Always loved Dave and his blend of rock-a-billy. I'm probably prejudiced with this one but hell it's just good stuff and it has been repeated at home and on the road many times. I just wish he was still making music and getting it out to the public.
July 3, 20081979 was a great time for music. If only because of the release of this album by Dave Edmunds and Nick Lowe's Labor of Lust. As already mentioned, the two albums amounted to a double release by Rockpile. I wore this record out during college. The album jumps out at you from the beginning with Girls Talk. Even on the eve of its 30th anniversary, the songs sound fresh and energetic. Several of the best songs have been mentioned by other reviewers, but I have always found Dynamite to be one of the songs necessary to repeat again and again. Rockpile as a group or its solo parts was never appreciated for the great music they produced, but fortunately Dave and Nick kept making albums. It is still a thrill to hear from either artist today, but this album was certainly a high mark for Dave Edmunds. As a side note, it was released on Swan Song records. Not a bad endorsement!
May 17, 2008DAVE EDMUNDS-REPEAT WHEN NECESSARY: Welsh revivalist rocker Dave Edmunds' finest hour rings in on this companion album to partner-in-rhyme Nick Lowe's equally vital LABOUR OF LUST (both were recorded simultaneously, utilizing their goodtime band Rockpile). The rockabilly rebel with the twangy geetar and a voice to match spews forth nothing but charisma, craftsmanship, and class, whether tackling (the definitive version of) Elvis Costello's ultra-clever GIRLS TALK, fellow angry young man Graham Parker's slam-banger CRAWLING FROM THE WRECKAGE, or country bootkicker QUEEN OF HEARTS (stolen, nearly note for note by Juice Newton). But that's only the "hits", folks and fans; monster mash CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON, bluesy shuffle BAD IS BAD (Huey Lewis and the WHO?...), and the Wall of Sound melody TAKE ME FOR A LITTLE WHILE are considerably more of a good thing. Edmunds, as well known for his production values (he's twiddled the knobs for everyone from the Fabulous Thunderbirds to the Everly Brothers) as his "where have I heard this great stuff before" musical ability, is a rock 'n roll flame keeper of the highest order, as this slab o' sound makes perfectly obvious. Repeat when necessary: crank this sucker up!...crank this sucker up!...RATING: FIVE FRETS
February 14, 2006This was the first Dave Edmunds album I ever bought (way back in the days of vinyl), and it's still arguably his very best. As other reviewers note, this record rocks from start to finish. Elvis Costello's "Girls Talk" (soon to be a big hit for Linda Ronstadt) kicks off the disc in style and helped give Edmunds a foot in the "New Wave" camp in the late '70s..."Crawling From The Wreckage" became one of his signature tunes--he often opened his legendary live shows with this song. "Queen Of Hearts" became a big hit for Juice Newton and was written by Hank DeVito, who was working with people like Rodney Crowell and Emmylou Harris back then..."Sweet Little Lisa" and "Dynamite" are straight-on rockers, and "Bad Is Bad" is kind of a rockin' blues tune. Simply a great album from start to finish.
Edmunds and/or Rockpile appeared to be on the verge of hitting the big time at this point, but it just didn't happen. Ironically, Edmunds produced the first couple of albums by the Stray Cats shortly thereafter, and watched them achieve huge success instead. Dave also produced artists as varied as k.d. lang, Carlene Carter and the Fabulous Thunderbirds. He is a non-American with a greater feel and taste for American roots music than most of us will ever have. Virtually all of his catalog is excellent, but this is the place to start. ESSENTIAL. August 7, 2003
This album smokes. Edmunds was at the peak of his powers, and his back up band (see; Rockpile) was the best he's ever had. Dave comes out swingin with the excellent `Girls Talk' and doesn't slow down til it's all over. Raucous, lively and punchy, this is pub at it's best. Good rockin rockabilly in the fifties tradition. Fans of Cowboy Mouth, CCR and Men At Work should take note. Rockpile was the king of all bar bands, unstoppably great, and no matter what name they recorded under they were irresistible (see Lowe's LABOR OF LUST and their own SECONDS OF PLEASUSE). It's a pity they didn't stay together (Billy Bremner, where are you?). Pay special attention to "Crawling From The Wreckage', `Sweet Little Lisa' and `Creature From The Black Lagoon'
PS And by the way, Huey Lewis plays harmonica on `Bad Is Bad', which he covered on SPORTS. February 23, 2001
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