DALE HAWKINS: FOOL'S PARADISE
Dale Hawkins pioneered a tough, menacing,
blues-drenched style on his early Chess records like "Suzie Q" and "Tornado"
that has endeared him to fans of blues and rock ‘n’ roll the world over.
Fool’s Paradise spans his post-Chess years, bringing together a host of
obscure Hawkins tracks from 1959 to the present. It’s a good variation of
material that reminds us of the vibrant force Dale Hawkins still is in Louisiana
music today.
"Peaches" and "Gotta Dance" are two rare early ’60s killers originally issued on the Zonk label. The deep reverb on the guitar here almost brings a tear to your eye when you consider the fact that probably no studio in the world could duplicate a sound that insanely great in the year 2001. Tarheel Slim’s "Wildcat Tamer" has always been a highlight of Dale’s live sets and in this case four guitars, as well as electric and acoustic bass, each contribute just the right amount of minimalism to back up his slamming vocal. Like the aforementioned Slim’s "Number Nine Train," this wailing blues rocker is perfectly suited for Hawkins’ voice and approach.
His ability to creatively arrange his delivery of a song works as well on 1959’s "Caldonia," as on more recent cuts like "Sixty Minute Man," "One Mint Julep" (both accompanied solely by Larry Knechtel’s dramatically moody piano) and Shirley and Lee’s "Let The Good Times Roll."
The title track is a Blasters classic written, as all of them were, by Dave Alvin. Alvin, one of the best songwriters of the last 25 years as well as an impeccable guitarist, has always needed a strong, soul-inflected voice to deliver his lyrics and melodies. In the Blasters’ days it was his brother Phil, whose wrenching singing style revealed a lifetime Joe Turner/ Jimmie Rodgers/ Jimmy Reed immersion. Hawkins’ relaxed tone and emotional ring is equally tailor-made for Alvin’s obscurely foggy lyrics that paint a vividly poetic picture. Hawkins and Alvin should seriously consider making an entire album together. Until that day comes, Fool’s Paradise should do quite well.
–Michael Hurtt - Offbeat, March 2001 - http://www.offbeat.com/
Hot Damn! This Fine Finnish CD contains fourteen songs from three periods of Dale's career. The collectors will love the alternate take of "Caldonia" from 1959 Checker sessions plus "Peaches" and "Gotta Dance", originally released in 1962 on the Hawk's own Zonk label. A session at Hawkins' Little Rock studio in 1989 brings us three songs including a spirited rendition of the R&B classic "Let The Good Times Roll." One of Buddy Holly's greatest yet lesser-known songs, "Well-All Right", is done by Hawkins with accompaniment by Holly's original Crickets. From an '85 session come rollin' renditions of Two more R&B jewels, "One Mint Julep" and "60 Minute Man" featuring Larry Knechtel (who started with Duane Eddy) on piano. The title cut appeared on a Beach Music compilation in 1999, but almost everything else is new to the ear. Great work Beveric. This one's not to be missed!
Lee Cotten - Rock & Blues News - Feb - Mar '01 - http://www.rocknbluesnews.com/
In
1975 after Bill Millar's lovingly compiled Checker collection Susie Q, Best Of
Dale Hawkins Vol 1 for Phonogram Records there were no official European
releases by one of my all-time favourite artists until the late 1990's. This
excellent mixture of new and old completes many gaps in the Hawkins canon.
Superbly put together by Daleophile Tapio Vaisanen on his new Beveric label, it
combines intelligent selections with great artwork & notes, rare label
photos, cool stills from American Bandstand and session details. It puts many
long established labels to shame. Congratulations on a fine looking
package.
The acid test for this punter's cash is the sound and musical
content. Chronologically we get some fine early r&b, starting with a
cracking Caldonia from 1959, both sides of the rare Zonk records 45 from 1961,
great to have these on cd at last. These were recorded in Nashville as was the
gospel influenced Forbidden Love. The latter has the great Fred Carter Jnr on
guitar and Floyd Cramer on 88s.
