BILLY JOE WINGHEAD
"Precious
Moments With ..." (R.A.F.R.)
Reviewed by R. Scott Bolton
Quentin Tarantino once said that he makes two types of movies. The first type is the realistic type, like "Pulp Fiction" and "Reservoir Dogs." The second type is the is kind of movie the characters in the first type would go see - like "From Dusk Til Dawn" and "Kill Bill."
Why did I begin a CD review with a paragraph about Quentin Tarantino? Because Billy Joe Winghead is the kind of band you'd find in the second type of Tarantino film. They're a raw, rough, raucous rock'n'roll band, the kind you'd expect to find in a seedy bar somewhere, playing rock'n'roll that's drenched with blues and booze and that's got a dirty garage band sound. You can just imagine Mr. Pink and Mr. Blue waiting for Mr. Brown at a dingy pub somewhere, listening to Billy Joe Winghead play.
Most of the songs on "Precious Moments With ..." have hilarious lyrics. "Branson on My Mind," "Rest Stop Romeo," "Hairless Kitty," "Komanawannaleia" and "Palookaville," for example are highlights. All feature guitars that are bluesy blends of surf guitar and 50s rock'n'roll. Track 14, "Caravan," has a bizarre solo that sounds like a flying saucer from an old, black-and-white sci-fi film and the band's cover of the classic Earle Hagan tune, "Harlem Nocturne" journeys a bit into stoner rock territory.
The CD closes out with a (are you ready for this?) cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Freebird," featuring more of that sci-fi-, flying saucer sound. Strange? Yeah. Entertaining? Yes again.
It's tough to label Billy Joe Winghead as hard rock or heavy metal, but fans of the strange, fans of surf guitar and, of course, Quentin Tarantino fans will probably find something here to like.
Billy Joe Winghead: John Manson, Steve Jones, Dan Grilley, Beau Turkey.
For more information, check out http://www.winghead.com.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
Copyright © 2003 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights
reserved.
Revised: 18 Nov 2024 12:18:22 -0500.
