Life & 20 [IMPORT]

The Domino Kings

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 14, 2000)
• Original Release Date: November 7, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Slewfoot
• ASIN: B000050HQ2
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #198,871 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Life & 20, the second album from Springfield, Missouri, trio the Domino Kings, is a fun-filled tour of late-'50s and early-'60s country music, from rockabilly rave-ups to honky-tonk murder ballads. The songs are typically solid, the playing first rate throughout. What really makes the album stand out, though, is that the Kings, virtually alone among their retro-twang brethren, also adore the Nashville Sound. Better yet, they understand that old-school masters like Faron Young, Johnny Cash, and Marty Robbins were Nashville Sounders. Through 14 originals, the band combines hardcore twang and drive with a smooth country-pop sheen and dynamic arrangements. Best of the bunch is "Will He Be," a riff-driven rocket of a record that would've made Johnny Horton jealous. --David Cantwell

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fine 2nd LP of rockabilly-influenced country, November 23, 2000

By	hyperbolium (Earth, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

The terrific opener "Borrow a Lie" is the sort of tune that Dwight Yoakam or the Mavericks' Raul Malo would wallow in at the bottom of their bottomless voices. And though the Domino Kings' may not have a vocalist of such legendary stature, they still conjure the same sort of busted romance with their twangy three-piece rockabilly-influenced country.

Waltz-time ballads play back-to-back with up-tempo rockabilly to provide the sort of range heard from early pioneers like Carl Perkins. The Domino Kings are equally at home on weepers like "One More Day," and break-neck shuffles like "Steppin' Out Again." They can play gentle acoustics or crank up a bluesier side for a taste of honky-tonk grit.

What really distinguishes their music is that it comes from the heart, rather than the head. Like fellow "neo" singer Robert Gordon, the 'Kings play country and rockabilly music rather than country and rockabilly style.

5.0 out of 5 stars Honky-Tonk Heaven, March 10, 2001

By A Customer

This is a tremendous record. If you like your country with plenty of swagger and muscle, this record is for you. The band works in the honky-tonk genre while sounding fresh and new, a very tough proposition. "Alice" is fierce, as it "Will He Be." Great record all the way through. Long live the Kings!