Customer Reviews

Go Go Harlem Baby

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This album is an excellent one to own if you consider yourself a well rounded music lover. It is a spectacular sample of musicians that LOVE to PLAY! I saw These guys in Omaha once, and they were beautiful. This is root rock genius. I firmly recommend all of the Flat Duo Jets albums, as there is so much creativity and genuine love of music in each one. These guys love what they do and it only makes you want to hear it again and again.

Dex Romweber is a maniacal genius. From the growling rock and gut-twisting moaning of "Flat Duo Jets Anthem" through the dark, dangerous, cascading classical piano dare of "Ask Me How I Live," he jumps down your throat and stays in the pit of your stomach, constantly knotting up and releasing, sending a rush of blood and nervous energy through your fingers and to the tip of your tongue, setting off an almost spiritual fervor that will brand your heart with a Silvertone guitar. All at once heart-stopping, mania-inducing, charmed, unlucky and damn-near tangible, "Go Go Harlem Baby" is a religious revival for every backwoods kid who grew up within the isolation of their own perceived surroundings, never sure where to turn for a friend. Dex Romweber makes finding that friend as easy as turning on your stereo.

Not a record for those prone to panic attacks, but rather for those looking for something visceral in a desensitized world.

I picked this up at some corporate store bargain rack and what a buy!! Dex rocks out great originals and puts a mean rockabilly edge on some weathered chestnuts like You Belong To Me, Harlem Nocturne.

Excellent disc. Probably the best album the Flat Duo Jets recorded along with White Trees. Don't wait, get it. I'm glad I did.

I generally don't enjoy the rockabilly revivalists. Guys such as The Stray Cats or Robert Gordon often seem to be wallowing in nostalgia and attempting to be as authentic as possible in both music and image. Their music isn't exactly terrible, but why bother when you could listen to Gene Vincent instead? The Flat Duo Jets, however, are completely different. There's nothing remotely nostalgic about there. When they played live, they never dressed in greaser regalia. They play early rock 'n' roll (rockabilly, surf, swing) with a punk attitude. Its obvious they play the music not because they wish to relive the past, but for the love of the music itself. Also, unlike many other garage bands, these guys are actually amazing musicians. Dexter Romweber is both one of the strongest and impassioned vocalists I've heard and a phenomenal guitarist. His chord progression and nice one-note solos are as impressive as anything Cliff Gallup whipped out. Crow pounds away on the drums with both fury and nuance. It sounds chaotic, but he knows what hes doing all along. These guys were doing the guitar-drum roots rock combo long before The White Stripes or The Black Keys, yet were never able to achieve the commercial attention those bands did.

"Go Go Harlem Baby", while not my favorite studio album from the band (I prefer either the rawer than raw self-titled or the perfectly conceived "Introducing"), is probably the best starting point for anyone interested in the band. The legendary Jim Dickinson's production makes the sound both clear enough yet still gritty. As for the songs, there isn't a single lesser one in the bunch. The originals (the title track, "The Dainty Song", and "Love Has Its Jokes Sometime") sit well right next to the covers of standards which the band manages to make their own completely. Just looking at the track selection, its obvious Dex knows his stuff. It's a shame many of this band's albums are out of print. While being very influential as mentioned above, they never received the attention they deserve. Hopefully, one day they'll grow in stature. For the uninitiated, get this, but certainly don't stop here.

For my money, this is one of the greatest albums ever recorded, bar none! So put your money down....... I reviewed this when it came out, and interviewed Dexter & Crow, and unlike so many in the music industry they were both very cool, nice guys- in addition to already being totally brilliant musicians. I have still never heard anyone use dynamics as well as Dexter... BUY THIS NOW OR REGRET IT FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!!!!!!!

signed,
Dimestore Liam
-Detroit-