Hayseed Dixie - Let There Be Rockgrass

Vocals/Guitar/Fiddle: John Wheeler
Banjo: Don Wayne Reno
Mandolin: Dale Reno
Bass Guitar: Jake Byres

1. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (live)
2. Fat Bottom Girls
3. Whole Lotta Rosie
4. You Shook Me All Night Long (live)
5. I Believe In A Thing Called Love
6. Ace Of Spades
7. Detroit Rock City
8. Corn Liquor
9. Feel Like Making Love
10. Walk This Way
11. Touch Too Much
12. Centerfold
13. I'm Keeping Your Poop
14. Highway To Hell (live)
15. Will The Circle Be Unbroken (live)

Not quite your usual rock album, far from it in fact, but still a catalogue of some of rocks greatest known tracks. Hayseed Dixie mix country and rock to form a new blend of 'Rockgrass'.

The band originally (or so they claim) spawned from a car crash in their home town. A man died after hitting a tree on a tricky turn, and in the back of his car the boys found a collection of old AC/DC records, which they set about learning in their own way in memory of the passer by.

That sparked their first album (entitled "A Hillbilly Tribute To AC/DC"), later followed by "A Hillbilly Tribute to Mountain Love" and "Kiss My Grass: A Hillbilly Tribute To Kiss". This is their fourth offering, a more broad and general selection of rock covers done with fiddles, banjos, mandolins and even the odd harmonica. "Let There Be Rockgrass" (a play on AC/DC's "Let There Be Rock") is certainly different. Their covers of songs such as 'Walk This Way' and 'Ace of Spades' prove they are definitely talented musicians, even if it is in an unusual way!

At first I couldn't help but laugh, but I must admit that quite a lot of these songs are fantastic. The hillbilly vocals really do put an odd spin on songs you'd normally expect to go along with a deep growl.

I can't decide if they're more a fish out of water or a fantastic new twist to something that's slowly dieing out in the world. But either way, I have no complaints! It's wonderful to listen to (even after you get past the initial laughter).

Admittedly there are some songs I prefer the originals of, but it's nice to hear a different way of playing some songs, and at the same time there are some songs that are made bearable by this bluegrass. Rather than simply carbon copies of songs, or even simply playing on a different instrument, they have completely transformed them. Time changes from the originals are quite common and entire sections have been converted to be quieter, bouncier in places, and played on fiddles... differences which, while unusual, still sound fantastic. Being a guitarist myself I know how hard it can be to play some solos on an instrument which allows you to only pluck every 3rd or 4th note, so hearing some of their banjo work just amazes me time after time. Although I'm not quite so sure about some of their original tracks ('I'm Keeping your poop'...).

Possibly not one for everyone, but worth a listen if you have a chance.

By J
31/01/07