Billy Bacon & the Forbidden Pigs - 13 Years of Bad Road (CD)

All Music Guide

Billy Bacon and the Forbidden Pigs just keep tossing out one unpretentious blast of roots rock after another, and 1999's 13 Years of Bad Road is every bit as fun as the rest of 'em. A 1997 live gig in which the trio is spotted by a horn section and other guest musicians, this album is a neatly concise primer in what they do. Basically, imagine a southwestern NRBQ minus Terry Adams' dada daffiness and freejazz tendencies, with bits of conjunto and norteno seamlessly integrated into the rockabilly and soul influences. Highlights include the band's signature tune "Una Mas Cerveza," given a hilarious highdrama spoken word intro, and a truly fantastic medley combining a slow, bluesy version of Freddy Fender's country weepie "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights" with Fernando Maldonado's conjunto staple "Volver Volver," but the entirety of the lengthy set is wildly entertaining, even the lengthy swingrevival set closer "Jump For Jive," which in lesser ahnds would sound like stylistic pandering to ...a thenfashionable craze. Newbies might want to start here for a quick introduction to what Billy Bacon and the Forbidden Pigs are all about, but longterm fans will be just as happy. - Stewart Mason, All Music Guide Read more Less