[font=Comic Sans Ms]Your Fav' BSO Record[/font]

So, from "The Brian Setzer Orchestra" to "Wolgang's Big Night Out" which album is your favourite ?
Personaly, WBNO is the one I prefer because of the mix between Jazz, Classic & Rockabilly. Brian Setzer is probably the only one to can make a record like this.

A bold choice, my friend. Wolfgang's Big Night Out was a shock to the system for a lot of BSO fans. But I'm happy to see someone recognizing it for the versatility and tremendous musicianship required to pull it off.

I'm not going to trash any albums here, as the topic is clearly about your FAVORITE album. I definitely think it is possible and even preferable to praise an album without putting down another one.

This is a tougher choice for me than I first thought. For years, I always thought Guitar Slinger (US Version) was edgier, and a great transition from the more traditional sounding first album. Ghost Radio, The House is a Rockin', Buzz Buzz, Rumble in Brighton, and Hoodoo Voodoo Doll all had me jumpin'. Plus, I remember the excitement I felt when I found this second album, as it meant for me that the BSO was here to stay. Many artists do one-off concept albums, and never return to that style again. What a great time to be a BSO fan.

The BSO retreated a bit from that rockin' edginess with a more focused album in The Dirty Boogie. On the album Brian and the band perfected the swingin' jivin' sound along with a bit a slap bass sound that recalls his rockabilly roots - an absolute necessity for covering Rock This Town. Top to bottom, I think I really enjoy a greater number of tracks on this album than I do on either of the first two albums. For swing and lounge enthusiasts, this may be the finest album in the Setzer catalog. And yet, you have the breakneck, almost punk Switchblade 327 and the haunting Hollywood Nocturne - it's almost as if Brian wrote lyrics to Jade Idol. (I know it isn't exactly Jade Idol, but for me, it conveys a similar feel.) Sleepwalk starts a new tradition previously reserved for Japanese bonus tracks - the "how the hell did he do that" instrumental. And the soaring vocals on Since I Don't Have You find Brian at the height of his vocal prowess. I'm a huge Bobby Darin fan, so the inclusion of As Long As I'm Singin' was a perfect end to the album for me, both in terms of the lyrics and the power of the Big Band.

So The Dirty Boogie routinely alternates with Vavoom! as my favorite BSO album. While I'm not crazy about the vocal effects on Gettin' In the Mood, somehow, I love them on Pennsylvania 6-5000 and Americano. What I enjoy the most about Vavoom! is that the 'billy is back! Mark Winchester's slap bass is as prominent as ever. You hear elements of it in Jumpin' East of Java, '49 Mercury Blues, Drive Like Lightning (Crash Like Thunder), If You Can't Rock Me, Jukebox, and the Japanese bonus / Best Buy bonus tracks Crazy Little Thing Called Love and Rock-a-Beatin' Boogie. And all of it souped up with that Big Band sound. I'm also a sucker for doo-wop and vocal harmonies, so Gloria, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, and That's the Kind of Sugar Papa Likes are sweet sounds to my ears. I realize they might be a little too Manhattan Transfer for some folks, but I dig 'em. And Bernie, Mark, and Dick Dale, er, Brian are an amazing trio on Caravan. Sure, there are horns on the track, but those three have proven they can excel on this tune with or without 'em. Just writing about it has whet my appetite for this album. For today, without question, Vavoom! is my favorite BSO album, but I'm glad to have all of them in my library.

Fickle-billy

Choosing among all the BSO albums is definitely a very hard choice. Wolfgang's Big Night Out is really a great album on so many fronts, probably one of the most challenging and innovative records made in a long time. It really should have won a Grammy. However, with all apologies, my favorite BSO album has to be...

The Dirty Boogie.

My reasons are similar to what rickabilly said, but I'll also admit that this for alot of folks was their 1st BSO album and it really opened up a whole other style of music to the masses. On Hollywood Nocturne, there is definitely a resemblance to Jade Idol. Both songs actually contain the same descending chord sequence (Am-Am(maj7)-Am7-Am6), feature the same E harmonic minor scale for the guitar solo, and are in the same key, E minor. I don't think it's too much of a stretch to think that Hollywood Nocturne evolved out of Jade Idol. As Long As I'm Singing has one of his best and most challenging guitar solos, and Sleepwalk is in a class by itself.

