The Brian Setzer Orchestra - Vavoom! (2000)
Below is one of the five earliest CD reviews ever posted on Bloggerhythms. It's almost twenty years old and is being reprinted now instead of on this blog's April anniversary because of the sad news Brian Setzer posted on February 13, 2025 on Facebook."Hi everybody, I just wanted to check in with you all. Towards the end of the last Stray Cats tour I noticed that my hands were cramping up. I’ve since discovered that I have an auto-immune disease. I cannot play guitar. There is no pain, but it feels like I am wearing a pair of gloves when I try to play. I have seen some progress in that I can hold a pen and tie my shoes. I know this sounds ridiculous, but I was at a point where I couldn’t even do that. Luckily, I have the best hospital in the world down the block from me. It’s called the Mayo Clinic. I know I will beat this, it will just take some time. I love you all, Brian."
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On Vavoom!, Brian Setzer's fourth orchestra release, the former leader
of The Stray Cats really takes you back in time - to pre-American involvement in
World War Two - covering Glenn Miller's "Pennsylvania 6-5000" and "In The Mood,"
both featuring his trademark large horn band and furious, rockabilly guitar.
Vavoom! is different than Setzer's previous big band efforts because of
the way the guitarist reinvented these classics. He modernized "Pennsylvania"
by adding electronics and its original lyrics to a song that was primarily a tame but swinging instrumental hit for Miller, and by doing so he almost turned it into an entirely new
work. The arrangement catches fire immediately, opening the proceedings with
the best thirty second introduction to an album I've heard in years. Setzer
keeps the flames burning in a way that would have sent Miller running for
cover. The same can be said for "In The Mood."
Duke Ellington's "Caravan" is also given a new rock treatment.
The only misfire in the entire set is "Mack The Knife." While there really
isn't anything wrong with Setzer's version it is way too close to Bobby
Darin's famous, 1959 hit single for him to have bothered.
The leader's vocals, as usual, complement his greaser big band perfectly. He
really could have been a lounge singer if he wanted to pursue that road.
Vavoom! is not the band's best album, but it's another one of Setzer's fun records.
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Slower Than Slow: 16 RPM Records
Have you ever heard of a long forgotten vinyl format, the 16 2/3 RPM record? They were half the speed of the 33 1/3 RPM albums that were the traditional standard for recorded music. Most record players in the 1950s and 1960s came with a speed setting to play these long forgotten discs that were considered novelties even during the years they were available. Because most, but not all, 16s had big holes and were 7" in diameter many of them were mistaken for 45 RPMs and at that size the speed allowed for up to 20 minutes of playing time per side. However, there was no true standard size and they were also manufactured to be 9, 10, or 12 inches in diameter, and these larger records played even longer. Just like the other speeds and formats 16s could be played one record at a time or stacked on a changer for continuous play. Radio stations often used the discs for pre-recorded radio shows containing interviews, dramas, and documentaries. More frequen...
Why Do 45 RPM Records Have Big Holes?
Today we're going to find out why 45 RPM records have much larger holes than 78s and 33s. Believe it or not I often wondered about this burning question when I was collecting hundreds of these little seven inch gems back the 1960s. According to several websites, including Answerbag , the reason for the large hole used by 45s was simple. It was difficult for the old 78s, with their smaller holes, to find their way onto jukebox spindles. The large hole effectively eliminated that problem. Strangely, seven inch 45s were often pressed with the smaller holes used for LPs in many countries outside the United States, especially in the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. Overseas the inserts (commonly know as spiders) were manufactured into the large holes at the factories but they could be punched out if desired. The Beatles' British single of "Love Me Do," pictured here, is a typical example. Why were the spiders built into English 45s? I was unable to fi...
Buried Treasure: Gladstone - A Piece of Paper (1972)
Without expressing my views on the subject here is a rerun of a post that is quite relevant today considering the surprise leak of the controversial - but not yet officially released - Supreme Court decision overturning Roe vs. Wade. Originally published here on June 27, 2013, it has generated a higher number of comments than one of my posts usually receives. Have you ever heard of Mike Rabon? No? I didn't think so. He was the lead guitar player for The Five Americans, a band that charted five singles a long time ago. They reached the top twenty only once - in 1967 - with "Western Union," a song co-written by Rabon that is still played on oldies radio stations today. Eventually, The Five Americans went their separate ways and in the early 70s Rabon hooked up with another band, Gladstone ("From down home in Tyler, Texas U S A," their debut album cover said). From that LP the unknown group lifted "A Piece of Paper" as a single. It only got as high ...
Alfred E. Neuman - It's A Gas (1966)
Click on image to enlarge I've always tried to keep this blog as classy as possible. Controversial topics such as politics are discussed only when there is a relationship with a piece of music that I've written about, and you'll never see any coarse language here at all. Rest assured, for those of you who like it that way things won't be changing in the future. However, I have some sad news today that is forcing me to be less than 100% polite and I'm asking you to indulge me just this once. After 67 years, Mad Magazine , the hilarious rag that always brings back some of the top memories from my youth is mostly going away. I remember riding my bike to the local pharmacy to pick up the latest issue but after August 2019 it will no longer be available at newsstands. Beginning in September Mad can only be purchased in comic book stores or by subscription. I haven't read a copy in decades but I'm still sad that it's gone. Future issues will feature ne...
Chicago: An Album By Album Analysis Of The Terry Kath Era (1969 - 1977)
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