We jump then to 1986 for cool late night
jazz/blues versions of One Mint Julep and Sixty Minute Man, featuring Dale's
vocal and Larry Knechel's languid piano, ideal late night listening here. From
Jack Clement's studio in 86/87 the Crickets (featuring Jerry, Joe B, Joe Osborne
and Ray Fleck) lend a hand on the classic Well.. All Right. Wonder who the
unknown piano player from the UK is? A sleuthing job for Mr Firminger and Ingham
methinks.
From the Hawk's Nest studio in Arkansas we get 5 cuts from
1989. Featuring amongst others Hargus Pig Robbins on piano, the fittingly named
Jim Horn on sax and Joe Osborne on bass. Perhaps these guys had spent to long on
the Nashville production line for they seem to be going through the motions on
these somewhat bland interpretations of r&b classics like Mona Lisa, Let The
Good Times Roll and Lover Please (I've always had a soft spot for this Billy
Swan tune). As well as More I Get, More I Want and Willie, which has nice guitar
but cringy lyrics mentioning Clapton etc. Looking for airplay I suppose but it
would've been nice to hear some of those great Chess blues men
instead!!!
Never fear for our hero's absolutely on the money for the last
2 cuts. Tarheel Slim's fab Fury 45 is given a great workout. Recorded in
Arkansas in 1997, the version here has guitar and slap bass overdubbed in
Helsinki Finland in September 2000. The final track reviewed here is the cd's
cracking opening cut. Recorded in Arkansas in 1998 it has completed the circle
nicely by "reuniting" Dale with one James Burton who's distinctive and legendary
guitar sound has been overdubbed onto Fool's Paradise. Not the Crickets classic
but the tune penned by the then Blaster Dave Alvin for the superb Non Fiction
LP for Slash records in 1983. A fine, fine interpretation it is too, this one
deserves a lot of plays. Perhaps there's a future album there with Dale playing
more of the Alvins/John Fogerty/Dave Edmunds etc style material??? I would love
to hear an album of say Jimmy Reed, Bo Diddley's lesser known sides produced by
now LA resident Dave Edmunds for instance. Billy Lee Riley has cut two great
blues cds so there must be some magic left in the Arkansas air!
This is
a welcome addition to my collection and if there's anything about Dale you need
to know well just check out Tapio's detailed sessionography at
http://pcuf.fi/~tapiov/discographies/dalehawkins.htm
Phil Davies -
Rockabilly Hall of Fame - November 2000-11-08 http://www.rockabillyhall.com/PhilShaun.html
CD
available from
http://www.goofinrecords.com
Fool's Paradise (with
James Burton) / Peaches / Gotta Dance / Wildcat Tamer / More I Get, More I Want
/ Let The Good Times Roll / Well .. All Right (with The Crickets) / One
Mint Julep / Sixty Minute Man / Caldonia / Forbidden Love / Mona Lisa / Lover
Please / Willie
"Well it's Christmas time pretty baby, and the snow is
fallin' on the ground..." Well, actually it's neither as I write this in
mid-November, but for NDT Hall of Famer Dale Hawkins' trillions of fans
Christmas has come early by way of this shiny little beauty from our Finnish
friends Hawk affionados will probably have added this to their collections
already so to those who haven't, here are 14 reasons to 'git it' as us old
rockabillies tend to say.
'Fool's Paradise is a fine Dave Alvin number from 1998 given a great rockin' treatment with riffing saxes and two 'I Can Help'-type guitar breaks from James Burton. According to the booklet the backing was overdubbed on the East Coast, far from Dale's Arkansas studio, but it doesn't show. 'Peaches' and 'Gotta Dance' are from the rare as hens teeth Zonk 45 from 1961 and will fill a gap in a lot of collections. 'Wildcat Tamer', from 1997, has already become a Hawkins classic. This is a remixed version with dubbed on slap bass and minus Dale's cries of encouragement at the beginning. Still sounds great though!
