I’ve heard a bit about Duane Eddy on different sites on the internet, but didn’t ever know much about him. It seems he was one of the early modern rock and roll guitarists, and descriptions of him on Wikipedia remind me of Link Wray a bit. This particular album was Eddy’s debut, and reached as high as fifth on the billboard charts, remaining charted for 82 weeks total. One of the producers of the album is Lee Hazlewood, which makes me even more excited to listen to this album. I really get a lot of enjoyment out of listening to early modern rock and roll guitar playing, when ideas for sound and tonality were just starting to come about. With that said, I’m going to jump on into the music.
“Lonesome Road” has a nice little swing feeling high hat that keeps things in rhythm, while Eddy slowly introduces the electric guitar into the mix. The bass guitar almost sounds jazz-like with the way it’s walking up and down. Wow, that saxophone really has a nice little grit to it that feels kind of bluesy almost. That electric guitar from Duane Eddy has a really neat tremelo-like effect that really reminds me a bit of Link Wray, another early rock and roll guitar pioneer. That piano really has a nice flow to it, and I love the sound of the snare.
“I Almost Lost My Mind” has a really mellow rock blues feel to it. The saxophone does a lot of solo work, but the electric guitar is extraordinarily interesting. It definitely feels like it’s going in a certain direction, but taking its time getting there. Wow, the guitar just shifted around in the soundscape and that flavor it brings is super delicious. The saxophone is starting to travel around the soundscape a bit too, really neat.
“Rebel Rouser” is almost a early modern rock and roll guitar version of “When the Saints Go Marching In”, and it’s super awesome. Oh wow, there are some faint background vocals that really blend in well with the saxophone. Wow, I’m super into this one. This guitar playing makes me want to pick mine up and start jamming along – there are some elegantly simple ideas being played, that when you hear them they feel familiar, yet they sound so new at the same time.
Oh wow, “Three-30-Blues” is one hell of a blues song. That so-called twangy guitar of Eddy’s is really feeling this one – very delicious playing. The relaxed playing style that really gets in there is super tasty. Wow, this piano playing is really complementing what Eddy just played on the guitar super well. Oh wow, that saxophone really gets gritty – I love it. This is song epitomizes a classic blues rock song really well, in my opinion.
“Cannonball” has a super reverberated tremelo effect on the guitar, it’s almost playing circles around itself. The riff is super familiar to me, but I couldn’t place it if you asked me to. Oh wow, that shout really further invigorates the song. It’s almost like a square-dance sounding song, definitely sounding like a dance number from the days when it came out.
“The Lonely One” has a slow, patient, almost loving feeling in this one. I love the drums in this one, there’s a neat little shuffle going on in this one. I really dig the attitude of this song. Definitely a very short, but fun song to listen to. I was kind of lost in the tune for a bit.
“Detour” has an almost train-like effect to it, with the drums and bass sounding like a train rolling down the tracks, setting up a forward-feeling platform for Eddy to lay down some guitar work. Eddy is also joined by the saxophonist on that musical train where they sort of jam out together.
Oh wow, “Stalkin'” has some intro guitar to it that’s really unlike anything I’ve ever really heard on the guitar that I can think of. I really dig that early style of guitar of Duane Eddy and Link Wray with that tremelo effect that goes on with the guitar work. Wow, there’s a lot of different saxophone players and bass players on the album, and each have really provided a lot of different range within their instrumental categories on the album. This saxophone at the end is just dirty; awesome.
“Ramrod” has a proto-surf rock feel to it – the early work of The Beach Boys could easily have been something super similar to this. It also kind of reminds me of Elvis Presley a little bit honestly. Really great, fun song to listen to.
“Anytime” has a totally different feel on the percussion – almost exotic. It feels like the guitar work by Eddy is speaking volumes right now, really driving home a feeling and tone of care, patience, and passion. Definitely a groovy little tune. All of these are so short, they all leave me wanting a little bit more each time, in a really good way.
“Moovin’ ‘N’ Groovin'” has the most in-your-face tone in the guitar, like the amps were turned up to 11 for the recording. This definitely is another case of proto-surf rock meets rockabilly – I’m absolutely digging it. What another groovy tune.
“Loving You” has a very mellow, relaxed feel. The airy drums, the smooth, spaced out bass, the gentle background vocals, and the acoustic guitar strumming all really combine for a lovely platform for Eddy to play some really beautiful guitar. That piano is used so well in this one, only coming in on a few occasions to add amazing flavor to the mix. Lovely end to a really great album.
Though a shorter album, at only about a half an hour, there’s a lot of foundations you can hear in this album for the future of rock and roll guitar. As a guitar player, I’m often fascinated by the roots of rock music and rock and roll guitar, and this really quenched the thirst for that sound for the time being for me. If you’re a fan of rock and roll, I think it might be neat for you to check this album out and hear some of the foundations for the modern rock and roll guitar sound. That being said, it’s a really lovely album for anyone to listen to; I very much enjoyed the experience. If you do decide to give this album a listen, I sincerely hope that you enjoy it at least as much as I did.
-A