The jukebox in the corner by the soda fountain of the checker-floored drugstore is shooting out sounds of solid gold. Each tune is a more perfect distillation of the post-Elvis, pre-Beatles rock sound than the one before it. When your eyes are open, though, the jukebox and drugstore are gone, and the Poughkeepsie-based Greyhounds’ latest is booming from the stereo. The title track is a roll call of top jukebox manufacturers of the classic rock ’n’ roll era, while the reverbed surf of “On the Move,” the frantic Lieber and Stoller gospel of “Saved,” and the Bayou-flavored accordion-and-sax fest of “Honey Bun” are similarly rock-solid genre workouts.
For the sessions the ’Hounds lineup of Stuart Millman (vocals), Mark Hollenbeck (guitar/vocals), Steve Greenfield (greasy saxophones and keyboards), Jimmy Malthaner (bass), and Kris Kaiser (drums) was augmented and co-produced by keyboardist and Woodstock roots rock luminary Aaron “Professor Louie” Hurwitz. Although the playing here is excellent, the record often feels just a little too faithful to the primary sources; the most interesting moments are when the genres transgress a little. A fine example of this is the cool, reverbed surf undertow backing the badass Gene Vincent strut in “Little Lulu,” or when the band brings the energy on “It’s a Crime”—making it hard not to shake a tail feather. The Greyhounds will rock the Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz on July 7. Greyhoundsrocknroll.com.
This article appears in July 2012.