' More I Get, More I Want' is a true highlight. The recording date is given as 1989 but Dale's vocal could have been from 25 years earlier! A snappy backbeat and fine guitar break make this a gem. the backing musicians include Joe Osborn (bass), 'Pig' Robbins (piano) and Jim Horn (sax). 'Let The Good Times Roll' from the same session is given the treatment while Crickets Jerry Allison and Joe B. Mauldin join Dale for a sympathetic 1986 / '87 version of Buddy's 'Well...All Right'.
'One Mint Julep' and 'Sixty Minute Man' feature just Dale's vocals and Larry Knechtel's paino. Dale must have shifted hundreds of copies of these r&b classics when working in Stan Lewis' record store as a kid, and his voice fits the songs like a comfortable pair of old sneakers. Lovely!
'Caldonia' is the 1959 Chess cut that eventually surfaced on the stupendous 'Rock n Roll Tornado' CD (Ace CDCHD 693) and 'Forbidden Love' is a great Carl Perkins-styled number that appeared on a Tilt 45 in 1961 - another treat for completists! It's back up to 1989 for the final three tracks. 'Mona Lisa' rolls along nicely in the Carl Mann manner (1) after an impressive intro from the guitar and piano, the sax break coming as a surprise on this one. Billy Swan / Clyde McPhatter's 'Lover Please' features another fine Hawkins vocal and strong piano and slide guitar backing. Dale's self-penned 'Willie' is a funky number about a 'gitar player' and mentions Roy Buchanan among the name checks.
Perhaps some day Dale Hawkins' great contribution to our lives willget the full box-set treatment that it so richly deserves. But until then releases such as this will continue to fill the gaps - and be welcomed with open arms and wallets by fans of this Louisiana legend!
Eric Dunsdon - Now Dig This Issue No. 213 December 2000
Just in time for Christmas comes a superior set of 14 rarities from one of rock's founding fathers, Dale Hawkins. Sporting smart sound and an imformative booklet with rare "America Bandstand" pictures, this Finnish release mixes previously uncollected tracks from the Zonk label with unreleased tracks featuring such notables as James Burton and the Crickets.
Ringing with youthful verve, Hawkins brings a lot of bluesy panache to 60s teen rockers "Peaches", "Gotta Dance", and a a reworking of Louis Jordan's "Cladonia". Performances of this caliber make one seriously wonder why the Hawk wasn't a monster star during the Twist era.
A late '80s session with the surviving Crickets yielded an interesting garage band-like version of Buddy Holly's "Well...All Right". The other famous guest star, James Burton (who created that great recurring lick on Hawkins' "Oh Suzy-Q"), offers tart blues runs and fills on the saucy 1998 production "Fool's Paradise", whcih features some heavy pop chorus work. The title track from Hawkins' last album Wildcat Tamer is impressively oversubbed with stand-up bass and sneering bottleneck guitar.
The disc's finest moments are acheived by the inclusion of such classics as "Sixty Minute Man", "Let The Good Times Roll" and "Lover Please". During these game remakes, whether he's just singing to a solitary piano or full band, Hawkins demonstrates his undying love for r&b.
Neophytes will want to check out Hawkins' Chess material [Rock 'n' Roll Tornado - highly recommended] before buying this one. However, longtime got-to-get-everything-by-Dale-Hawkins fans are stringly advised to track this one down. You won't be sorry.
Beveric Records, P.O. Box 69, 01621 VANTAA, Finland.E-mail: recordsbeveric.com
Ken Burke - Original Cool #44 Dec/Jan 01 -
A closer look at the extensive liner notes and recording information reveals a surprise: This 14 track CD features 4 rare tracks from the late '50s and early '60s along with more recent cuts from the '80s and '90s. Opening the set is the 1998 "Fool's Paradise", written by Dave Alvin. It's a great meduim paced sax rocker with a New Orleans groove and features James Burton on guitar. Tracks #2 and 5 go back to 1961, recorded for the obscure Zonk label, '"Peaches" is a cool sax-led stroll with bluesy guitar work and "Gotta Dance" is a strong rocker. I always loved "Wildcat Tamer" and this version is exceptionally good, a first rate blues bopper bursting with raw energy. The overdubbing on that track was done by Mika (Barnshakers - upright bass) and Pekka (Hypnomen - guitar) and it worked out just right. There's several '80s covers of old R&B hits lit "Let The Good Times Roll" and "Lover Please" as well as Buddy Holly's "Well All Right", the latter recorded with the Crickets - they recreate the late Holly's sound perfectly. This CD features some gems but there are a few fillers, too. Make sure you also check out Dale Hawkins' '50s recordings, such as "Suzie Q".
