REVIEW by Craven Moorehead

It’s been less that a year since the Vegas Valentinos released their last full length CD “Spaghetti Western” and already they are back with a new effort called “The Five and Dime Quartet”. Whether you’re already a fan of the Rock n Roll Rat Pack or not you are in for a treat. This is by far their finest effort to date. The CD is chock full of the rocking tunes that we have come to expect from the boys. The writing on this CD is superb. It shows how the band continues to improve and expand its talent base. Ten out of the fourteen songs on the CD were written by the boys and one was co-written. The songs are more straight forward rock and a little less pop-y than the previous effort.

The CD was recorded in its entirety at the legendary Sun Records in Memphis Tennessee. With James Lott and Billy Swan in the house to engineer, produce and guide the boys along the way. “Here I am standing in Rock and Rolls greatest cathedral, Sun Records” said Scotty “Two Times” Casino “and I’m thinking about all the greats who stood here before me. Then I look up through the glass into the control booth and there are James and Billy standing there. Having two recording industry legends on hand ready to produce our session was incredible. What a night, what a night! I’ll tell you this we made some good friends down here. These guys are the best.”

The CD got its name when Blind Bob saw a poster of the “Million Dollar Quartet” hanging on the wall at Sun. There was Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and the King himself, Elvis. “If these guys are only worth a million then what are we worth?” Asked Bob “Maybe fifteen cents? That’s us just a Five and Dime quartet.”

The opening tune is an ode to one of the boy’s favorite TV personalities, the legendary Jerry Springer. This tune jumps out at you with a beat that lands someplace between country and rock and roll. The lyrics tell of the trials and tribulations of a man on his way to be a guest on the show and what happens when he gets there. It’s a howl! Next is a down and dirty version of the Wilson Pickett tune 99 ½ with Johnny “The Inferno” Tropicana growling out the lyrics.

There are tunes like Catniped, Loaded Dice, Dig through Dirt and Peggy Lee that all have that great Rockabilly feel that the band likes to the drive to the next level of Rock. If these songs don’t make you get up and dance then you better check your pulse. You might be dead!

There are some soulful songs on the CD as well as rockers. Empty Arms is a ballad reminiscent of the old Stax tunes of the sixties. Coupe Deville has a swampy guitar line that brings to mind John Fogerty and the Credence Clearwater Revival sound only much funkier. You can feel the heat. Another new twist on this song is the addition of background vocals delivered by no less a talent than Angelina Valentino.

The boys cover a few tunes that were originally done by some of their favorite artists. “I Can Help” is a tune that Billy Swan had a big hit with back in the seventies. The boys give the up tempo VV treatment while still maintaining the integrity of the song. “The Zig” is a song by the Shods. A great band in the Boston area whose talented singer, guitarist and song writer Kevin P. Stevenson graciously gave us the go a head to use his song. And of course what would be a Vegas Valentinos CD with out a tip of the hat to their Italian roots. Buena Sera/Kiss Me Quick is a great medley with a great Italian ballad up front and a hard driving Elvis cover bringing up the rear. The boys debut this medley at the Night of 100 Elvises in Baltimore last December and it brought down the house. You got to hear this one!

“Games to play” is an other new direction for the band. It’s a country style number that makes great use of acoustic guitar. The 12 string guitar solo by Bob lends a down home feel that adds to the general mood of the tune.

The last song on is “The Vans a Rockin”. This is a great tune about a guy looking back at an old but favored vehicle and all the good times and bad girls that were had with it. It’s a fitting song to end the album with. It rocks hard and leaves you wanting more.

What else can you say about this CD except to go out and pick one up as soon as you can. This is great music and at the rate these guys put out great music the next Vegas Valentinos CD will most likely be ready for release. - TOP