Vegas

Two Tons of Steel

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 21, 2005)
• Original Release Date: June 27, 2005
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Palo Duro Records
• ASIN: B0009NZ382
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #179,048 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

From the Label
Bandleader and frontman Kevin Geil penned the Tex-Mex flavored "Vegas," with its south-of-the-border horns and chicken-pickin' guitar, for his wife, Elena, "because she loves Vegas and loves to drive." She also gets credits for photographs in the new album.

Weighing in with Geil (lead vocals, acoustic guitar) on Vegas, produced by Lloyd Maines, are Dennis Fallon (electric guitar, harmonica), Ric Ramierez (upright bass, harmony vocals), Chris Dodds (drums, harmony vocals) and Texas Steel Guitar Hall of Famer Denny Mathis (also dobro). Additional layers of sound are supplied by Riley Osbourn (Hammond B3, piano) and Fernando Castillo (trumpets).

Recorded in Austin at Cedar Creek Studios, the new album perfectly captures the band's rockabilly style--evoking the 1950s combo sound with masterful execution of the rock 'n' roll beat, on-the-mark vocals, and country steel guitar and upright bass. It's a sound that draws more than 12,000 fans to the band's annual Two Tons Tuesdays music series at Gruene Hall and has earned it Best Country Band honors for eight years from the band's hometown entertainment weekly, San Antonio Current.

Other emphasis tracks on Vegas include the band's signature tune, "Havana Moon," and its popular rockabilly cover of the Ramones' "I Wanna Be Sedated." The album also contains a rare cover of Johnny Rivers's "Secret Agent Man."

"There's songs that you just gotta play every night," Geil says of Two Tons' live shows. The band is all about performing live, so Geil doesn't mind pulling out fan favorites. In fact, four cuts on Vegas are covers the band performs often.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Robust honky-tonk music spells "t-e-x-a-s" in fine fashion, June 21, 2005

By	J. Ross "a-music_fan" (Roseburg, OR USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Playing Time - 42:27 -- Chroniclers of "countrybilly" sounds, San Antonio-based Two Tons of Steel show influences of pioneer rock n' rollers who have gone before. Guitarist Kevin Geil is the primary singer/songwriter in the band, and his lyrics are worth listening to and seem to fit the tunes well. Most impressively in classic country fashion and with lyrical talent, Two Tons of Steel concurrently covers contemporary subject matter and popular culture. That built them a devoted following and landed them appearances in concert, film, and ads. The band plays the Grand Ole Opry, as well as Texas' famed Gruene Hall, where an annual Two Ton Tuesdays summer series draws 12,000 fans. Upcoming CD and DVD releases will document Two Ton Tuesdays.

The group was called the Dead Crickets until 1996 when they became Two Tons of Steel in a tribute to Kevin Geil's restored '56 hardtop Cadillac. "Vegas" is their eighth album, but first on the Palo Duro Records label. Besides Geil, the rest of the weight is Dennis Fallon (electric guitar, harmonica), Ric Ramirez (upright bass), Chris Dodds (drums), and Denny Mathis (steel, dobro). Ramirez and Dodds sing harmonies. Guests include Riley Osbourn (organ, piano) and Fernando Castillo (trumpets on "Vegas").

"Vegas" has plenty of fiesty rockin' original songs about travelling, rambling, loving and partying like "Unglued," "Can't Stay With You," and "Baby You Got Me." The only ballad is the fanciful "Havana Moon," written during the band's 1997 trip to Cuba. The band's rockabilly cover of The Ramones' "I Wanna Be Sedated" is one that their fans always dig. Another cover is Johnny Rivers' "Secret Agent Man," and it gives Mathis, a member of the Texas Hall of Fame, plenty of leeway to shine. Two Tons of Steel is a superior band that specializes in the live honky-tonk music found at nightclubs and watering holes throughout the lone star state. The serve up some robust music that spells "t-e-x-a-s" in fine fashion. (Joe Ross, Roseburg, OR.)

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Two Ton Tuesdays!, August 11, 2005

By	ictamots (Chattanooga) - See all my reviews

Two Tons is the biggest secret in great music -- their performances at the legendary Gruene Hall are the most well-attended in the history of the venue, where standing-room only is the norm.

Two Tons Tuesdays, their weekly summer music series, celebrated its 10th Season this year -- and the release of their new album "Vegas" was the kick off event. Having been fan for several years, their latest CD take the cake as their best effort yet.

Fans of country, rockabilly and roots rock take note: this is a must-own! Soon you will be yelling, "Two Tons!"

5.0 out of 5 stars san antonio's best, July 14, 2009

By	S. Trautman "Americana" (Texas) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Vegas (Audio CD)

This album is great. It's some of the best country billy music you can find. I grew up a Dwight Yoakam listener and 2 Tons is very similar. Get their album and then go watch them perform live. We've been to many shows and they've never let us down. They always draw a good crowd and everybody has fun.