Gaby Maag-Bristol - Blue Suede News #53- Winter 2000/2001 - http://www.bluesuedenews.com/
Louisiana-born Hawkins is best known for his own classic "Suzy Q", from 1958. This 14-track collection while not including this big hit, provides a varied selection from 1959 to 1998, with its basic production values outweighted by the rare and interesting cuts. These tracks vary from 1961's "Forbidden Love", which reflects the poppier direction that Elvis was pursuing at the time, to a 1989 session of rockers including a revival of "Let The Good Times Roll" and a version of Clyde McPhatter's "Lover Please".
A late-80s track, "Well... All Right", recorded with the original Crickets fails to sparkle, but "One MInt Julep" and "Sixty Minute Man", cut by Dale with just Larry Knechtel on piano, sound convincing.
Kingsley Abbott - Record Collector January 2001 No. 257 - http://www.recordcollectormag.com/
I just wanted to take a
second and give a tip of the hat to Tapio and Beveric Records. The label's
first CD release, "Fool's Paradise" is a grand inauguration for sure. Dale
sounds great and the title track (cover of the Blasters tune) has a real
swinging swagger to it, with horns, and James Burton signature guitar solo.
Other standouts include "Wildcat Tamer," full of rollicking fun & fueled by
a pair of cats from the Finnish bands, the Barnshakers and Hypomen. I also like
the smooth shuffle heard in the "More I Get, More I Want" as well as the
re-working of Buddy's "Well, All Right" with backing from the Crickets
themselves. 14 tracks in all. It's well worth snagging a copy of this
disc.
Cheers,
Mike Lynam of Run Wild Records on
Rockinrecords maling list
Dale Hawkins is a true hero
of Rock & Roll, and his LP from 1958 "Oh! Suzy (sic) Q" was a real classic
album, fetching astronomic prices. Those and other Checker tracks have been
served well on CD (MCA, Ace), and the above CD focuses on later recordings, with
the addition of 4 early tracks. "Caldonia", from 1959, differs from the version
on Ace's "R&R Tornado" CD, and "Forbidden love" comes from a rare 1961
single on Tilt. It's an interesting uptempo gospel style, accompanied by Fred
Cater jr & Floyd Cramer. "Peaches" and "Gotta dance" were even rarer (Zonk,
1961), the latter based upon Chris Kenner's "I like it like that". Soundquality
of these vintage recordings is excellent! After a time gap of more than 20 years
we find Dale recording with people like Larry Knechtel and Jim Horn to work on a
comeback. Interesting to know these former Duane Eddy side-men were backing Dale
in the late '80's, but the results are only fair. In my opinion it's the choice
of the songs. We've heard "Mona Lisa" or "Let the good times roll" so often,
there's no need for other middle of the road versions. Only Dale's own
composition "Willie" contains some of his well known guitar licks. But 10 years
later Dale did prove that he really could rock. "Wildcat tamer" is a frantic
version of the old Tarheel Slim recording on Fury. For some reason Dale's US
recording was overdubbed in Helsinki, although the version on his Mystic Music
CD is equally good. And surprise, the most recent recording is the title track
"Fool's paradise", on which James Burton
is in fine form. It's not the Narvel
Felts song, but it's a highlight on this CD.
The CD has an 8 page
booklet, containing interesting info and a number of rare full colour label
photographs. The front-cover looks authentic with a rare pic of a young Dale
Hawkins. If you've got nothing by Dale, buy Ace's "R&R Tornado" CD. If you
want more, then the Beveric CD is a good addition, like US Norton's "Daredevil"
CD.
