Brian Setzer • 13

Review by Jeff Tamarkin

Throughout his career, Brian Setzer has successfully led two bands that have explored, and expanded upon, specific areas of pre-'60s American music: the Stray Cats virtually created the rockabilly revival of the '80s and the Brian Setzer Orchestra mined and updated the big band swing and jump-boogie of the '40s. In both contexts, the prescient Setzer proved a winner, an inspired and knowledgeable craftsman armed with truckloads of sizzling, pinpointed guitar licks and terrific songs. On occasion he's chosen, with mixed results, to break out of those molds and piece together solo albums that extend his reach into more mainstream, albeit still retro-based areas of rock. His first, 1986's The Knife Feels Like Justice, was a left-field surprise that seemed to indicate that Setzer was primed to abandon, at least partially, his obsession with the past and to try his luck in the modern rock world. That didn't quite happen, as he returned repeatedly to the more familiar territory, but on 13 -- so named because it's his 13th studio album of new material -- Setzer once again branches out, and this time he's got the balance just right. 13 is stocked with 13 (of course) diverse tracks gliding easily from straight-ahead rock & roll (among the best: "Rocket Cathedrals," "Broken Down Piece of Junk" and the anthemic "We Are the Marauders," which declares that "American Idol is a bunch of crap") to slick instrumental blues ("Mini Bar Blues"). That doesn't mean he leaves the vintage Americana behind, but one of the album's strongest tunes, the hilarious "Really Rockabilly" (which includes Stray Cats drummer Slim Jim Phantom) leaves no doubt that Setzer's fed up with the many poseurs who've co-opted and diluted the style without having much of a clue about its origins or rebel spirit. Just to show them how it's really done, he unleashes a series of short-burst licks that provide a crash course in rockabilly guitar. "Don't Say You Love Me" crosses harmonic pop/rock with smooth rockabilly economy, and "When Hepcat Gets the Blues" walks the tightrope between Stray Cats and BSO territory. But although several songs touch on familiar ground, 13 is not intended to be, not does it feel like, a rockabilly or swing album. The opening track, the crunching "Drugs and Alcohol (Bullet Holes)" (it's anything but an endorsement of said substances) takes a look at the hard life of a high-schooler who's been through way too much, while "Everybody's Up to Somethin'," with its stacked Southern rock-style guitars, casts just about everyone into the role of no-goodnik. Setzer closes out 13 with the mostly acoustic "The Hennepin Avenue Bridge," something that might have felt at home in the early-'60s folk revival. Gotta keep 'em guessing, after all.

