Nothin' but the Truth

Album Review

There aren't many legitimate characters left in popular music; the rotund Sleepy LaBeef isn't a media concoction or collection of outrageous clichés exploiting a carefully built image. He's a simple, hard-rocking vocalist with a manic performance style and musical approach who seamlessly blends rockabilly, classic rock & roll, gospel, and country boogie into a non-stop, attacking mode. This 12-track live set from 1985 includes LaBeef renditions of "Milk Cow Blues," "Ring of Fire," "Tore Up Over You," "My Toot Toot," and a rousing concluding medley that includes "Jambalaya" and "Folsom Prison Blues." No-frills, unsophisticated, joyous roots music without reverence or pomp.