Dr. Feelgood - A Case of the Shakes
#359
Dr. Feelgood
A Case of the Shakes
Genre: Pub Rock
3.75 out of 5
Highlights:
Best in the World
Who’s Winning
Drives Me Wild
We’ve had a lot of discussion at Listening Post HQ about what qualifies as “rock”. The mission statement says that’s the criteria but “Rock” came from the blues and, at some point, R&B, which has it’s roots so firmly planted in “Rock” became…well…not “Rock”. At least not how we have come to define it.
Reggae is not included but…ska is.
If we get to the 2000s I will advocate for (and succeed, fyi) in including Big Band Revival as that movement came out of Ska and Rockabilly bands.
Speaking of Rockabilly…when does it become country?
As you can see, this is a challenge and management is always having to make calls that, sometimes, others don’t agree with it.
And that’s what’s happening here with Dr. Feelgood. They are R&B. And Soul. And Rockabilly. And Swing. And Rock.
And yet, they are none of these.
You would hire Dr. Feelgood for your wedding or Bar Mitzvah and I bet they kick that ass.
I was JUST writing about how they channel Nick Lowe when I decided to look em up and, boom, there it is. Lowe wrote the best song on the album, “Best in the World”, co-wrote the terrific, “Who’s Winning” and he produced the album. That’s credit to my ear, I guess. But, Lowe couldn’t make them into unit movers.
The main force behind Dr. Feelgood, Lee Brilleux, was one of the founders of Stiff Records and died at 41 of Lymphoma. In another world a singer with just as mediocre a voice, starts a derivative band, has fun, starts a label and they make some waves. Sadly, I could never get the label concept off the ground.
Probably for the best.
When we start having backyard concerts again I lobby to play any of these highlights. Would blow the roof off.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FN6h-ffF9NA&list=PLlvn8uktX5LulNUa5FiOoEuGj9VzkYePQ
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