REVIEW: The Paladins, Slippin' In (Ruf)
- Daniel Aloi
On their new album, Southern California band The Paladins stay true to their original mission -- to make great rockabilly music.
While 1994's excellent Ticket Home had the blues-drenched roots-rock ethos of co-producer Cesar Rosas stamped all over it, here they go back to the sound of their first LP -- and with their original producer, Mark Neill. They play rockabilly like they live it, and show their facility with a wide range of American roots influences, in the tradition of everyone from the Crickets to Double Trouble.
The Paladins, known as skilled interpreters and powerful, passionate entertainers to legions of sweat-soaked crowds, do the Stray Cats one better on the title track, a classic rockabilly cover. And they take their collective influences to a new level throughout the original tunes on Slippin' In.
Back-to-back novelty numbers set the she-done-me-wrong-song form on its ear -- the original "Baby Don't Move Me" (about a car) sets a rocking '60s surf beat to rapid-fire verses and Everly Brothers harmonies on the chorus. Johnny Bond's "Five Minute Love Affair" continues the fickle-female theme, about a real woman this time, but from the point of view of a cigarette. Later on, Bobby Bare's ode to a TV horror host, "Vampira," makes "fun" one of the band's key elements.
They pay tribute to a generation of '60s surf rockers (and Link Wray) on the original instrumental "Return to Polara." "Gone Again" is a nice bit of country-styled rockabilly, and Gram Parsons' "Strong Boy" and the original "California Boogie" both add Gerry Walker's steel guitar for some real Inland Empire country rock.
The photo of the vintage Seeburg jukebox on the cover just about says it all about the band's mission. The lifelong dedication of the band members tells the rest. Founding member and singer/guitarist Dave Gonzalez schooled himself on Elvis and Buddy Holly, but also worshiped Buddy Guy, Jimi Hendrix, Wes Montgomery and Charlie Christian. Drummer Brian Fahey used to sit behind Gene Krupa in church, learned jazz and swing basics from Pat Dama (Fahey's solid playing shows the lessons took) and toured in a latter-day Bill Haley & the Comets. He joined The Paladins in 1989 just in time to play on the "Let's Buzz" LP. Bassist Joe Jazdewski used to sneak into Paladins bar gigs. After playing in the jump-swing band The Juke Stompers and touring the world with the James Harman Band, he joined the band in 1997, fulfilling a long-standing dream and taking over from Tom Yearsley, one of his biggest influences.
In their style, attitude and commitment, as much as in their performing and songwriting, The Paladins remain, after nearly 20 years at it, the real thing. No mere revivalists, they mine old records for inspiration and make the music seem as fresh and vital as it was originally. Now that's integrity.
