Reviewed by Paul J Zickler
Released: August 1 1981 Jr. Cadillac In For Life Genre: Party Rock & Roll Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Highlights: Somethin' Strange Wailer's House Party Cop Your Spot Leavin' Here For more than 50 years, Jr. Cadillac has been the pre-eminent live party band of the Pacific Northwest. Sure, you could argue Too Slim and the Taildraggers deserve a mention for those who live east of the Cascades, but along the I-5 corridor, on any given Friday and/or Saturday night, during any year between say, 1971 and 2019, you could probably find these guys at a dive bar or dingy music venue, rockin’ the place while satisfied patrons drank Olympia and Rainier beer and partied till the cows came home. They’re still doing it today, maybe not every weekend, but every chance they get. This 1981 release is a party album for party people. Not fashionable party people either: this is music for 9 to 5 blue collar folk who want to forget their worries and rock out in the purest sense of the term. This is the band Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley called whenever they came through town. Their bass player at this point was Mr. Buck Ormsby, a founding member of the Fabulous Wailers. If you don’t know who they were, Tall Cool One might be a good place to start. Here we get a cover of Wailer’s House Party, a slinky, sizzling instrumental. The songs are a mix of covers, party anthems, and attempts at actual songwriting. But when you wear your influences on your sleeve, even the originals can be damned enjoyable. Cop Your Spot digs into that famous Bo Diddley beat and does not let up. Somethin’ Strange locks into a mid tempo rockabilly groove, complete with Crickets-style background vocals. Talk Jock Walks steals shamelessly from Chuck Berry, and why not? The very next tune is an extended, sax drenched cover of Chuck’s No Money Down. The closing number, Motown classic Leaving Here, very nearly captures the live vibe that has gotten JC through half a century. Don’t set your expectations high - the guy next to you with the rodeo belt buckle and flannel shirt sure as hell doesn’t have high expectations, so why should you? Just drink your beer and have a good time. That’s what Jr. Cadillac wants. That’s why we’re all here.
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