CD Review: Brian Setzer "13"

From the pompadour sporting, Gretsch wielding, front man for the Stray Cats in the early eighties to the flashy, swivel hipped Big Band leader of the BSO (Brian Setzer Orchestra), Brian Setzer has always seemed to be a guitar player happy to attach himself to any musical genres who's time may have already passed. Yet he manages somehow to make it fresh and interesting and achieving a great deal of success along the way.

Released in October, 2006 on Cargo Records, "13" (the thirteenth album in the Setzer catalogue and containing thirteen tracks as well) seems to be a return to a harder, edgier sound than we've heard from Setzer in quite a while. Don't get me wrong, there are still some blatant nods to his rockabilly roots ("Really Rockabilly"), and the entire disc does seem to have an underlying edge of pomade, rolled up Levi's and as if the entire sound was pushed through the intake of a 55' Chevy before hitting the mixer, there is more here than we've come to expect recently.

The disc delivers pure rock and roll drivers, with tracks like "Drugs and Alcohol (Bullet Holes)" which is a straight-ahead rocker (after a little Memphis twang of an opening). Lyrically, Setzer gives the story of a 16 year old's lament who's been through meth, drinking and violence but sets it against a backdrop of a high-octane retro rock sound.

"Take A Chance On Love" is another smoker where Setzer shows off his love for a driving rhythm and that he is not shy about hitting the butter-knife whammy on that fat Gretsch hanging around his neck along with stinging solos, scale runs and descending bass patterns that get the feet tapping. "Broken Down Piece of Junk" and "We Are The Marauders" are retro-pieces with a sneer and Elvis-like warble to the vocals along with heavy percussion and blistering guitar work. It's hard not to smile at the gangland vocals on "We Are The Marauders" that could have been the b-side to a retro-punk version of "West Side Story". Although an interesting song, it feels as if Setzer had set out to write an anthem as opposed to just a decent track. And yet it still works.

"Really Rockabilly" showcases not just Setzer's love for rockabilly and roots music as well as his ability to play it as well, and in many cases even better than the originators, it also shows his sense of humor. He goes off on poseurs with lyrics like "There's neo-rockabilly. There's psycho-rockabilly. There's Starbucks Orange County rockabilly, there's euro ja ja wir machen rockin' rockabilly, there's western swing influenced rockabilly, there's Australian shrimp on the Barbie carry your surfboard to Sears to buy your rolled up Levi's rockabilly. It's all so stupid and just plain silly". Interestingly as well, Setzer brings in Stray Cats percussionist Slim Jim Phantom to lay down the driving beat to this track.

"Mini Bar Blues" may be the best track on the disc to reveal just how well Setzer can play that Gretsch. All instrumental, it rolls through with some sweet and very expressive playing in a Chet Atkins style. Nothing over the top but it flows very natural. "When A Hepcat Gets The Blues" is a more straight forward cut along the lines of what you have learned to expect from Setzer in recent memory; a bee-bop, jazzy number with a sprinkling of Texas swing.

Pure, heart-thumping rock and roll fuels "The Back Streets Of Tokyo" (vocals co-supplied with Tomayasu Hotei who also co-wrote and produced the track). On a personal note, this is my favorite track on the entire disc. This is a little more of a departure for Setzer than we've heard in quite some time.

The final track, "The Hennepin Avenue Bridge", is just Setzer and a ukulele, proving again that although he has never forgotten how to rock, he is never too far away from disappearing music genres and their importance to him.

I have been a Setzer fan since the days when he was the proto-type punk rockabilly guitar slinger to his almost single-handed revival of Big Band and swing to retro-rocker icon and still listen to him play with a mixture of awe and envy. But I will be the first to admit that his music is not for everyone. One criticism of Brian Setzer is that "all of his music sounds alike". I suppose this could be true to an extent but it's a weak argument as well. That's akin to saying that you don't like Led Zeppelin because all of their music sounds like Led Zeppelin. Or perhaps that you just don't care for Metallica because they don't stray from the heavy tone and blitzkrieg sound that made them famous. It is true that Setzer stays close to his sound and the music that is important to him as an artist. If you have love for the roots of rock and roll, rockabilly or more than a passing interest in certain forms of music that were popular in and around the time when rock and roll was born, Setzer is well worth a listen and "13" is a good place to start and work backwards. You might be surprised what you will find.

Thanks for your essay-review, Hunter60. I didn't even know Setzer had released this new disc.

I love his playing and especially the big band stuff with his BSO. It's really wonderful to hear he is still going strong. And regardless of who happens to like his hairstyle, approach or whatever ... Brian Setzer can actually play the guitar better than 99% of the (supposed) guitarists in pop and rock bands.

Some of his best lines recall Charlie Christian, and even Les Paul. I've even heard some licks come out of his Gretsch that make me rewind his songs in appreciation and say, "Well, damn if that's not a Joe Pass lick!" :)

Setzer's playing is an interesting anachronism that can serve as a reminder to anyone paying attention that the world of popular music underwent some kind of mass cultural amnesia or brainwashing after the 50s.

Consider that through the swing era up until Les Paul's 50s "New Sound" albums, your average guitar artist could actually shred up and down the fretboard in highly musical and imaginative ways.

All of sudden the 60s come along and the Beatles, Hendrix and Clapton are regarded as "the best musicians and guitarists" in the world. I think those artists are fine entertainers and deserve the success they won. But hardly "the best" or even "great" musicians.

Thanks for your kind comments. I agree. I have been a big fan of Brian Setzer since his days with The Stray Cats. And I am in complete agreement with you that he can actually play the guitar. I have listened to and continue to listen to his work and always leave thinking "The man can rip like nobody's business".

You bring up an interesting point in that many people believe, in error, that fast and musical fretwork didn't come around until the early 60's. Not so. If they would listen to some Charlie Christian, Django and some of the country and blues pickers from back in the day, I think they would be both stunned and pleasantly surprised.

Thanks again. :)