I really do enjoy all the albums, and I have to say that the 1st BSO album is also up there on my list. I like the BSO at their best when they're playing jazz/swing covers and original tunes penned by Brian Setzer (i.e. Hollywood Nocturne, My Baby Only Cares for Me, September Skies, Footloose Doll, etc.).

Dirty Boogie is my fave too!!

Well, if you're gonna make me choose...

truthfully, it's a toss up between The Dirty Boogie and Vavoom! Love both of these albums. The Dirty Boogie has a fun vibe to it which is part of what makes it so great. Vavoom! brings back a lot of great memories for me. Both albums have outstanding music.

I have to give an honorable mention to Wolfgang's Big Night Out too. Sabre Dance is an ass-kicker! If that song doesn't get you up and moving, nothing will.

Good question!

The Dirty Boogie

I always thought the couple dancing on the cover would make a great tattoo!

Guitar Slinger

Why? The version of House is Rockin SMOKES SRV's. Town Without Pity is a soaring masterpiece that I want played at my funeral. Rumble in Brighton makes me long for a good rumble. The Legend of Johnny Kool is stinky and slinky. Buzz Buzz really shows off the power that a horn section can muster. And Sammy Davis City was co-written by another one of my child hood heroes.

Yep, gotta agree, Slinger my fave too cos it shows how diverse this band can be.
Cheers Pete.

Dirty Boogie was played incessantly in my cab for about 2 years.Loved it.
I didn't like Guitar Slinger on first listen,it was a grower,but the Japanese version is the one to have.How a title track of an album gets left off is beyond me.That is one seriously great record.
And yes,The House Is Rockin'.....oh yeah...mine is!

Steve
Would love to hear a fresh Rockin' BSO album to see where Brian could take it to next.

OK, I spent the much of this afternoon listening to The Dirty Boogie. I don't know why I haven't listened to this more. When it came out, I was working 80+ hours a week in three jobs, one of which was a wedding DJ, which meant I had to listen to a lot of music I didn't care for. So this album didn't get the chance to grow on me in the way Vavoom! and other Setzer albums did. To be honest, I think I've spent more time listening to live versions of tunes from this album than the actual album.

In terms of the "flow" of the album, I think this album has the others beat, narrowly topping the first album. When considering each track individually, without a fresh listen, I was sure Vavoom! was my favorite. The only tune I'm not wild about on DB is You're the Boss. The goat-like vibrato from Gwen Stefani makes me cringe, even though Brian and the Orchestra sound great. I like the mental image of Stefani in the studio much more than her vocal performance on the song itself. Put Julie Reiten on the vocals and perform this one live! Despite those misgivings, this is, track-for-track, a very strong BSO album. So for right now...

It's The Dirty Boogie for me!

Dig That Nose-a-billy

I may be biased....but to me the BSO collection of studio albums (all included) are all so different, that it's a bit like the Beatles to me. They all may as well have been made by different bands. Each one is different and each fit a different state of mood. Does that make sense? Like how each Beatles record was different. I love each one for a separate reason. The Japanese version of "Guitar Slinger" is special because Brian played it for Dennis Cockell and I while he was getting his chest tattooed at Dennis' house in 1995. What a night. Swiss Cottage, Londontown was buzz-buzzing that night, I'll tell ya that.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh......lucky as heck I am.

T

Quote :

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh......lucky as f*ck I am.

Yes Tommy you sure are,but you're pretty cool with it.You share as much as possible with us and we are all really grateful for that.We know we are very lucky to have this site maintained as well and as regular as you do.The message board is the icing on the cake.

I know what you mean about the BSO albums being so different.From the smooth lounge feel of the first,the cranked up sound of Guitar Slinger,through to the 'utopia moment' on Dirty Boogie and then the Vavoom album which stretched boundaries further.I'm no fan of WBNO I'm afraid but that's just the rocker in me and being no lover of instrumentals.Also love the Xmas fare.
So,any chance of another chapter in this bands remarkable catalogue do ya think?

Cheers
Steve

I am hoping for a Jazzy / Gipsy record with Django's soul from the first to the last track.

Very very difficult choice but The Dirty Boogie is a masterpiece. Production/song choices all superb.

The Dirty Boogie for me as well.

They're all good (don't like WBNO though but I appreciate the outstanding musicianship and arrangements on it) but DB is a whole, I love it when an album is homogeneous. It gets me in a certain mood and doesn't let go.

