The Devil Always Collects – Brian Setzer.

Album review, album released September 2023.

Caught off guard again! When you sit and think about it, Reg is definitely a wily old dog! The phone dings, and there’s a message from him, I can’t see the message and therefore bluff it, so I open it, (Error No1). “Are you Stray Cats fan by any chance?”, you’d have thought that I’d know by now wouldn’t you!!! But no, instead of giving it a couple of days hoping he might forget, straight off I reply, (Error No2), and now here I am, listening to and writing a review of The Devil Always Collects by Brian Setzer.

When you listen to this, the latest from a (solo) career which started back in 1984, this is one of a string of very high quality offerings from the exceptionally talented Mr. Brian Setzer. And please, when you listen to it, even if you didn’t want to initially, play it loud, for the love of all things holy, play it LOUD!!! Don’t be misled into thinking “I’ll start off with it in the background, if it appeals I’ll turn it up a bit”, those aren’t the rules! The rules say turn the volume up to 99 before pressing ‘Play’. (But always protect your hearing kids!).

The opening lyrics of the opening track are bang on the money, for this album does just what his baby did! Those lyrics are “My Baby rolled into town and shook the joint upside down, turning every head around….”. This whole album will shake the joint, and it will turn every head around, it’s not for being ignored! If first impressions count then this is going to be right up there with the best. It’s full on from the off. It is typical of Mr. Setzer, energy and enthusiasm, in abundance, there are no half measures here.

Having survived (listened to) tracks 1 & 2 I am already hooked. Track 3 is fabulous, and has the same qualities as the previous 2 tracks. It’s “Girl On The Billboard”, the first track off of the album as a single. As you would expect this is supported by a video (available through all the ‘normal’ channels).

Just when you expect to be hit again The Living Dead, track 4, brings a slight, yet probably much needed, reprieve in pace, despite its title it appears to be a love song, of a fashion. Track 5 ‘Baby Doll’, is back on the money, it fits with the albums bouncing pace, it’ll make your toes tap, whilst Track 6 ‘Black Leather Jacket’ is a grower, it’s more Billy Idol than Brian Setzer. I needed to listen to it twice to appreciate it. Both tracks are perfectly acceptable, don’t get me wrong, they are just not the best tracks on the album, to me they are background tracks, they’re not ‘sellers’.

She’s Got A Lotta…..Soul, Track 7 is catchy, you’ll sing to this, you’ll pull faces whilst you sing, and you’ll do a bit of that dad dancin’ stuff as well….remember earlier I said play the album LOUD, this track epitomises that need!

Play That Fast Thing (One More Time) which is Track 8 is a track that I can see my friends in the Delray Rockets playing, it has them written all over it. Lots of bass & vocals (Gaz), and lots of instrumentals (Dr Croc), blend very well together, altogether a cracking’ track, it’s very Mr Setzer.

Track 9 A Dude’ll Do (What A Dude’ll Do) is back to the bouncing best. If you sat down at any stage you’ll be up again to this. It has everything that you need to get you rocking again. And Mr. Setzer’s vocal abilities are far better than mine, I’d have tripped over lyrically at the very start of that, it’s not a singalong, not for me anyway! The penultimate offering is a cracker as well. Track 10 Psycho Suzie sounds initially like it could be about my ex, save her name wasn’t Suzie, and having listened to it I can confirm that it isn’t about her! It’s about leavin’ his girl at the bar, Psycho Suzies, it’s about the good times, her drinkin’ too much, her dancin’ too much, and her not wanting to go home…..she simply had a good night out without him I guess?

The last track on the album, One Particular Chick is a different choice with which to wind up what is a fantastic offering. It’s not a full on ‘leave ‘em wanting more’ type of track, it’s more ‘steady and reliable’? If I were to say it’s a track for the middle of the album, does that describe it? To finish an album I’d want a track to go out with a bang with, but then I’m not Mr. Setzer.

Throughout the album, alongside the Setzer Sound, I can hear undertones of the Dropkick Murphy’s in there, why I don’t know but I can? Go on, listen for them, you know you need to! And whilst you’re listening if dancing’ is your thing then this album will most definitely have you on yr feet. Listen to the album, tell me your thoughts?

In summary you can easily envisage being somewhere else, in a different life, at a different time, and being ‘in the moment’ whilst playing this, there is no mistaking who it is, it oozes Mr. Setzer, his class and his hallmark sound are all over it, and above all, like I’ve said twice previously….. play it LOUD….!!!!!!

The ultimate question, would I spend my hard earned pennies on this, yeah I would! It’d go in the collection.

The track listing are:

1 Rock Boys Rock

2. The Devil Always Collects

3. Girl On The Billboard

4. The Living Dead

5. What’ll It Be Baby Doll?

6. Black Leather Jacket

7. She’s Got A Lotta…Soul!

8. Play That Fast Thing (One More Time)

9. A Dude’ll Do (What a Dude’ll Do)

10. Psycho Suzie