Lee Rocker

Live (J-Bird)
by Jon Sarre

Lemme just say I’m mystified that I got this (J Bird’s not interested in advertising, huh Scott?). Tho’ there’s exceptions, I’ve never fuckin’ liked modern rockabilly, I just don’t give a shit. It’s boring. Somehow yer Lee Rockers, yer Brian Setzers, jeez, yer fuckin’ Stray Cats and alla those rockabilly traditionalists, no matter how much they fuckin’ try, just can’t come close to the visceral eeeeee-lectr-i-cccccc-i-ty of Sun/pre-Army Elvis, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash or the weirdness of Billy Lee Riley, Charlie Feathers or Hasil Adkins (and ya can probably throw the second Horton Heat record in with the last bunch, cuz Gibby Haynes “produced” the Rev into a really weird “rock” sound, plus his live shows are fun, or they used to be, I dunno now). It’s just not there, kinda like how people try to recreate the blues, like “this is how Robert Johnson played this one.” No, it doesn’t fuckin’ work! I don’t give a shit if yer Eric Fucking Clapton, yer still not Robert Johnson and you’ll never be more than some limey twit whose best stuff was behind you back in 196fucking6, or whenever he quit the Yardbirds. Similarly, Lee Rocker ain’t Elvis, he ain’t even Marvin Rainwater, y’know? Fuck, he ain’t even the Colonel. What of himself does he bring up to the plate? Nothin’, that’s what! He’s like a student, y’know, learnin’ at the feat of the master and when the master kicks him out on his ass and says, “‘Kay, now go do sumptin'” What’s he do, huh? He mimics the master, fuckin’ great, right? Hell, if I wanted to hear Carl Perkins, I’d just play one of his records where Carl Perkins actually fucking sings and plays! I sure wouldn’t listen to some ex-new waver “striving for authenticity” copying him. I realize it ain’t easy to come up with something even slightly original or unique, but hey, the effort’s appreciated.
(www.jbirdrecords.com)