Schoolkids Records (Retail & Label)

Reviews:

“You just can’t live in Texas if you don’t have a lot of soul,”Bottle Rockets frontman Brian Henneman drawls on “At the Crossroads,”the fourth cut on Son of Sahm. The unintended irony compounds itselfwhen you consider that it took a rock ‘n’ roll outfit from Festus,Missouri, to honor one of the Lone Star State’s best musicians, the lategreat Doug Sahm. Yet, all contradictions aside, the Bottle Rockets consistentlyprove on these thirteen tracks that they have what it takes to shuffle and groovein pure Cosmic Cowboy style.

The album starts off with “Floataway,” a roots rockin’ numberthat—followed by “Mendocino”—eases the Bottle Rockets intoSahm’s prevailing partyin’ mood, and sets the pace for the rest ofthe set. “Be Real,” a classic Texas roadhouse number, comes acrossjauntily, as does the tongue-in-cheek “Lawd, I’m Just a Country Boyin This Great Big Freaky City.” The dual picking of guitarists Hennemanand Tom Paar breathe new life into the whimsical number, then—just as effortlessly—theBottle Rockets shift gears for the Tejano-style bopper “Nitty Gritty.”From the tell-all ballad “Stoned Faces Don’t Lie” to the full-onfreak rocker “I’m Not That Kat Anymore,” the Bottle Rockets addedenough of their own personality to Sahm’s original vision without dilutingit—and have made a helluva album in the process. More than a mere tribute,this raucous and rambunctious “thank you” should satisfy fans of Sahmand the Bottle Rockets alike.