LIES! ALL LIES!!!
I've been learning to play the drums for about a month now, and I can bang a mean snare. So I figured who better for inspiration than the great Slim Jim Phantom. So I bought one of the million cheap-ass Stray Cats compilations available for 7 bux. Fuck all that revival hot air. These cats were the real thing. It actually amazes me that they're so thoroughly ignored and passed on, for a band that sold 2 million copies of their best selling record. As much as Brian Setzer is a wanker during this day and age, he could write a damn great song in his prime. There aren't many of them, but just enough. I'm leaning very heavily towards classic, based on 6 songs alone: "She's Sexy + 17", "Look At That Cadillac", "Bring It Back Again", "Gene And Eddie", "Rock This Town", and the incredibly rockin' genius that is "Stray Cat Strut". I'm really falling for this band hard. They're quickly becoming one of my fave bands ever (add 'nother one to the neverending list). And I still haven't heard "Runaway Boys". Don't player hate, and don't be a buttwipe. Just...shower them with gifts and heaps o' praise. Thank you, that is all.
― Francis Watlington (Francis Watlington), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 00:38 (twenty years ago) link
― Jim Reckling (Jim Reckling), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 00:43 (twenty years ago) link
...rap?
(More seriously, I have some pleasant memories of their US radio hits, never wanted to investigate any further and indeed haven't. I like T. Rex's rockabilly revivals more.)
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 00:44 (twenty years ago) link
― Francis Watlington (Francis Watlington), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 00:45 (twenty years ago) link
― Francis Watlington (Francis Watlington), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 00:48 (twenty years ago) link
― Sean (Sean), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 00:48 (twenty years ago) link
― Chris Ott (Chris Ott), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 00:53 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 00:55 (twenty years ago) link
PS: "Stray Cat Strut" owes nothing to "Blank Generation". Cop Shoot Cop want you dead, Ott.
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 01:00 (twenty years ago) link
Alex: HAHHAHA. Right on, man.
― Francis Watlington (Francis Watlington), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 01:02 (twenty years ago) link
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 01:03 (twenty years ago) link
― Francis Watlington (Francis Watlington), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 01:06 (twenty years ago) link
Dammit, man, why aren't you a critic or something? That's a brilliant phrase!
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 01:06 (twenty years ago) link
― Francis Watlington (Francis Watlington), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 01:13 (twenty years ago) link
― Francis Watlington (Francis Watlington), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 01:15 (twenty years ago) link
― Francis Watlington (Francis Watlington), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 01:25 (twenty years ago) link
― Chris Ott (Chris Ott), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 04:56 (twenty years ago) link
I can't remember "Blank Generation" off the top of my head, but I made out with hot people during "Stray Cat Strut" AND at least three Adam (and the) Ant(s) records. If these hideous ripoffs be, then Hideous Ripoffs Rule My Soul Et Cetera. I'm starting to worry about that castle in my mind called "Originality" Is Important; its foundation is crack'd, and the walls crumbled long ago.
― Begs2Differ, Tuesday, 3 February 2004 06:26 (twenty years ago) link
I loved the Stray Cats once. I was shocked that they made it so big. I remember when they used to be called the Top Cats and Brian Setzer's little brother was the drummer. And Jayne County was all over him.
― Arthur (Arthur), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 06:49 (twenty years ago) link
Everyone should download "5 Years, 4 Months, 3 Days" off the Brian Setzer '68 Comeback Special album.
― miloauckerman (miloauckerman), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 06:52 (twenty years ago) link
Classic-lite regardless of the numerous acts they ripped off with their stray cat paws. And the original poster must've blown his top when he finally heard Runaway Boys.
― blunt, Saturday, 27 October 2007 23:47 (sixteen years ago) link
I loved "Ubangi Stomp" way back when.
― anatol_merklich, Saturday, 10 January 2009 00:37 (fifteen years ago) link
Cud
― Geir Hongro, Sunday, 11 January 2009 01:53 (fifteen years ago) link
Band with the worst fans in history.
― The boy with the Arab money (The stickman from the hilarious 'xkcd' comics), Sunday, 11 January 2009 02:00 (fifteen years ago) link
They were pretty damn good at what they did. I'd have been up for the reunion tour, had anyone actively tried to talk me into it. Kind of spoiled for rockabilly round here, though.
