What an amusing little ditty. So many excellent tracks to point out and discuss. But I won't get all crazy with that here. I'm way too into what's happening overall with this band. Very exciting.
I'm drawn to them by the interesting blend of musical styles. There's disco, funky, rock, new wave, some Latin jazz, blues and metal... It seems to be the duty of this band to bastardize any and all genres of music to further their own egotistical view of rock 'n' roll. It's dynamic, exciting and incredibly fun to listen to. Not to mention the humorous and interesting videos... This band makes me wanna watch MTV, (well if they showed videos again). It's been a long time since an artist made me wanna see videos.
I'm hooked and looking forward to hearing more from the Six. Run, don't walk, to the local store and pick up 'Fire'. You'll be rocking out by sundown. My final word: TASTY.
ELECTRIC SIX - FIRE
01. Dance Commander
02. Electric Demons In Love
03. Naked Pictures (Of Your Mother)
04. Danger! High Voltage
05. She's White
06. I Invented The Night
07. Improper Dancing
08. Gay Bar
09. Nuclear War (On The Dance Floor)
10. Getting Into The Jam
11. Vengeance And Fashion
12. I'm The Bomb
13. Synthesizer
