The evolution of the second-echelon hair metal band
Roxx Gang
into the neo-rockabilly band
Mojo Gurus
has reached its conclusion on
Shakin' in the Barn
, which will be some comfort to confused reviewers who have received copies of previous releases
,
Drinkin' T.N.T. & Smokin' Dynamite
, and
Hot Damn
that continued to bear the name of
, although they were ultimately marketed as
albums. Put simply, bandleader
Kevin Steele
gradually found it easier to get gigs in this roots rock guise than on the '80s nostalgia circuit, and when a New York showcase drew the interest of veteran producer
Jack Douglas
, the die was cast.
repeats some earlier material -- five songs were heard previously on
, and one of those is the old
tune "Race with the Devil," while "Who's Been Drivin' My Cadillac?" was on
-- but, with a distribution deal through
Universal
and
Douglas
' studio savvy, the new versions are considerably spiffed up. The effect of the transition is what you might expect if
Moetley Cruee
suddenly decided they wanted to be
the Blasters
: the music is faster, simpler, and has more of a country twang, but it isn't that much different, really. The act just saves a lot of money on hair spray.
Steele
clearly has an affinity for the old
Sun Records
sound, and he has a lot of fun mugging his way through these songs.
still aren't as accomplished as, say,
Jason & the Scorchers
at this sort of roots rock revivalism, but they may have found a way out of the stylistic box they were trapped in when hair metal went into decline. ~ William Ruhlmann