16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fabulous Five Stars for the T-Birds, January 3, 2001
This review is from: T-Bird Rhythm (Audio CD)
Growing up in the 80's I became sick and tired of hearing the Thunderbirds' overplayed pop hit Ain't That Tuff Enuff. I wanted to discover if ther was any substance to these fellows beyond the "top 40 realm". Lo and Behold there is prior to Tuff Enuff !
This is a highly infectious funkafied rock and blues album.Kim Wilson has a gifted knack for belting out the white boy, blue eyed soul vocals. The only track that may border on tongue in cheek humor is the rap-like spoken The Monkey (about a trio of monkeys sitting in a tree discussing the evolution of man).Gotta Have Some/Just Got Some is a two-in-one-song which is a gritty blues number about a man down and out who by the second phase of the track rises to the top ! Again, Wilson astounds us with his heartfelt take and soulful vocals on the blues. Other material on this project borders on rock-a-billy but seems to do its best when in the rock n' blues mode...The real plus or hidden gem about this type or style of music is that it carries no indication it was produced in 1982. For all the listener knows, this material could have come out of the 50's,60',70's ( even the 90's) It is truly a timeless and classic style or genre by a vastly underrated American rock and roll group.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
How Do You Spell Blues?? T-B-I-R-D-S!!!, November 8, 2003
This review is from: T-Bird Rhythm (Audio CD)
In 1982, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, looking for fresh inspiration, collared touring mate and Rockpile band member Nick Lowe and asked him to produce their new album. The result, T-Bird Rhythm, boasts some of the strongest origninal material and performances since the early, heady days of Girls Go Wild and What's the Word. Kim Wilson, Jimmie Vaughan and company have always been a first-rate dance band and "Tear It Up" is the rocking, flailing, twisting dance number that opens the set. Great riffs from Jimmie and a superfine dance beat laid down by drummer Fran Cristina. Then, "How Do You Spell Love"? M-O-N-E-Y is the answer of course; we've all known plenty of people like that! Vocalist Kim Wilson is at his shouting best in that number and harpist Kim Wilson plays some fine licks in the next number, the r and b standard, "You're Humbugging Me." Fabulous harp groovin'! "My Babe's" beat is ninety miles and hour and, once again, dancers will wear themselves out trying to keep up with it! Killer!! Possibly the best song on the album is the closing number "Gotta Have Some/Just Got Some". Kim belts out a classic TBird swagger as he sings about "I Got to have some....I'm going to get some...Can't live without none....I know you thought I wasn't going to get it...but I just got some!!!" (Some what? Just listen to the song and fill in the blank yourself!) Keith Ferguson, on his last TBirds album as bassist, Fran Cristina on pounding drums, Jimmie Vaughan with great slow blues licks, and Kim on wailing, crying harp make this number a bona-fide classic! Outasite!!! So if you are looking for a great blues-rock album to party, dance, or just to listen to, check out TBird Rhythm today. You'll learn, like so many others, that the way to spell great blues is T-B-I-R-D-S!!!
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