Customer Reviews

Please Yourself

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4 star:		(1)
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May 27, 2004

Artist: Thee Shams

Title: Please Yourself

Label: Fat Possum

This is the perfect "rock" record for a blues fan. If you're like me, as you got older your lack of interest in popular rock music grew with each birthday: there are still plenty of rock records you throw on but most of them were recorded before 1980. Thee Shams present THAT kind of blues fan with the perfect rock record.

Thee Shams, hailing from the Ohio Valley, have successfully captured the `sound' of Sixties garage rock bands like, ? & the Mysterians (who performed 96 Tears). This album lives in a sonic cross between the Rolling Stones and the New York Dolls; or between Aerosmith and another fabulous Fat Possum label band The Black Keys. It's all that and a whole lot more.

The fact is this album has little to do with the blues other than copping the sound as so many great rock bands have before them. The second track, "If You Gotta Go" was written by Bob Dylan and later covered by Canadian Sue Foley. Like many rock bands (The Kinks, Oasis, BTO, Indigenous, Everly Brothers, The Black Crowes) Thee Shams are a four piece band centered around brothers - in this case Zachery and Andrew Gabbard. There must be something in the genes but this is an excellent record that I cannot quit playing. The fourth track, "Love Me All the Time" is a ballad consisting of a simplistic arrangement that so the words & tune are not cluttered by over production: BRILLIANT!

Well if the music does the talking this album speaks volumes about how cool rock could be if only commercial radio would let it!

First off, I'm not going to play "spot the influence" with this band. I will say that listening to this CD conjurs up memories of those great "Back From the Grave" compilation LP's of very obscure sixties garage bands. This is a good thing because Thee Shams have soul and crank it out with some really cool guitar breaks and head-turning melodies. Much like those obscure garage bands, Thee Shams are all about spirit and the love of making rock and roll. Sure, there are some off-key vocals here and there, but that is part of the package and it adds to the energy and enthusiasm of this group. I remember a quote from the liner notes of an early DMZ album, and I feel it applies to Thee Shams "The manic intensity of the truly commited..."

My immediate assumption when I saw this cd was a connection with Billy Childish and his series of Thee bands (Thee Headcoats, Thee Mighty Caesars, Thee Headcoatees, etc) While I don't know of any overt connection, the spiritual and musical tie is clear when you hear this messy bluesy Ohio rock band grind through some sincerely awesome tunes.

These Cincy creeps totally made a record and stuff! There seems to have been a lineup change but 3/5 members remain permitting the group to retain there name...the cut off being 51%. I being a bass player myself think the tones comin' from the four stringer are pretty stellar but i would have used all headless guitars to get that sweet peirce i am always talkin' about in my well recieved reviews. keep up the shop.