In 2020, there have been many decent music releases in root music. Here’s one of them that really got me hooked. The West German band Hack Mack Jackson from Dusseldorf released a mini-album Low Budget – High Convenience (2020). And even though the album was released on ten-inch vinyl, of course I immediately listened to it online. Low budget = Maximum benefit – the rockabilly-country-rock formula today!
Germans generally love and are good at rockabilly and country music. Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley served in Germany in the 50s and 60s, albeit at different times and under completely different circumstances. In any case, Germany is the birthplace of many iconic neo-rockabilly and cycobilly bands.
Well, our EP opens with a cover of Elvis – Burning Love. What’s fascinating is that Drew Jackson doesn’t try to copy the King’s vocal style, but simply takes and presents his rather crude but sincere neo-rockabilly version of Elvis’ nettle. The next track is also from Presley’s repertoire – Find Out What’s Happening (Bobby Bare), which has also always been heard. From the funky disco original, a moderately rock country-bill version has turned out here.
To Satisfy You by Waylon Jennings reminded me of the first Velvet Underground creations in terms of energy, by the way, there is one quote from the Corduroys in the last song of the album. Which one? write in the comments. For the song Lonley Boy by the popular blues duo The Black Keys, our group shot a clip with a frequency of just under 25 fps featuring semi-naked actors of both sexes with potatoes instead of heads.
The Night Before is not a Beatle cover at all, but a song about the regrets of the previous night from Lee Hazelwood. Melodically, she somehow resurrected Leonard Cohen’s First We Take Manhattan in me. Then there’s the immortal Ramblin’ Man version, the best I’ve ever heard. The guitar passages are reminiscent of Marc Ribot, especially known for his work with Tom Waits.
The record ends with the rollicking The Boots Stay On (The Beaumonts) about the fact that boots, along with a hat, may be the only clothes of a Texas gentleman. In the solo part, the guitar has a funny echo with the banjo.
The Hack Mack Jackson gang has been in existence since 1998. The men call their style country-billy-swamp-rock. That’s a pretty accurate definition. They release their albums in self-release on the Triggerfish label. Buy LP Hack Mack Jackson – Low Budget High Convenience (2020) for just a few euros.
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https://www.jacksonrock.de/