Henk Gorter on Shakin_All_Over mailing list
Dale Hawkinsilta on julkaistu viime vuosina useampiakin CD-levyjä ja miehen uudempaakin materiaalia on alkanut tihkua päivänvaloon. Tämä on näistä CD:stä siinä mielessä ehkä mielenkiintoisin - tai pitäisikö sanoa ehkä sittenkin sanoa 'vain' kovin juttu - että tämä on julkaistu Suomen Dale Hawkins-asiantuntija Tapio Väisäsen toimesta. Väisäsellähän tuntuu olevan Dalen jutut ajoittain jopa paremmin hallussa kuin miehellä itsellään. Väisänen on myös koonnut suhteettoman kovan Hawkins-sessionografian nettiin (http://pcuf.fi/~tapiov/discographies/dalehawkins.htm) ja ainakin Dale itse on tiettävästi melko otettu Väisäsen tiedoista.
Vaikka Väisänen on saanut haalittua mukaan muutamia 50-luvun äänityksiä joita ei ole sitten noiden päivien nähty, on valtaosa levyn materiaalista uudempaa Hawkins-tuotantoa joka on käsittääkseni ennen julkaisematonta huttua lukuunottamatta Goofinin samannimisellä EP:llä pari vuotta sitten julkaistua Wildcat Tamer-biisiä. Tosin sekään ei ole ihan samanlaisena mukaan päässyt vaantaustaa on dubattu uudestaan, kitarasta löytyy Hypnomenista tuttu Pekka Laine ja bassoa soittaa Barnshakersin Liikarin Mika! Ilmavuutta tulee pykälä tai pari lisää verrattuna tuohon ekaan julkaistuun versioon.
Koska noita fifties- raitoja on mukana vain neljä (joista kolme on vuodelta -61, heh heh...) oli ainakin oma suhtautumiseni hieman varauksellista. Kovimmat killerit löytyvätkin luonnollisesti näiden neljän biisin joukosta. Se mikä näistä saa tajun kankaalle lähes joka kerta on Zonk-merkin aikoinaan julkaisema Gotta Dance. Miten helvetissä tällaista biisiä ei ole esiintynyt millään kokoelmalla tai vastaavalla lähes 40-vuoteen? No okei, biisi on stroll-tempoinen R&B-työstö mutta jokin biisin valtavasta latauksesta saa ainakin allekirjoittaneen sukat haisem... pyörimään jaloissa. Saundit on parasta Hawkinsia ikinä. Ralli oli aikoinaan Peaches-biisin b-puolena joten on kai luonnollista että myös sen saundit tekimät lähtemättömän vaikutuksen. Jälleen strollia ja kaikua on käytetty reilusti. Peaches on semi-instrumentaali ja Dale äityy mölisemään soolonpätkien väliin vain irtolauseita. Vähän Booker T and the M.G.'sin Green Onionisiamuistuttava (miinus urku, plus Dalen laulut) ralli on yksinkertaisuudessaan loistava biisi jo saundienkin takia. Koska kolmas fifties-ralli Caldonia on käsittääkseni sama versio kuin ACEn viime vuonna julkaisemalla Rock 'n' Roll Tornado CD:llä ei siitä sen enempää kuin että toimiihan se. Kyseessähän ei ole ihan se klassikko-Caldonia mutta samaa latua hiihdetään. Vika vanha veto on Forbidden Love joka ei nimestään huolimatta ole hidas biisi. Vaikka ralli on muuten loistavaa Hawkins-työskentelyä vuodelta -61, mukana oleva tyttökuoro ja viulut vievät fiiliksestä pari pinnaa täydestä kympistä. Räkäisellä kitaralla tästä olisi tullut klassikko kun se nyt on 'vain' hyvä biisi (siis Hawkins-asteikolla joka alkaa ns. normaalien artistien seiskasta ylöspäin...) Näin rasvaletin näkökulmasta pari 50-luvun raitaa lisää ei olisi ollut lainkaan pahitteeksi.