Ooh....this is a tough one - I can't choose, but I love all three (Guitar Slinger, Dirty Boogie, Va-voom).

Just signed up to the site so I am real new. Glad to see there are others around who like BSO and The Stray Cats.

I haven't heard WBNO yet so I can't comment on that CD, but I have "Dirty Boogie", "Guitar Slinger" (Japanese release), and recently "Va-voom". I have yet to decide if I have a favourite because all of the first three have some excellent music and some songs that I am not so fond of. "Dirty Boogie" may hold the foremost place because "Guitar Slinger", despite buying it first, really didn't enthuse me on the first few listenings. I like it now after having given it a real good listen to. "Va-voom" is playing on my iPod as I drive around town and I have given it a very good listen, on the whole I like what was done on the CD.

I find "Va-voom" to be very interesting attempt at bringing several diverse genres together. I am not sure they worked as well as hoped but it is interesting.

My ranking would be "Dirty Boogie" followed closely by "Guitar Slinger" then "Va-voom".

I'm not a fan of the BSO. I have bought every one of their releases, simply because they are linked to the Stray Cats, but rarely listen to the albums. My favourite is "Vavoom" which gets slightly more listening time than "Dirty Boogie" but the rest are gathering dust.

I have to say that I gave "WBNO" one and a half listens and put it back on the shelf where it has remained. To my ear, it is awful, and a complete waste of Brian's talents.

The more I listen to Wolfgang Big Night's Out, the more is my fav' BSO record.

Typhoon wrote:

Just signed up to the site so I am real new. Glad to see there are others around who like BSO and The Stray Cats.

I haven't heard WBNO yet so I can't comment on that CD, but I have "Dirty Boogie", "Guitar Slinger" (Japanese release), and recently "Va-voom". I have yet to decide if I have a favourite because all of the first three have some excellent music and some songs that I am not so fond of. "Dirty Boogie" may hold the foremost place because "Guitar Slinger", despite buying it first, really didn't enthuse me on the first few listenings. I like it now after having given it a real good listen to. "Va-voom" is playing on my iPod as I drive around town and I have given it a very good listen, on the whole I like what was done on the CD.

I find "Va-voom" to be very interesting attempt at bringing several diverse genres together. I am not sure they worked as well as hoped but it is interesting.

My ranking would be "Dirty Boogie" followed closely by "Guitar Slinger" then "Va-voom".

Welcome! Btw, You are aware the first BSO record isn't Guitar Slinger, right? The first one was called The Brian Setzer Orchestra and was released in 1994.

Wolfgang's Big Night Out may not have been in most listeners' comfort zones, especially the rockabilly fans, and I respect the opinions of those who don't like it. But I wouldn't call it a waste of Brian's talents. I think it may have been one of the most challenging things he's ever done.

Some of those changes on Wolfgang are very complex (I don't play guitar, but I have played in symphony orchestras) and even with the big band arrangement, many of those harmonic structures remain. I think it's some of Brian's finest work, even if Wolfgang isn't my favorite BSO album.

I understand that respect for the technique and musicianship of the orchestra may not be enough to persuade people to like it, especially fans who have different expectations of what a rockin' BSO can do. Music has to move you, and whether that's a 3-chord bar band or a 100-piece symphony orchestra, the visceral quality has to be there. Without question, For Lisa is one of those tunes that would be near the top of my favorite things Brian's ever recorded.

Brian was moved to work within the framework of a concept album. Tackling only the great orchestral works is something that would seem even more limiting than doing a Christmas album. He is, to an extent, at the mercy of the 200+ year-old material and whatever the arrangers can do with it for the big band. I was impressed he was able to bring as much variety as he could to the album - For Lisa, Take a Break Guys, Sabre Dance, Take the Fifth, and Here Comes the Broad are all stand-out tunes for me.

I would think having Brian in a recording session for someone else's album, and have him only do rhythm guitar, or triangle, would be an example of something that is "a waste of his talents."

Just my opinion, though.

Roll Over Beethoven-billy

Thanks a lot Rick

To be fair, I've never heard The Brian on triangle. Or cowbell. I'm sure the man can handle his business on both axes.



More Cowbell-billy

rickabilly wrote:

To be fair, I've never heard The Brian on triangle. Or cowbell. I'm sure the man can handle his business on both axes.



More Cowbell-billy

How about spoons? (where is that angel smilie?)