https://www.allmusic.com/album/13-mw0000555835

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Reseña de Jeff Tamarkin

A lo largo de su carrera, Brian Setzer ha dirigido con éxito dos bandas que han explorado y ampliado áreas específicas de la música estadounidense anterior a los años 60: los Stray Cats crearon virtualmente el renacimiento del rockabilly de los años 80 y la Brian Setzer Orchestra minó y actualizó el swing de la big band y el jump-boogie de los años 40. En ambos contextos, el presciente Setzer demostró ser un ganador, un inspirado y entendido artesano armado con camiones cargados de chisporroteos, lame guitarras puntiagudas y canciones fantásticas. En ocasiones ha elegido, con resultados mixtos, romper esos moldes y componer álbumes en solitario que extienden su alcance hacia áreas de rock más convencionales, aunque todavía retro. Su primer libro, The Knife Feels Like Justice, de 1986, fue una sorpresa en el campo izquierdo que pareció indicar que Setzer estaba preparado para abandonar, al menos parcialmente, su obsesión con el pasado y probar suerte en el mundo del rock moderno. Eso no sucedió, ya que regresó repetidamente al territorio más familiar, pero el 13 -- así llamado porque es su 13º álbum de estudio de nuevo material -- Setzer una vez más se diversifica, y esta vez tiene el equilibrio perfecto. 13 está repleto de 13 (por supuesto) pistas diversas que se deslizan fácilmente desde el rock & roll de frente (entre las mejores): "Rocket Cathedrals", "Broken Down Piece of Junk" y el himno "We Are the Marauders", que declara que "American Idol es un montón de basura") a un deslumbrante blues instrumental ("Mini Bar Blues"). Eso no significa que deje atrás la vintage americana, pero una de las canciones más fuertes del álbum, la hilarante "Really Rockabilly" (que incluye al baterista de Stray Cats Slim Jim Phantom) no deja duda de que Setzer está harto de los muchos poseedores que se han apoderado del estilo y lo han diluido sin tener ni idea de sus orígenes ni de su espíritu rebelde. Sólo para mostrarles cómo se hace realmente, desencadena una serie de golpes cortos que proporcionan un curso intensivo de guitarra rockabilly. "Don't Say You Love Me" cruza el pop/rock armónico con una suave economía rockabilly, y "When Hepcat Gets the Blues" camina por la cuerda floja entre Stray Cats y el territorio de BSO. Pero aunque varias canciones se tocan en terreno familiar, 13 no pretende ser, ni se siente como, un álbum de rockabilly o swing. El tema de apertura, el crujiente "Drugs and Alcohol (Bullet Holes)" (es cualquier cosa menos un apoyo a dichas sustancias) echa un vistazo a la dura vida de un estudiante de secundaria que ha pasado por mucho, mientras que "Everybody's Up to Somethin' (Todos están tramando algo), con sus apiladas guitarras de rock sureño, hace que casi todo el mundo asuma el papel de no-goodnik. Setzer cierra el 13 con el mayormente acústico "The Hennepin Avenue Bridge", algo que podría haberse sentido como en casa a principios de los años 60. Tengo que seguir adivinando, después de todo.

https://www.allmusic.com/album/13-mw0000555835

briansetzer.com ...

  

Tracklist:
1 - Drugs & Alcohol (Bullet Holes)
2 - Take A Chance On Love
3 - Broken Down Piece Of Junk
4 - We Are The Marauders
5 - Don't Say You Love Me
6 - Really Rockabilly
7 - Rocket Cathedrals
8 - Mini Bar Blues
9 - Bad Bad Girl (In A Bad Bad World)
10 - When Hepcat Gets The Blues
11 - Back Streets Of Tokyo
12 - Everybody's Up To Somethin'
13 - The Hennepin Avenue Bridge


Credits:
    Design [Graphic Design] – Kim Holt
    Double Bass – Ronnie Crutcher
    Drums – Bernie Dresel
    Engineer – Brent Sigmeth, Jeff Peters
    Engineer [Assistant] – Jon Diederich, Zack (The Knife) Hollander*
    Guitar, Electric Bass, Banjo, Ukulele, Lead Vocals – Brian Setzer
    Illustration [Cover] – Vince Ray
    Management – Dave Kaplan, Niels Schroeter
    Mastered By – Adam Ayan
    Mixed By – Dave Darling (tracks: 1 to 10, 12, 13)
    Organ – Jon Duncan
    Organ [B-3] – Arlan Shierbaum
    Other [Booking] – William Morris Agency
    Other [Legal Representation] – Berliner Business Management, Leslie Frank, Peter Paterno
    Photography By – John Samora, Naoki Toyofuku
    Piano – Robbie Chevrier
    Producer – Brian Setzer, Dave Darling
    Technician [Guitar Tech / Equipment Manager] – Skip Gildersleeve
    Tuba – Stefan Kac
    Written-By – Brian Setzer (tracks: 1 to 4, 6, 8 to 13)

Release Date: October 24, 2006
Duration: 43:32
Genre: Pop/Rock
Styles: Retro-Rock, Rockabilly Revival
Recording Location:
    Flowers Studio, Minneapolis, MN
    Pachyderm Studio, Minneapolis, MN




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