Uudemmasta tuotannosta ehdottomasti mielenkiintoisin on ehkä Blastersilta lainattu Fool's Paradise vuodelta -98. Mukana on James Burton soittamassa kitaraa ja monella tapaa ympyrä sulkeutuu kun äijät viskaavat tylyn version Alvinin semi-klassikosta. Muita nimekkäitä vieraita levyllä on Buddy Holly-vainaan vanhat kuomat eli Crickets-jäbät Joe B. Mauldin ja Jerry Allison. Biisi on luonnollisesti Lubbockin rillipirun tuotantoa, Well, All Right ja toimii ihan kohtalaisen hyvin vaikka Crickets ei saakaan samanlaista lentoa aikaan kuin aikoinaan Norman Pettyn studiolla.
Muista ässistä voisi vielä mainita More I Get, More I Want ja Let the Good Times Roll -rallit jotka on molemmat 80-luvun lopusta ja keskitempoisuudesta huolimattaan aika tiukkaa tavaraa. Samasta sessiosta tulee kyllä sittenlevyn friikki-osastollekin tavaraa kuten levyn päättävä Willie...
Kautta linjan Dale näyttää kaapin paikan, olipa sitten kyseessä nuo vanhat 50-rallit tai uudempi materiaali jonka sekaan on eksynyt pari sellaistakin raitaa jotka ei oikein allekirjoittaneelle pulisematta uppoa mutta kaiken kaikkiaan ei ihan yhtä tiukkaa tavaraa kuin tuo jo mainittukin Rock 'n' Roll Tornado-CD mutta ihmekös tuo, sillehän oli kasattu läjäpäin klassikoita parin julkaisemattoman biisin seuraksi. Fool's Paradise on kuitenkin ehdottomasti ostamisen arvoinen levy jos on Hawkinsiin vähänkään tutustunut ja onhan tämä jo Suomi-aspektinsa kautta aika kova juttu. Pekka Laineen mielenkiintoisista teksteistä myös pisteitä. Ai niin, muistinko sanoa että Gotta Dance on helvetillisen hyvä biisi? No, se on...
Miku Majuri a.k.a. Ellis Leslie- Ducktails magazine 1/01
Uusi helsinkiläinen roots-merkki Beveric on tehnyt ensimmäisellä julkaisullaan eräänlaisen kulttuurityön. 50-luvun keskeisiin rockabilly-artisteihin lukeutuvalta Dale Hawkinsilta ei ole ollut saatavissa pitkään aikaan kokoelmaa joka niputtaisi näinkin monta alakulttuurillisesti merkittävää kuriositeettia. Hawkinsin tuotantoon ensikertaa tutustuvien kannattanee hankkiutua suosiolla yleispätevämpien Dale-levyjen pariin, mutta faneille ja syvällisemmin vanhaa rock'n'rollia harrastaville Fool's Paradise on varsinainen lauantaipussi
Kiekko alkaa heti melkoisella helmellä; yhdessä legendaarisen Johnny Burnette Rock'n'Roll Trion kitaristin James Burtonin kanssa duetoitu yhteisesitys Blasters-kitaristi Dave Alvinin kynäilemästä levyn nimibiisistä olisi alan piireissä pelkkänä kuriositeettina puolen vuoden pöytäkeskustelujen arvoinen aihe, mutta kun esitys vielä kulkee hengästyttävän hienosti alkaa ei-rockabilly puritaanillakin nousta innostuksen puna poskille.
50-luvun semi-klassikkonsa, kuten Suzie Q:n ja Little Pigin Hawkins teki samaiselle Chess-yhtiölle, jolle myös muun muassa Howlin' Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson sekä Little Walter ahkeroivat. Mustien blues-pioneerien vaikutus on kuulunut valkoisen pojan kitaran soitossa siitä asti.
