Setzer Takes a Stand on "13"

13
Brian Setzer
(Surfdog Records)

If, despite his genre jumping, you're still tempted to label Brian Setzer as a rockabilly artist, he'd like you to think twice. One listen to "Really Rockabilly" from his new disc, "13," should make it clear how Setzer feels about the current scene:

Living in a time that's long since gone
It's not quite right, there's something wrong
Look! There goes another Betty [sic] Page
Get with it chick, it's all the rage.

That verse certainly provides a glimpse. To be sure, Setzer spells out his contempt for the fractious, subdivided state of rockabilly snobbery even more explicitly in a spoken passage:

There's neo-rockabilly
There's psycho-rockabilly
There's Starbucks-Orange County rockabilly
There's euro-ja-ja-wir-machen-rockin' rockabilly
There's western swing-traditional-blues-influenced rockabilly
There's Australian-shrimp-on-the-barbie-carry-your-surfboard-to-Sears-to-buy-your-rolled-up-Levi's rockabilly
There's rock-a-Johnny, rock-a-sally, rock-a-hillbilly
It's all so stupid, and it's just plain silly

The scathing indictment probably seems like Setzer is biting the hand that (at times has just barely) fed him, but it becomes pretty clear that he criticizes because he cares, and can't stand to see a style built on rebellion become a fashion statement:

Has it come to this?
I want a new job
Rockabilly retards and rockabilly slobs
It used to be fun just to play the guitar
Now I just want to run real, real far

Ouch.

Though it was most likely done to drive home his point, Setzer might have made a musical choice more effective than recycling guitar licks from his own "Rumble in Brighton" and "Runaway Boys," Eddie Cochran's "Summertime Blues" and Gene Vincent's "Race With the Devil." On one hand, he's giving a clinic on rockabilly guitar. On the other hand, he can play those songs in his sleep, and he might have given the poseurs a little kick in the pants by showing more originality with the tune. Nonetheless, "Really Rockabilly" is catchy enough that even the people who are being slammed stand a chance of enjoying it.

Though Setzer comes off as a defender of the faith, it's impossible to hear "13" and accuse Setzer of clinging to any strain of rockabilly exclusively. Naturally, that's part of what he's doing, but there's a diversity of sound that to a lesser extent marked his 2003 release, "Nitro Burnin' Funny Daddy." The opening track, "Drugs & Alcohol (Bullet Holes)" mixes chugging, distorted guitar more akin to hard rock and metal with Setzer's more usual bluesy/jazzy guitar work. The subject matter is a departure from songs about cars and girls, too. The teen in the song isn't a rebel without a cause; he's a victim without a future. "Take a Chance on Love" also features crunchy, distorted guitar (which can be found on much of the album). It sounds a bit like mid-1980s Van Halen, particularly the combination of Setzer's guitar and Bernie Dresel's drum sound. "We Are the Marauders" comes closer to a classic Setzer sound, and attitude ("We don't buy that two-bit rap / 'Cause 'American Idol' is a bunch of crap"). "Mini Bar Blues" is an instrumental showcase for his skills. "Back Streets of Tokyo" is a rocking duet with Japanese guitar hero (and Setzer's friend) Hotei. "The Hennepin Avenue Bridge" continues a recent trend of banjo tunes on Setzer discs.

No matter what the framework – rockabilly with the Stray Cats, heartland rock as an '80s solo artist, a swing revivalist with the Brian Setzer Orchestra, back to his rockabilly roots on last year's Sun Records tribute and beyond with this disc – Setzer always has been a stellar guitarist. True to form, "13" is loaded with examples that back up that notion.

Fortunately, since the dawn of rock 'n' roll there has been an audience for guitar-driven music. Hedging his bets and appealing to a diverse audience seems like a good thing for Setzer, too. On the heels of "Really Rockabilly," he could experience a drop in sales to the pompadour-and-poodle skirt crowd.