Go Cat Go! A Tribute to Stray Cats

They Say...

Review by Mark Deming, All Music Guide

While the Stray Cats did more to introduce rockabilly to the average American than anyone since Elvis Presley during their 1981-1983 heyday, even by the traditionalist standards of the genre they didn't bring much new or original to the table -- for the most part, the Stray Cats were just another rockabilly trio (albeit a very good one) with a hotshot guitarist and plenty of songs about cars, girls, and looking slick. Given this, despite their popularity there probably isn't much reason for other nuevo-rockabillies to pay homage to Phantom, Rocker, and Setzer, but more than 20 years after they helped to bring the rockabilly revival to commercial radio and MTV, Go Cat Go! A Tribute to Stray Cats presents 15 bands acknowledging the band's continuing influence. The performances that work best here are the ones that make something new out of the Stray Cats' originals: the Phenomenauts add a low-tech electronic edge to "Cry Baby" that's both fun and funny, the ladies of Thee Merry Widows give "(She's) Sexy + 17" an effective gender swap, Reel Big Fish enhances "Stray Cat Strut" with a horn section and witty snarl, and G-String turns "Something's Wrong with My Radio" into a punkified rave-up. However, most of the bands on board are rockabillies who either play in the traditionalist manner (like the Stray Cats) or add varying varieties of hot-rodded mania to their sound (in the manner of Reverend Horton Heat). All of this ultimately amounts to a bunch of rockabilly bands covering another rockabilly band, and not a lot that's new or original is added to the songs as they're known (though to their credit no one bothers to cover "Rock This Town"). Which is to say Go Cat Go! is a fairly typical tribute album -- a few good tracks, a bunch more well-intentioned but unessential covers, and unless you're obsessive about the Stray Cats or the bands featured here, you're better off just replacing your copy of Built for Speed.