Dave Stuckey & the Rhythm Gang - Get a Load of This (CD)

All Music Guide

Someone once said that there are two kinds of people in the world: those that love Neil Diamond, and those that hate him. The same is true of some genres of music, and western swing is probably foremost among them. Some people can't get enough of that jazzy cowboy boogie, while others can't bear to hear a note of it. Those who love it will greatly enjoy this album from Dave Stuckey and his crack band of retro-fried swingsters. While the program features several fine originals, Stuckey concentrates on classical material: "Nobody's Sweetheart Now," "Kansas City Kitty," and Bob Wills' "Coyote Blues." Like many similar Hightone releases, this one achieves period ambience through the use of archaic studio technology and what sounds like the time-honored single-microphone studio setup; as a result, the drums have that thin, clunky sound that western swing devotees love and the twin fiddles whine sweetly back in the monophonic audio field. Stuckey's singing is plenty attractive, but his band is so good that you may find yourself waiting impatiently for the solo breaks. Highly recommended.

- Rick Anderson, All Music Guide