Gene Vincent and His Bluecaps

WHAT NYMITH SAYS

So soon into his career and there are already problems piling up. Not enough to profoundly damage the listening experience but enough to dampen my enthusiasm a little. There's no real blame to pass around (except to the record label, for not letting ANY singles on to the album and thereby stretching Vincent and the Blue Caps' songwriting to the limit). The stars were simply not aligned for the Blue Caps to remain together as a band. Just one of those things.

Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps is a simple enough rockabilly record - straightforward, no surprises (well, there is one), a bare minimum of slow numbers, just one rocker after another with catchy choruses and an atmosphere compatible with any teenage party. It's definitely a step down from Bluejean Bop; however, to condemn the record would just be petty. It has a function and it fulfills it. Considering the various problems gumming up the works, and the (second) departure of Cliff Gallup as soon as the sessions were over, it's rather amazing  how well this sendoff to the classic Blue Caps turned out. Instead of something awful, it's just good old by-numbers rockabilly, with a great band on its last legs at the helm. In a few months everyone would be gone except the drummer.

In these sessions, the band actually did better with the more laid-back material like 'Cruisin' and 'Double Talkin' Baby.' The excitement was wearing off and cries of "rock it, Blue Caps!" wouldn't bring it back, leaving rockers like 'Hold Me, Hug Me, Rock Me' undercooked and unconvincing. Contemporary singles like 'B-I-Bickey-Bi Bo Bo Go' and 'Five Days, Five Days' had fabulous conviction which would have really spiced up the album. Those fools at Capitol did it a disservice - luckily, CD reissues correct this problem.

One obvious classic is to be found: 'Cat Man.' They were really going in a new direction with this one. Tension-building Spanish styled guitars, some wild yells of "Cat Man!" and a really unsettling lyric about a predatory male whom Gene nonchalantly identifies as himself at the end of the song. And it's sung and played very straight - nothing hammy, no winks at the audience to reassure you that they don't really mean it. Two minutes of awesome. Fun fact: Nick Cave decided 'Cat Man' was effective enough in its aim to cover in the early days of The Birthday Party (and he also made use of the same "evil acrostic" bit in his later song 'Loverman,' which considering the title might actually be a subtle call back, or maybe I'm reading too much in to it). This might not be the first dark and deadly rock song in history (I'm pretty sure that's actually Chuck Berry's 'Downbound Train,' another hopeless obscurity from a typically upbeat rock and roller) but it's real close to the starting gate. Don't miss it.

Second best song has to be their smooth and slinky cover of 'Blues Stay Away From Me,' the Delmore Brothers' lazy country classic; Gene gives it his loveliest singing in the batch, Gallup has some room to move and they really transform the song (and be sure to check out Johnny Burnette's ramshackle contemporary recording, sadly left off his Coral album - record producers are such idiots).

On the negative side, Vincent did slow songs better than any rocker on the market and after the quality of his slower pop interpretations ('Wedding Bells' and the like) on Bluejean Bop, what is most surprising is how underwhelming the two ballads on the Gene Vincent album are. 'Unchained Melody' ... is 'Unchained Melody,' no more, no less. The trilling mandolin-style guitars give it a more sophisticated sound than contemporary string arrangements but you really have to be a soul singer to bring some kind of life to 'Unchained Melody' and as much as I love Gene Vincent's voice, I have to stand by Bobby Hatfield on this one. The other ballad, 'I Sure Miss You,' is from his earliest 1956 session, which probably explains why it descends into an Elvis impression with Gene's hushed, breathy falsetto ignored in imitation of the star of the day. Fascinating from an art evolution standpoint (in less than two months he gave totally confident readings of 'Weddings Bells' and 'Peg o My Heart') but disappointing in terms of this album.

But when it comes down to it there's nothing really "bad" about this record; no staggering mistakes or corny marketing maneuvers like 'Bop Street.' Okay, 'Pink Thunderbird' is a very silly song, but it has a great chorus attached and came from the most energetic of the final October sessions. The verdict on Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps is that it sounds great if you're having a rockabilly party but on closer inspection is spread a little thin. Leave aside unfair expectations. It would have been wonderful had the Blue Caps moved in new directions, kept it together and gotten an experimental groove on but the times weren't conducive to such a thing. Rockers had to go on tour, get on TV, scale the charts. Gallup was a family man losing interest in the rock and roll lifestyle (you can't blame him) and that reflects in his playing. He turned to school maintenance and continued to play his guitar without seeking fame. He was probably happier for it. Rock is known to chew up the people who ascribe to it. Gene Vincent's career wasn't over but this album is a farewell to his classic Blue Caps - one of the best bands on the early rock and roll scene. Don't let them be forgotten.

WHAT TICHARU SAYS

The chemistry of a band is very important. Any band, any group of musicians creates something unique. A Musician working alone might create something interesting but the magic happens with groups, especially groups with a history and a good working relationship. Recognising a unique chemistry like Gene Vincent and the Bluecaps it's a pity they couldn't have found a way to continue as a group. Take the singer out of a working band, put them with other musicians, yeah maybe. Most of the time it won't be as good. Gene Vincent and His Bluecaps, that would be the stuff.

Cliff Gallup was a great guitar player and the band gave up some real energy. Shouting "Rock Bluecaps!" a bit too frequently aside this is a really good record. Production values fall a little short OK and perhaps there was some tension and the sessions were rushed, whatever. For me these recordings hold up really well. I always get a buzz listening to Gene Vincent and his Bluecaps. This is the heart of rock 'n roll in 1957.

Cover Critique: Greasy haired, bedraggled, black-clad rocker with his dynamic blue-clad band. Men of action! It's a trifle but some skilled marketing went into it. Four stars. Nymith