― Soukesian, Sunday, 11 January 2009 20:02 (fifteen years ago) link
STORM THE IRANIAN EMBASSY
― "Two Ears" Laybelle (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 11 January 2009 20:06 (fifteen years ago) link
Didn't like em at the time, but felt warmer towards it recently when a pub had on a greatest hits package at lunchtime. was surprised by how many tunes I remembered.
― Dr X O'Skeleton, Sunday, 11 January 2009 21:17 (fifteen years ago) link
Boy, do I despise their biggest hit.
― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 12 June 2018 01:45 (five years ago) link
Around the time Stray Cats went platinum Marshall Crenshaw and his own Stratocaster could barely scrape a top forty entry out of “Someday, Someway”
Because Marshall Crenshaw fucking sucked. (Insert a rewrite of David Lee Roth's joke about Elvis Costello here.) Robert Gordon did a good version of that song, though. Robert Gordon was better than the Stray Cats, but the Cats had a few decent songs.
― grawlix (unperson), Tuesday, 12 June 2018 02:31 (five years ago) link
While Setzer’s Stratocaster was born to twang through rockabilly clichés
I'll allow it for stylistic/alliterative reasons, but our Mr. Seltzer was always a Gretsch guy.
― Eliza D., Tuesday, 12 June 2018 13:20 (five years ago) link
Crenshaw's songs moved and had sinews. Stray Cats were....air.
― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 12 June 2018 13:23 (five years ago) link
Crenshaw's songs moved and had sinews.
Power pop is neither powerful nor popular. Discuss!
― grawlix (unperson), Tuesday, 12 June 2018 13:52 (five years ago) link
yeah but it's good
― The Desus & Mero Chain (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Tuesday, 12 June 2018 14:38 (five years ago) link
Al is otm about Crenshaw, but when I hear "power-pop," I don't really think Crenshaw; I think more of early Who (Townshend coined the term), Kinks, '63-'66 Beatles, Small Faces, the Raspberries, Big Star, Badfinger, and midwestern powerhouses like Cheap Trick and Green.
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Tuesday, 12 June 2018 14:43 (five years ago) link
Also, fun fact: Crenshaw is currently working on a documentary about legendary producer Tom Wilson.
It's going to be titled "I Should Have Hired You To Produce 'Field Day'"
― Eliza D., Tuesday, 12 June 2018 14:59 (five years ago) link
Stray Cats were a novelty act. I saw them open for Squeeze on Thanksgiving 1982!
― the ignatius rock of ignorance (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 12 June 2018 15:01 (five years ago) link
field day is a really good album
― brimstead, Tuesday, 12 June 2018 15:36 (five years ago) link
Setzer tried to shake off the novelty tag by trying his hand as an Earnest Heartland Rocker around '85-'86 ("The Knife Feels Like Justice"). It sucked/didn't work, and he went back to faux-rockabilly.
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Tuesday, 12 June 2018 15:41 (five years ago) link
xp It is a good album, that sounds awful!
― Eliza D., Tuesday, 12 June 2018 15:42 (five years ago) link
Setzer's second solo album, Live Nude Guitars, was a little better; it was a big, loud cross between rockabilly and bloozy hair metal (Junkyard, Little Caesar).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdcKyaVAYzo
― grawlix (unperson), Tuesday, 12 June 2018 15:47 (five years ago) link
Robert Gordon was better than the Stray Cats, but the Cats had a few decent songs
ta for the nudge.years ago I got sent a Robert Gordon cd that I had never given any time for.a quick dive in the attic and I found it.turns out it was this release with chris spedding/jordanaires : and very enjoyable in a retro groove it is.
http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_400/MI0002/482/MI0002482656.jpg
― mark e, Thursday, 14 June 2018 21:11 (five years ago) link
I
― stirmonster, Thursday, 14 June 2018 23:12 (five years ago) link
It seems they had two trajectories; they had been huge, peaked and been forgotten about in Europe before they even made a dent in the US.
They get classic for Runaway Boys alone. As a 12 year old listening to MOR R&R revival dross that was huge in the UK circa 1980 (such as Darts and Showaddywaddy) it was infinitely more authentic, rowdy and exciting.
― stirmonster, Thursday, 14 June 2018 23:19 (five years ago) link