Stray Cats / Built for Speed (1982)

This infamous trio is so loud and intense that you’ll swear there are more than three people in the band. But guitarist Brian Setzer, along with bassist Lee Rocker and drummer Slim Jim Phantom, do all the shaking themselves. In looks, in repertoire, in style and in sound, they're the epitome of rockabilly revival. The album has plenty of diverse material to choose from. “Stray Cat Strut” is a swanky mid-tempo number that is the record’s big hit. But don’t miss the rocking title cut, the manic energy of Eddie Cochrane's “Jeannie Jeannie Jeannie,” or classic shoutalong chorus of “Rev It Up and Go.” At times, Setzer's big archtop positively howls on the verge of breaking up, beaten back to the brink only through the constant contact he makes with his instrument's strings. The rhythm section is relentless. I love the tone of the album, too, which exudes pure attitude and is dripping with the vintage appeal of stairwell echo, chrome, fresh paint, and spring reverb. I don't know if it's the all the customized Detroit hardware, or the band's steely glares, or what, but after looking at the album's front cover, I'm tempted to speculate upon the presence of Kenneth Anger looming just outside the frame. That cover says it all, really, if a cover ever could. It’s a rare case of an album where all songs are on the same level and it’s impossible to pick a favorite. Newbies take heed: I am in no ways responsible for first-time listeners who wake up with bleeding tattoos, stolen cars or sleeveless shirts.