Something to Crow About

Album Review

The backside of their Gearhead debut depicts the Riverboat Gamblers washing down a bucket of KFC with a case of Lone Star. It's appropriate, since that's pretty much what Something to Crow About sounds like. It's greasy, gristly, and full of meaty power chords that slosh all over the LP's 13 tracks with the kind of drunken glee that only happens after the bars close. It's probably illegal, but let's worry about that in the morning, right? Nothing lead shouter Mike "Teko" Weibe says is intelligible; the first verse of "Ooh Yeah" goes something like this: "Nizickstr tic tooba tabba goba geeba gabba I said Ooh Yeah! Ooh Yeah!" Of course, this is totally awesome. High on '70s cock rock and louder than most, the Gamblers also manage to make most of their songs' "danceable in a goofy 1960s garage band sort of way." And just like their compatriots in the Catheters or the Hellacopters, the band has little use for subtlety. "Last to Know" does feature some plaintive chord changes and a crying lead guitar line, but by the song's penultimate moment, Teko and the boys' harmonies are of the swaying, drinking song variety. No, Something to Crow About isn't about pulling heartstrings. As the band screams in one of the album's standout stompers, they've been sent to tell you what's what. You won't be able to hear what anyone's saying after the ear-splitting jams "Rattle Me Bones" and "Hey! Hey! Hey!" transpire, but by then you'll be dizzy with drink and mumbling memorable Riverboat Gamblers catchphrases like "You got the rhythm but you got no soul" and "I'm a real cool guy." Better start looking for that late-night chicken place now, while you can still see.