Customer Reviews

Revival

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a bit of a departure for the Rev. Not as hard as "Lucky Seven." Not as rockabilly as "Spend a Night in the Box." In fact, this one has a little "country flavor. And you know what? That is what I love about this band! That is why I see them every time they come to my town. That is why I literally wear out their CDs listening to them. This band is so fresh and innovative, always growing. "Going Back Home" and "Indigo Friends" should appease the "red meat" Rev fans, but the whole album is great. Give it a couple of listens before you judge, it really is good.

Working with his tour soundman, Heat's captured the fire of his live set on this studio album. His trademark rhythm/lead combo playing fuels a surprisingly full sound from his trio, barely ever slowing down to catch their breath. Heat's songs (he wrote all fifteen selections) range from western-influenced guitar raves to swing-styled rockabilly and punk-influenced psychobilly. The few ballads, "Someone in Heaven," "Lonesome Man" and the torchy "We Belong Forever" provide a brief respite from the manic energy, but it's driving rock 'n' roll that is Heat's forte and it's fully evident on this fine LP. The bonus DVD provides a look at the trio's performance on three additional tracks, "Galaxy 500," "Like a Rocket" and "Party in Your Head," as well as a 17-minute interview/documentary on Heat's early days in the business.

After getting a second copy of this disc from Amazon and not finding anything other than the music tracks on it, I suspect that the "enhanced" version has been discontinued and only the non-enhanced version is available. Hopefully they will update their website to reflect that.

Other than that, this is typical Horton Heat- a lot of great songs, with one or two mediochre songs.

A great new album from a truly fun and unique band! This album has some MUST-HAVE songs for Rev. Horton Heat fans. From the powerful 'Revivial' to the lively rockabilly instrumental 'Happy Camper', to old-style country sounds of 'Someone in Heaven', this album is full of great songs. Reverend Horton Heat has the grit of Johnny Cash but the power of Soundgarden... a unique sound!

Though this album is not as good as 'Smoke 'em...', it sure beats the heck out of 'Space Heater'. This album is full of classic Heat songs but also has a few misses. The terribly stupid lyrics to 'Octopus Mode' and 'I'm your Pet Rock' make them feel like filler songs for an otherwise solid album.

Bottom-line: If you're a Horton Heat fan, definitely get this album. If you're interested in Horton Heat, see them live and check out 'Smoke 'em If You Got 'Em' first.

Rev. Horton Heat is one of my favorite artists for many reasons, so I can't help but expect a lot out of any album, and I do my best to egg him on in any direction he goes off into with each release. I defend almost every one of his records(Space Heater is hard to muster up a good defense for) when someone dogs his music, but I really, really like this record. I bought it the first day it was released and eagerly popped it in. I don't like to admit that it took me a while to get into his last two releases(Night in the Box and Lucky Seven), and I still like his first few albums more, but I immediately loved this record. His return to Deep Ellum, the death of his mother, the producing of Ed Stasium?- I don't know why he wised up, but I loved what the Rev did. The effort to make it as live as possible with a miniscule amount of overdubs enchants me to think about while I'm listening to it. I'm glad he let go of his odd fascination with Jimbo songs to make room for some other stuff. "We belong Forever" and "Someone in Heaven" are incredible, and have turned many of my friends heads who gave up on the Rev. after Space Heater, impressed to hear that his peaceful, introspective style works so well. "The Happy Camper" is a wonderful instrumental that sets the tone. And call me crazy, but I'm a sucker for the simple rowdy country tunes like 'Rumble Strip','Honky Tonk Girl' and'Party Mad'. The stripped down style works for me, but I understand people's plight who are frustrated at this less aggressive album; However, you're just nuts if you liked the Rev. before and don't like "Indigo Friends". I for one have felt confused listening to parts of the Rev's past releases(and "Pet Rock" is the only song that makes me feel this way on this album; Although "Octopus Mode" gets kinda close), as if he was trying to find a way to mix his loud side, his jazzy influences, and his country and rockabilly background(That hasn't stopped me from listening to every album relentlessly). With Revival, I think he finally found a balance that works.

