The Stray Cats are back after 26 years with their new album titled ’40’. The band started 40 years ago and this is the celebration of that fact. The album feels like you are back in the 80’s when they were tearin’ up the charts with “Stray Cat Strut” and “Rock This Town”. The album has that feel, that energy and it is “Rockabilly” at its finest.
With Brian Setzer on guitar, Lee Rocker on the Stand-Up Bass and Slim Jim Phantom on drums, they fly through 12 songs that make you feel you are back in the 50’s listening to Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran, Chuck Berry and every other legend from the time.
From the opening track “Cat Fight (Over a Dog Like Me)” to “Rock It Off” and “Cry Danger”, you want to get up, slick the hair back and swing dance all night. Brian is in rare form on vocals and guitar playing with songs like “That’s Messed Up” and “Devil Train” and the whole band is just killin’ it through-out. You even get sage advice on “When Nothing’s Going Right” – Brian tells you to just go Left! Mind blown!!
The album is a bit one-dimensional as there is only so much you can do with this style, but it is the Stray Cats and you get exactly what you expect which is fun, good-time, old school rock & roll. So, no complaint from me. They pick up where they left off and gave me exactly what I didn’t realize I was missing. I give it 4.0 out of 5.0 Stars because if you like the Stray Cats, you won’t be disappointed. Welcome back boys!!
2 Loud 2 Old Music 
Great review. I may well add it to the list.
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Thanks.
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This is another record I’ve been waiting on and a great review! I watched a video that I think Premier Guitar did? It was Stray Cats recording this record the studio. Everything was cut live all at the same time including the vocal. That’s quite real in the days of autotune 😉
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Cool that they did that. More albums should be made that way as it gives the music a soul and character. Everything is too perfect now!
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A welcome return! Good song and fun video which is a bit South Park in places 🙂
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I will have to re-watch it now and pick up on those South Park moments.
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Nice.
Good 2 see the same 3 Cat’s doing this album together. I always dug what they did as no one else was doing it!
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They are a nice change of pace. I haven’t seen them live, but I can imagine it being a lot of fun.
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Love it! I actually have one of their old albums playing in the car stereo at the moment. Rockabilly is making another ‘comeback,’ I reckon and the attention this album will get is gonna help.
(The first post when I resurrected my LOUD HORIZON blog three weeks ago, was about a young Scottish rockabilly outfit called The Best Bad Influence.)
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Cool! Perfect timing! I will need to check out the Best Bad Influence.
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😀
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