Description
Only Brian Setzer could cut an album with more lyrical honesty and musical diversity than anything hes ever done and then title it Nitro Burnin Funny Daddy. Not that the name is misleading Nitro is in fact packed with explosive performances. Theres more than enough volatile picking and singing to mark this as a highlight of a catalog already crowded with great albums hes delivered as leader of the historymaking Stray Cats and on his own too.But theres more streetcorner doowop, heartbreak balladry, a footstomp hoedown, several lyrics that will shock and stun longtime fans, and always, somewhere in the mix, the blues. Every track is distinctive, none sounds like any of the others, yet all of them are pure Setzer. And its all compressed into a tight trio format Setzer and his big band colleagues, standup slapbass powerhouse Johnny Hatton and rhythm dynamo Bernie Dresel on snare and cymbals whose sound evokes Les Paul, Junior Parker, and even Earl Scruggs as much as Louis Prima or Eddie Cochran.Originally released in 2003, Nitro BurninrsquonbspFunny Daddy was Brian Setzerrsquos eleventh solo album and when it was released he said it was the most personal record he had ever done. The album followed his bigband release Boogie Woogie Christmas from the previous year and saw him back to his rockabilly best, taking in doowop ldquoTo Be Lovedrdquo, bluegrass ldquoWhen The Bells Donrsquot Chimerdquo, rootsyrock ldquoDonrsquot Trust A Woman In A Black Cadillacrdquo and going on a cinematic WildWest romp ldquoWild Windrdquo.
