The genres of Rockabilly and Neo-rockabilly are usually not rich in a variety of song themes. Cars, girls, booze, and a good hairstyle are about the vast majority of our favorite songs. Not that it’s a bad thing, but sometimes you want something more original. That’s exactly what the veterans of the Blue Cats neo-rockabilly scene decided in their stunning 2012 comeback Best Dawn Yet, which is filled with the menacing and stormy romance of sea adventures.
There are a lot of interesting things about Blue Cats. Starting in London in 1980, they have always played a very distinctive version of neo-rockabilly, without too much of a saiko bias. This approach was probably later inspired by my favorite Beat Devils, performing, for example, the song Heavens Gate from the 1992 album The Tunnel. It is noteworthy that the theme of the raging abyss has always been close to the Blue Cats. For example, the groundbreaking Capitan Blood was written back in the eighties.
Another interesting aspect of the Blue Cats’ history is the revival in 2008 of the original cast, which is still active today. Having broken up in 1993, the quartet reunited 15 years later, as if nothing had happened. It’s a very inspiring story. After all, as it usually happens: we played musicians in our youth and broke up because the time is not the same outside and the years are not the same inside. But Clint Bradley, Paul Diffin, Carlo and Steph Edwards (I don’t know if they are brothers or namesakes) did not overcome such temporal turbulence. Despite the fact that the Blue Cats are a very small–scale band that still performs on very small stages. That’s the power of the spirit and choosing your path!
The early work of the team, before the breakup and reunification, was very diverse, but in general it can be combined with a vibe of lonely walks through a cloudy port city. Sometimes mischievous, sometimes melancholic. According to our good tradition, I propose a small playlist of early creativity.
The sound of Best Dawn Yet won me over right away. Dense, but at the same time such a soft and spatial sound. Clint’s unique melodism, creaking vocals, and neat, no-frills rhythm section all give you a sense of that cool coolness when there’s no reason to make a fuss.
And of course the theme of the songs. There is a lot of British history here, but there are also quite traditional themes. And these themes are masterfully adopted, there is no sense of discord. Cowboys don’t break into Camelot’s round table. They are a hazy memory from an analog TV that stands in a pub with a half-century history, where you gather a group of loyal old friends.
The opening track of Billy Ruffians immediately sets up a marine theme with samples of raging depths and a wonderful guitar riff. Oh, that sound, with the delays and reverberation, will be very hard to forget. Cold and majestic, it sticks in the brain forever. As for the lyrics, the song is dedicated to the British battleship Bellerophon, nicknamed Billy Ruffians by sailors. This powerful sailboat managed to participate in a lot of naval battles of the nineteenth century.
The next track, The Norton Spirit, begins very intriguingly. The space becomes even bigger, like the calm before the storm that begins with the second verse.
Some classics in the form of Turn My Back On You. This is quite classic rockabilly, reminiscent of the charming bespectacled Buddy Holly. Steph Edwards’ bouncy vocals and magic brushes allow you to relax a bit.
The theme of a western is no stranger to Blue Cats. In the wonderful blues of Blue Prairie, you can feel the rustle of tumbleweeds under the full moon. Very interesting blues with an eye on cowboy stereotypes, in the form of some guitar moves and a vocal pack in the chorus.
The next My Dark Dark Mind sounds very adventurous, evoking associations with the origin of bond villains. Direct and relaxed, this song makes you feel like you’re in a cozy megalomaniac chair.
And now we have reached an absolute hit! At one time, I played Badon Hill on repeat for literally hours, this song sinks into my soul so much. The synergy of guitars and drums, which is skillfully stimulated by the ironic bass part. An insinuating verse and a chorus of a couple of words, which it is impossible not to sing along to. And how the vocals rush up before the final chorus! An absolute masterpiece! The lyrics of the song are again dedicated to the history of Britain, this time even earlier. The Battle of Badon Hill is a semi–legendary event that took place between 500 and 520 AD, where, according to unconfirmed reports, King Arthur himself participated.
Long Road Home is an ordinary road song at first glance, but the cosmic guitar makes it fascinating. Overall, this is a very life-affirming composition that perfectly dilutes the sad seriousness of the previous track.
It’s time for real experiments! Captain Blood is very difficult to characterize in any positive way. In this stealthy sinister track, I hear notes of early industrial, post-punk and something with a horror prefix. The song is as unusual and uncharacteristic for the genre as Ubangi Stomp and Storm the Embassy from Stray Cats. And like these songs, Captain Blood pushes the boundaries of the genre. Sing along to this song carefully! The right shout of the captain’s name may not be easy for the violent Russian soul!
Burnette is a curious tribute to creativity (who would you think?) Johnny Burnett. It’s a very interesting track. But you could just do a cover!
Following Ahab returns to the marine theme and is dedicated to Captain Ahab, one of the main characters in the classic novel Moby Dick. A pleasantly disturbing rockabilly shuffle turns into a soulful chorus, admiring the masculinity of this classic hero.
Well, it’s time for covers! Secret Agent Man was originally performed by Johnny Rivers in the sixties. This song was in the opening credits of the series Danger Man, from the same 60s. In the Blue Cats version, she, like the modern adventures of all elegant special agents with numbers instead of names, has become fresher and more exciting, while retaining the characteristic flavor of espionage adventures.
The album ends with the gentle, lullaby-like, calm and acoustic Lonesome Desperado. It’s a very sensual song, like saying goodbye to your favorite character from a beloved black-and-white western.
But the veterans of the cat movement themselves did not say goodbye to us then. Just a year later, the wonderful live album On a Live Mission was released, where many songs from Best Dawn Yet were performed, as well as hits from previous years of the band’s existence. And the band’s most recent record is Explorers of the Beat from 2023, but it contains recordings from the band’s early years in the eighties.
The album Best Dawn Yet is a reminder that rockabilly can be diverse while still being rockabilly. This is literally a new word in the genre, and I really want the new teams not to be afraid to depart from stereotypes, as the Blue Cats did in their amazing comeback.
