The 1980 Listening Post - The Fabulous Thunderbirds - What's the Word

 Reviewed by Paul J Zickler

Released: August 4 1980 The Fabulous Thunderbirds What's The Word Genre: Texas Blues Allen’s Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Paul’s Rating: 4.25 out of 5 Highlights: Learn to Treat Me Right Last Call for Alcohol Jumpin’ Bad That’s Enough of That Stuff I’m sure I’m not alone in saying that Jake & Elwood converted me to the Church of the Blues. Before “Briefcase Full of Blues” came out, my knowledge of blues music came entirely from a PBS special I watched with my dad and a friend’s set of Time-Life Presents the Blues LP’s. After hearing the first Blues Brothers record, and later watching the movie, I became a huge blues fan, which lasted until sometime in the ‘90’s, when I became exhausted with hearing the same damn chord progression and blues-scale guitar solos and walked away from the genre. While I occasionally spin my John Lee Hooker, Lightnin’ Hopkins, and Muddy Waters records to this day, I’ve mostly remained staunchly uninterested in the kind of white-boy blues the Fab T-Birds specialized in. This does not mean I don’t recognize the appeal. I’m pretty sure Kim Wilson taught Dan Aykroyd to play the harmonica (I seem to remember hearing him say so on MTV), and Jimmie Vaughn’s guitar prowess is undeniable. This album wasn’t a hit, but that seems purely accidental. If songs like Learn to Treat Me Right or That’s Enough of That Stuff had been featured in a movie soundtrack, the record would’ve found its way into the Top 40. The production doesn’t have hit single quality, but the playing and singing are obviously a cut above the bar-band fare featured on other releases of the time. These guys are the real deal, clearly, and they deserved their success and critical acclaim. Even instrumentals like Last Call for Alcohol and Jumpin’ Bad get the toes tapping enough to remain interesting. If you like talented dudes from Texas generating two to three minute bursts of blues energy, this is a solid album. Pour yourself a Lone Star and enjoy.

The 1981 Listening Post - The Fabulous Thunderbirds - Butt Rockin'

 The Fabulous Thunderbirds - Butt Rockin'

#534

By Rob Slater

September 3 1981

The Fabulous Thunderbirds 

Butt Rockin’

Genre: Old Time Rock ‘n’ Roll. Take those old records off the shelf, dust ‘em off an’ play all them songs yerself...

Allen’s Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Rob’s Rating: Solid 3.75. B+ all the way. They didn’t really want to work hard enough for the A! ;-)

 

Okay, I only ever heard their singles. Knew that Stevie R.V.’s older brother Jimmie Vaughn was in the band. Thought he was the lead singer, guitarist and songwriter. Nope, Kim Wilson sings most and plays the harp (harmonica).

But this album is Butt Rockin’. It’s also

Toe tappin’

Finger snappin’

Booty shakin’

Fifties fakin’

Cover takin’

Love makin’

Heartbreakin’

Guitar slingin’

Drumstick flingin’

Harp playin’

Loss of datin’

Blues appropriatin’

Master… Oh, never mind…

1. "I Believe I'm in Love" - Awesome. 

2. "One's Too Many (And a Hundred Ain't Enough)" - Okay.

3. "Give Me All Your Lovin’” - Awesome.

Cover Section. Tracks 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 are ALL Requisite 80s Covers.

4. "Roll, Roll, Roll" - Great Requisite 80’s Cover. 

5. "Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White" - Nice tune. Tex Mex blues. Fits the style.

6. "I Hear You Knockin'" -  Good.

7. "Tip on In" - First one that really does nothing for me. 

8. "I'm Sorry" [NOT A COVER] Decent tune.

9. "Mathilda" - Last cover. Awesome horn section. Totally 50's throwback, but it works so well... got my hips shakin’, 50s fakin’...

10. "Tell Me Why" - You can tell where the Texas Tornadoes and Los Lonely Boys got their sound. Course, Texas Tornadoes members had been makin’ songs like these for years.

11. "In Orbit" - Okay, it's got a nice beat, a lot of harmonica, but it doesn't have the deep groove that I hear in the other songs. Should have stopped at 10 songs with "Tell Me Why" and maybe added “I Got Eyes” as a 6th bonus 80s cover.

This records rocks and rolls, skitters and strolls, backseats and bowls (as in the lanes in those happ’nen’ shoes, singin’ the blues… Yeah. It’s like they’re one of the greatest cover bands EVER! If I was their A&R man, I’d have added one more Cover and taken away an original. Fun to listen to quite a few times, but it won’t change your life.

https://open.spotify.com/album/6RSHcScSrS0TfYjTt34YBO?si=ulKIf11xRcSGgzR-Y05hig

The 1986 Listening Post - The Fabulous Thunderbirds - Tuff Enuff

The Fabulous Thunderbirds - Tuff Enuff

#28/1185

January 1986

The Fabulous Thunderbirds

Tuff Enuff

Genre: Boogie Rock

3.25 out of 5

Highlights:

I Don’t Care

Speaking of ZZ Top….

This sounds like a roots rock band decided to mimic Top and aim for the charts. 

It worked. The single was ubiquitous. And dull as an unsharpened 50 year old butcher knife. 

After that, this is pretty middling Americana rock. A really good Beer Fest band, at best. 

We already have The Blasters. We don’t need another one, especially one that is nowhere near as good as the Alvin bros. 

https://open.spotify.com/album/5V9ZYrWIeMS8W5rvz7LeF4?si=aVGqFav_TTWU3Avf8ZdupQ