Having attended my first Reverend Horton Heat concert last month in Chicago, I was impressed by the demographic diversity of the crowd. Punks, greasers, rockers and rockabilly-country enthusiasts were everywhere. Quite a refreshing experience after the homogenous gatherings I've witnessed at most other acts in recent years. RHH's last release, 'Lucky 7' was a testament to their ability to deftly weave in and out of punk, rockabilly and tequila-flavored rock, pleasing many audiences and tastes all at once. The prior release, 'Spend a Night in the Box' disappointed many fans who feared the Heat were going straight rockabilly. 'Lucky 7' allayed those fears. Unfortunately, 'Revival', despite a few highlights, retreats back to a mellower, more countrified sound that will narrow its crowd of enthusiasts. With a few exceptions, such as the instrumental opener, "The Happy Camper"', "If It Ain't Got Rhythm", "New York City Girls", "Indigo Friends" and the bluesy, Gene Vincent-like "Lonesome Man", the CD lacks standout moments. None of the songs are bad, per se, but the maniacal shining promises of 'Galaxy 500' are unfulfilled this time around. There is a scent of redundancy on several of the tracks without any kind of punch or payoff. The biggest disappointment may be the song 'Revival' itself. The track has all the ingredients for an RHH classic (superb riffs, pounding bass and adroit drumming), but the rhythm and lyrics seem forced and disjointed and are strung together haphazardly. There is no climactic buildup and the chorus is less than rousing.

That said, please keep in mind that I just bought the CD and I've only listened to it 4 times. I have experienced situations where I end up loving music that just needed to ferment inside me for a longer period than I anticipated. Do not let me dissuade anybody from buying this CD. The musicianship alone is worth the price of admission. All of the Heat's ardent fans will continue to enjoy any and all of their output. There's nothing wrong with a changing or evolving sound and style, but, kind Reverend, if you can keep the punky edge in your repertoire, this huge fan (and I suspect, others) will love you even more.

Amen.

Personally, I'm not understanding the disappointment shared by Rev. fans on this album. It does have a mellower, jazzy feel to it, but when it rocks....IT ROCKS! I expected this album to have a more somber feel to it, with the passing of the Rev's mother earlier in the year. Both 'Someone in Heaven' and 'We Belong Forever' are beautful, thoughtful songs dedicated to her, that display a depth previously not reached by the Rev. The line-up is varied and alternates the ballads from the rockers. The only mediocre songs are ' Rumble Strip' and ' Goin Back Home', but even they are fun enough to tap your toe to. As usual, the musicianship is amazingly precise, but never stuffy. Easily the Rev's most sentimental album, but that dosen't mean the party is over!

Reverend Horton Heat's 2004 Yep-Rock release features the retro-clad 3-piece going back to the simplicity of one-chord blues, and digging up the roots of simpler country music for inspiration. On the acoustic songs, "Revival" reminds me heavily of Hank Williams I due to Horton's inflections and phrasing. The fuzzy vintage tube-amp sound gives Horton's guitar a primitive honky-tonk sound that collides well with Jimbo Wallace's frenzied acoustic bass. The tracks "Indigo Friends" and "Someone In Heaven," deal with the death of friends to heroin, and recovering from loss. A bit more of an introspective feel than in his previous releases. Horton's obviously still enjoying himself, but his messages have a wiser mindset. With a bonus DVD included in the first edition, "Revival" lives up to the predecessors and delivers a record and a show without breaking the bank. The album was recorded by Dave Allen with Paul Williams at Last Beat Studios in Dallas, TX and Mixed by Ed Stasium at Kozytone in Colorado. All content copyright www.maximumink.com

Reverend Horton Heat hasn't put out a "proper" studio record in the last five years, which makes "Revival" his most recent studio effort and hopefully not his last. This is on yet another record label. Yep Roc stepped up to the plate this time and put their money in Jim Heath & Co.'s collective pockets. Money that was wisely spent.

Just like his last release, "Lucky 7", and the one before, "Spend A Night In The Box", "Revival" continues a bit of a trend toward more "mature" songs. He still rips it up on plenty of tracks. And his live shows are always high-energy. But the psychobilly tendencies are starting to be replaced by a lot more mid-tempo songs. The production on his last few records are much cleaner than his earlier efforts. Country influences run thru a few songs. And a more old-school & true rockabilly sound is present. But it's still The Rev. He still rocks. His musicianship is still incredible. And the songs always speak for themselves. All fifteen songs are well-done with "Callin' In Twisted" & "If It Ain't Got Rhythm" stealing the show. All in all, another solid disc from that Texas psychobilly mad-man we all love. It's worth your time, energy & cheese!

Another good set of tunes from a great/underappreciated band.
Get the version with the bonus DVD if you can find it. Plenty of
variety on this disc, a little more mellow overall than what you
may expect, but all the staples (drinking, cars, girls) are here with a
little gospel we've come to expect. My daughter (3) even loves
"Octopus Mode"...