Unlike their previous album, 1986's Rock Therapy, recorded solely to fulfill their contractual obligation with EMI, Blast Off! was a true reunion effort for Stray Cats. They wanted to recapture that spark and moment in time where they were relevant, and further revive the rockability scene. Sadly, that ship had long sailed, and the album was met with minimal fanfare.
It's the last album on my journey with them through the 80's, and I suppose there's no reason to really delay getting into it. So, let's go!
I think I had a bit of a chip on my shoulder when firing this one up. A sense of, "Why do I have to listen to this?" Like as if somehow it was the band's fault.
I got over this relatively quickly as I was kicked in the face with a hard guitar riff and the band shouting, "10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, blast off!" The title track was in full delivery mode, and this was followed by the equally good, Gina.
From there, the momentum stayed high, but the songs fell into mediocre familiar sounds of the band. I will say that the track, Gene And Eddie was rather creative for its mix of various classic hits, combined to create the Stray Cats own tribute song.
What seemed odd, almost annoying, was the lyrics to many of the songs needing to shoehorn the word "rockability" into them. It's as is the band wanted to make the point that their music was a tribute to the style of the 50's, but then even when this was obvious, and you got it, they needed to then repeatedly hammer you over the head with it, as if you'd forget the moment they stopped reminding you.
Overall, it was just okay at the end of the day. Nothing to really write home about, but nothing the pan and complain about either. Am I a fan of Stray Cats at the end of my journey? Nah, not really.
The band released a handful of albums in the 90's, Let's Go Faster (1990), Choo Choo Hot Fish (1992), and Original Cool (1993), but then went on hiatus again. They'd reunite again in 2013 for their last studio album to date, 40. They do remain active to this day, periodically putting on shows.
Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.
Disclaimer: They Toy Box does not endorse or contribute to piracy. Retro Spins posts are intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. None of the music discussed here is available for sale, downloading or distribution.
 |
| THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS September 17, 1983 |
 |
| THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS September 17, 1988 |
No comments:
Post a Comment