Full Custom Gospel Sounds Of Reverend Horton Heat CD

When the Reverend Horton Heat returned with a sophomore album, he had fellow manic Texan Gibby Haynes (of Butthole Surfers fame) riding the production board. Recorded in Memphis's Ardent Studios, GOSPEL SOUNDS is yet another rabble-rousing batch of slap bass, breakneck-speed guitar, and the raspy singing of the good Reverend Heat (Jim Heath).

When Heat isn't whooping it up with the lascivious "Wiggle Stick," he's putting on a nimble display of fingerpicking on the instrumental "Beer: 30." Unfettered garage rock is furiously delivered on such manic workouts as "Big Little Baby," the runaway "Lonesome Train," and the chugging, fleet-fingered "Bales of Cocaine," an amusing tale of drug smugglers. A highlight is the Mojo Nixon-flavored and absurd "You Can't Get Away From Me," a rollicking ditty about a groupie in which the Stray Cats, Charlie Sexton, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers are mentioned. It's all wrapped up by the absurdist singalong double-entendre "Nurture My Pig," which segues into the avant-garde "Gin and Tonic Blues," an atonal dirge that the Reverend admitted to passing out in the middle of recording.

Recorded at Ardent Studios, Memphis, Tennessee.

Personnel: Reverend Horton Heat (vocals, guitar); Jimbo Wallace (vocals, upright bass); Taz (vocals, drums).

Recording information: Ardent Studios, Memphis, TN.

Photographer: James A. Bland.

Personnel: Reverend Horton Heat (vocals, guitar); Jimbo (vocals, acoustic bass); Taz (vocals, drums).

Spin (7/93, p.84) - Recommended - "...Heat still works its psychobilly- meets-rockabilly style around '50s rhythms, but GOSPEL SOUNDS is more focused than previous works--toning down the mayhem in favor of the music..."
Q (6/93, p.106) - 3 Stars - Good - "...mean live guitars and gravel-throated vocals...raw Southern rockabilly...the Reverend is but a few cult members short of a congregation..."
Melody Maker (5/22/93, p.28) - "...Gibby Hayne's production lifts the Rev's songs to even higher peaks....There won't be a more righteous re-invention of rock heard all year..."
NME (Magazine) (5/1/93, p.35) - 7 - Very Good - "...enjoy this party..."