What's the Word?

Fabulous Thunderbirds | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 13, 2001)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Benchmark Recordings
• ASIN: B000056B54
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #114,652 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #51 in Music > Indie Music > Blues > Texas Blues
  • #55 in Music > Indie Music > Rock > Blues Rock

Track Listings

1. Runnin' Shoes

2. You Ain't Nothin' But Fine

3. Low-Down Woman

4. Extra Jimmies

5. Sugar-Coated Love

6. Last Call for Alcohol

7. The Crawl

8. Jumpin' Bad

9. Learn to Treat Me Right

10. I'm a Good Man (If You Give Me a Chance)

11. Dirty Work

12. That's Enough of That Stuff

13. Bad Boy [Live][*]

14. Scratch My Back [Live][*]

15. Fabulosos Thunderbirds [*]

Editorial Reviews

Second album, equally powerful. Some of their best, including the off-kilter "Los Fabulosos Thunderbirds" and "Running Shoes." The 2000 CD reissue on Benchmark adds three bonus tracks, one of them the aforementioned "Los Fabulosos Thunderbirds," the other two recorded live in an Austin, TX, bar. ~ Cub Koda, All Music Guide

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Word Is....Fabulous!!!, October 9, 2003

By 

chris meesey Food Czar (The Colony, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: What's the Word? (Audio CD)

On the Fabulous Thunderbirds second CD, Kim Wilson and Co. consolidate the (yes) fabulous sound that made the first CD Girls Go Wild such a classic. "Jumpin' Bad," a high-octane, harmonica-fueled instrumental, was their concert opener for years and gives Kim perhaps his best showcase as a harpist. "You Ain't Nothin' But Fine," another high-speed romp, is indeed so fine that short-lived supergroup Rockpile covered it on their Seconds of Pleasure album. (This was truly high praise; Rockpile included New-Wave luminaries Dave Edmunds and Nick Lowe in it's lineup while the T-Birds were totally unknown at the time.) And if you love great guitar, check out Jimmie Vaughan's hot licks in "Extra Jimmies" and listen to him really tear up the dance floor in "The Crawl". Great solos! "Runnin' Shoes" is actually the retitled blues standard "Meet Me at the Bottom," which was covered by everyone from The Rolling Stones to Savoy Brown; Kim's singing here is at his most funky and authoritative. There are also two bonus songs here (not three; one is merely an introduction to the live cuts) and they cook; Kim especially fine on "Scratch My Back" (a number they would later sing live on CBS This Morning). Finally, "Los Fabulosos Thunderbirds" is a wonderful little band ditty with authentic-sounding Mexican DJ El Mero Guero (really bassist Keith Ferguson) giving a sample of how the T-Birds would sound broadcast over 1960's Mexican radio. Priceless! So, if you want to know What's The Word?.....in a word, fabulous!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Time Rock and Roll, May 5, 2006

By 

ifutureman "ifutureman" (NJ) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: What's the Word? (Audio CD)

When a band plays the blues as well as these guys did, it's hard to find the right words to describe their achievement. Suffice to say, Jimmie Vaughan is the master of understatement on guitar; Kim Wilson's voice is rich and soulful, and his harp playing is incendiary; "in the pocket" barely begins to describe Keith Fergusen's bass playing; and both Mike Buck and Fran Christina (who each play on about half the tunes) lay down a backbeat that is impossible to resist.

All the early T-birds albums are worth owning, but this one is my favorite, for its sheer consistency. "Runnin' Shoes" is band's take on an old blues standard called "Meet Me At The Bottom" which highlights Kim's perfect control of his voice. "Low Down Woman," a straightforward mid-tempo blues, has some of his most amusing lyrics. "Extra Jimmies" and "Jumpin' Bad" display the prodigious talents of Vaughan and Wilson, respectively (not to mention the fluid bass of Fergusen), and "The Crawl" should be on every jukebox in the country!

Enhancing an already perfect album, the CD reissue adds two bonus live cuts, one of which ("Bad Boy") is not on any other T-birds album. It's no surprise these guys sound just as good live as in the studio.

If you are looking for an example of how electric blues/boogie should be played, look no further.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Three great remasters in a row! Where is #4?, July 1, 2001

By 

Raymond J Mc Dougall (Hanson, Ma United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: What's the Word? (Audio CD)

Three hot remasters in a row! Great sound quality. You should snap this one up for that alone. The additional cuts are a bonus. Add this one to your collection and you can't go wrong, great crusing and party music.