'68 Comeback Special: Ignition
Brian Setzer is not what you'd call a forward-looking guy. For this veteran guitarist and vocalist, the question is how far back he directs his attention. After having spent a major chunk of the '90s delving into the jump-blues and swing of the '40s and early '50s, Setzer returns to the revved-up rockabilly that first earned him a following when he fronted theStray Catsin the early '80s. Originality has never been Setzer's forte and here the inclination to borrow extends to his songwriting: "5 Years, 4 Months, 3 Days" lifts generously fromDave Dudley's trucker anthem "Six Days on the Road" andHeartfans will recognize the riff that ushers in "Hell Bent." Still, Setzer is ideally suited as a player and singer to stand-in for rockabilly pioneersGene VincentandEddie Cochran, which he proves here with the high-energy likes of the title track, "Hot Rod Girl," and, especially, the punky album highlight, "Get 'Em on the Ropes." "I guess I'm behind the times," he sings in "'59." With each album, Setzer confirms that's where he belongs.--Steven Stolder