Refreshed

BILLY BREMNER
Bash!
(Gadfly)
It's hard to believe that Bash!, originally released in the U.K. in 1984, is only now receiving a U.S. release. Admittedly, the band from which guitarist Billy Bremner emerged—the glorious Rockpile—didn't exactly set the American charts afire, but if his better-known compatriots Dave Edmunds and Nick Lowe saw regular release over here, why not Bremner? He's every bit as talented as his ex-bandmates. Indeed, he distills the best of both into this sharp-as-a-tack pop/rock record. He has Edmund's encyclopedic knowledge of roots rock riffs (and knows how to recast them as his own) as well as Lowe's winsome sense of melody. Even his voice is a soulful cross between Lowe's engaging croon and Edmund's sharp-edged bark. Add to those considerable attributes his superbly tasteful guitar work (comparisons to James Burton would not be out of line) and a bucketful of excellent original songs, including, for this edition, five bonus tracks taken from singles, and you've got a hell of an album. "Losing My Touch," "Laughter Turns to Tears," "Going Steady With a Heartache" and "Shatterproof" (written for Bremner by Elvis Costello) have the kind of easy, wide appeal that comes not from commercial concerns but from an honest desire to induce anyone listening to have a grand old time. Any bloke who doesn't ought not to be tolerated. Bash! away. Michael Toland [buy it]

For fans of: Rockpile, the Morells, Squeeze

DAN HICKS & HIS HOT LICKS
The Most of Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks
(Epic/Legacy)
The legendary Dan Hicks is much beloved by a certain section of the music demographic (err, make that cognoscenti). The San Franciscan is widely celebrated by hip boomers for his blend of hippie surrealist humor with old-time string band instrumentation and Western swing rhythm. He was a tonic, say those that were there, to the turbulent social climate and acid excess of the 60s and early 70s. That may have been the case then, but this is now, and under the cold, harsh light of a new millennium, this music doesn't hold up. The Hot Licks—guitarist Jon Weber, bassist Jaime Leopold and fiddler Sid Page—sound comfortable with swing structure and have obvious chemistry, and singers Sherry Snow and Tina Gancher trill like birds, adding a touch of class. The problem lies with Hicks himself. His offhand singing is competent at best, sloppy at worst, and always carries an audible smirk that's off-putting if you're not in on the joke. Silly self-penned songs like "Shorty Takes a Dive," "Milk Shakin' Mama" and "My Old Timey Baby" haven't worn well over the years. Worse, the air of cornpone humor sounds forced, betraying a certain contempt for old-time string band music. It's as if Hicks is poking fun at unsophisticated hicks to whom this style might mean something, and doing it from the perspective of a 60s hepcat who feels superior because his mind's been expanded, man. It's an attitude much the same as that of certain urban alt.country bands for whom any style as simplistic as country is good only for self-referential irony. Perhaps this has never been Hicks' intention, but a pall is cast over the allegedly good-natured music just the same. You had to be there, apparently, but if you weren't, rest assured you didn't miss anything. Michael Toland [buy it]

For fans of: the Squirrel Nut Zippers, Shel Silverstein, Jimmy Buffett