60-luvulle tultaessa Hawkins alkoi levyttää enenevässä määrin idoliensa musiikkia, eikä aina järin imartelevin lopputuloksin. Esimerkiksi näkemys Shirley & Leen Let The Good Times Rollista on pelkästään laiskanpulskea, kun taas The Cricketsien kanssa vedetty versio edesmenneen isäntänsä Buddy Hollyn upeasta Well...All Rightista kulkee maukkaasti. Kattauksen helmi on kuitenkin ensimmäisen kerran sitten 60-luvun alun julkaistu single Peaches/Gotta Dance.
Hypnomen-maestro Pekka Laine on raapustanut faninäkökulmasta viihdyttävät kansitekstit, jotka tosin kertovat enemmänPekan faniudesta kuin itse artistista. Mikä on ihan oikein, Dale Hawkinsin musiikki kun on lajityypiltään sen luokan rock'n'rollia, ettei sillä pidäkään olla mitään tekemistä tylsän ja akateemisen rocktrivian kanssa.
Mikko Aaltonen - Rumba 23/00 - http://www.rumba.fi
Hawkinsin uutuuskooste on julkaistu upouudella suomalaisella Beveric -levymerkillä, joka on Goofinin jakelussa, joten alan liikkeistä kannattaa kysellä; levyn virallinen ilmestymispäivä on 3.11.2000,
Tutuimmista siivuista jos lähdetään, niin Shirleyn ja Leen r&b -hitti (6) on kokenut aikojen saatossa melkoisen määrän luentoja, mutta kummasti tähän on saatu kiskaistua fiilistä mukaan. Vanha Louis Jordan - sotaratsu (19) kuuluu samaan sarjaan, mutta sujuvasti tätäkin kuuntelee. Tuttu on myös (12), nyt tehdään perinteikös, mutta erittäin tehokas versio tästä Carl Mann -bravuurista. Raita (5) on levyn modernimpaa antia ja otteiltaan melkoisen raskassoutuinen pomppu-ura, samoin levyn päätös on kovasti moderni ja vähän yllättäen myös funky; nämä kaksi ovat kyllä kiekon tarpeettomimmat raidat.
Nimipiisi taitaa olla Blastersia, oli kenen oli, mutta torvivetoinen hyväntuulinen rocker toimii vallan vinhasti. Rytysoul-henkeä on tarttunut enemmän kuin hippusellinen raisoille (2) ja (3), kumpainenkin ovat tenhoavia ja nopeastilaskevia tanssikansan kosiskelijoita, Dale muuten on itse kirjoittanut molemmat. Minulle entuudestaan outo (11) tarjoilee vakaata uptempo shufflea, jolla on tarttuva meno ja meiniki. Raita (4) tuli vastaan jo Goofin' -ep:llä, tässä tämä vauhtiura saa uuden oivan version osakseen (originaalin teki Tarheel Slim, Fire 1016, v. -59, ja vaikka Hawkinskin kunnialla selviää niin jää ainakin Goofin-ep:llä mennentullen toiseksi; ks. BN 95 - JR), Vakaasti rytmikäs (13) saa modernina tuotoksena napsittua itselleen korkeat pisteet rullatessaan vakaan midtempoisena.Vähäeleinen ja samalla jotenkin fok-henkinen balladi (7) ei aivan kärkipaikkoja pääse hätyyttelemään, mutta vain pianon säestyksellä toteutetut kaksi muuta balladia (8, Clovers ja 9, Dominoes) ovat huippukamaa kumpikin, jeten hitureiden puolella meni ykköspalli tällä kertaa jakoon.
Tasavankka on passeli määre tälle uudelle koosteelle, joka kuuluu ilmanmuuta kaikkien Dale Hawkinsin ystävien hyllyyn
Mikke Nöjd - Blues News N:o 185, 5/2000 - http://www.dls.fi/~bnews/
Hawkins-fanit huomio! Reilu tusina harvinaisia namupaloja tältä eteläisen rock and rollin kulttihahmolta saa rockerilta veden herahtamaan kielelle. Maine ja tuotannollinen laatu on Dalella tasapainossa ja tätä pyöritellessä viihtyy mainiosti
Mikke Nöjd - Ilkka 10. joulukuuta 2000