Saturday, September 14, 2013

Rev It Up And Go

In 1980, American rockabilly band the Stray Cats, whose style was based upon the sounds of Sun Records artists and other artists from the 1950s, moved from New York City to the UK, word spread around, and soon members of the Rolling Stones, the Who and Led Zeppelin were at their shows.

The band's 1981 debut album "Stray Cats", produced by ex-Rockpile member and roots rock enthusiast Dave Edmunds, was very well-received in the UK, and soon after the band returned to the studio to record a follow-up album, "Gonna Ball". Ian Stewart liked what he heard, and joined the band on the Chuck Berry-inspired 'Rev It Up And Go'.

As Allmusic reviewer Bruce Eder puts it, 'Rev It Up And Go' was an impassioned Chuck Berry homage that also obliquely acknowledged the Beach Boys' service, in making Berry's (and his pianist Johnnie Johnson) riffs work in a uniquely white suburban context.


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