Jackson/Rubio Entertainment has taken sixteen of this country's favorite old hymns and put them onto one CD. That in itself is not unusual, but this particular compilation album's distinction is the rock-a-billy style of music it features by various artists, some of whom have come out of their comfort zone to record songs outside their usual genre.
What is rock-a-billy? The liner notes include a good description:
"The rock-a-billy style of music has gained much popularity lately with its upbeat swinging sound and its rock 'n' roll meets western roots. The word itself is derived from combining hillbilly with rock 'n' roll, which is a precise description of how rock-a-billy started. If one had to pick a well-known pioneer of the rock-a-billy sound, it would probably be the late Hank Williams. He was one of the first to start swinging the country sound to the point that it became another style of music. Another major influence in the early rock-a-billy sound was gospel music, especially black southern gospel. Just about every early rock-a-billy artist through history integrated traditional sacred songs into their repertoire."
The album's song arrangements are creative and not at all the way one would sing them in most churches. The only instruments used on nearly all the tracks are guitar, drums and upright bass. In fact, on each song the sound coming from that large hunk of wood in the form of an upright bass is brought up in the mix adding to the overall rockin' feeling. Tracks such as Havalina Rail Co.'s version of "Train 13" and The Revelers' "Be Boppin Baby" feature neat guitar solos backing the lead vocalists. Other highlights include "Saved by Grace" performed by Sons of Thunder, Ruby Joe's takes on "Walk Dem Golden Stairs," and "Joshua Fit the Battle," and the Calicoes' interpretation of "Honky Tonk."
Sure to bring a smile to your face, there are also two bonus tracks, "Just a Closer Walk With Thee" updated by Blaster the Rocketman, and Dave Heater and the Swing 'n Doors cover of "I'll Fly Away," which both recall the sound the band playing on a stage in the yard produced in the movie Sling Blade. If you haven't seen the movie, just envision someone playing a jug or a washboard sitting in a rocking chair on the front porch of some Southern cottage.
Whether you already enjoy revisiting 50's rock-a-billy, or you are new to the genre, come with an open mind, a sense of humor and be ready to tap your feet and clap your hands. You may even want to put on your dancing shoes, grab a partner, and cut some serious rug. It's difficult to sit still while listening to this fun, rockin' album, where Jesus is honored on every track in pure rock-a-billy fashion!
4 tocks
Other coverage for this album
HM Magazine #81Reviewed by David M. PoggeWith the sounds of rockabilly sweeping the nation as the next big fad following swing, it is only right that someone capitalizes off of the waywardness of teenage loyalties. In all seriousness, the folks at Jackson/Rubio have done a great job putting together this collection of rockabilly favorites and remakes guaranteed to bring families together as Grandma and Grandpa right on down to little…Bandoppler 1999Reviewed by Sucré MusiqueYeeeehaw!! If ever a hymn collection made one want to two-step, this is it! An eclectic assembly of current bands with talent to boot has been culled for our listening pleasure. But this is not yer typical country twang; because, yours truly would rather gag on a spur than listen to what most refer to as country music. Instead, this collection runs the gamut, spanning the breadth and width of…Decapolis 1999Reviewed by ConradThis comp is pretty good just because it's rockabilly and there's quite a number of decent songs. My favorites were the gospel numbers. There are also a lot of songs about trains, "I'm on the train to glory," type lyrics. Of course with any comp there are going to be bad songs. This one has a few that are complete throwaways. But for the most part it's a decent comp. B-Decapolis 1999Reviewed by Tom BastianThis was a pretty good comp. First off, most, if not all of the songs are unreleased, always a plus with compilations. The other plus is that not all the bands on the comp are on the same label. Yet one more plus is that all the songs generally fit into the rockabilly category, so there is a definite theme to this comp. The songs that stood out to me include "Train 13" by Havalina Rail Co., "I…Decapolis 1999Reviewed by TimThis album is typical rockabilly stuff. It has the same vibe as the last Mike Ness album. That is basically the only good way to explain it. My favorite song is "Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho" by Ruby Joe. While this album has a few highlights, like the great guitar leads, I have to say that I would just rather listen to Buddy Holly or Johnny Cash...but this is a tribute album...so I guess…The Phantom Tollbooth 1999Reviewed by Steven S. BaldwinBack during its heyday, original Rockabilly artists often incorporated Country and Western gospel hymns into their repertoire. In that spirit, Jackson/Rubio and their impressive roster of new artists and friends have released an album jam packed with hymns played in everything from a retro-Rockabilly style to more updated Punkabilly. As anyone who has ever heard a Havalina Rail Co. album knows,…The Phantom Tollbooth 1999Reviewed by Bert GanglRockabilly music, one of rock & roll's earliest strains, was brought forth in the mid-to-late '50s, when artists like Buddy Holly, Carl Perkins, Elvis and a host of others combined equal parts of rock, pop and country music to achieve the rockabilly sound. Later, in the post-punk era of the late '70s and early '80s, rockabilly music experienced a revival of sorts under flagship groups like the…
