Title: Derivative Songs from a Solo Stray Cat
Product review: The first solo album from the top Stray Cat tries but fails to match the earnest sound of mid-80s heartland rockers like Springsteen, Mellencamp, and Bob Seger. Setzer's lyrics are especially morose, perhaps inspired by his acrimonious parting with his former bandmates, Lee Rocker and Slim Jim Phantom, who had already scored a hit with Earl Slick, "Men Without Shame." Within a year, the Stray Cats would reunite and return to making rockabilly music, albeit without much chart success, which is what this LP also encountered. A gem or two worth hearing: Setzer's blazing guitar hoedown, "Barb Wire Fence," and his surf music guitar workout on "Radiation Ranch."
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