ATOMIC
The Magazine Articles Reviews The Bar ATOMIC Girls Gallery Venues Bands Retro Radio Forums Shopping
   


eBay


History Channel.com

Big-T & the Bada-Bings

 
 

Rocket 350
American Grease

The cover art for American Grease features a classic pink car with frightening rocket power and a smooth sailing fin, which may be just the right image for the Athens, Georgia, threesome known as Rocket 350. They deliver high-energy, in-your-face rock-and-roll, with the volume cranked up to 10. Unlike many bands flaunting the greaser image, Rocket 350 doesn¹t suffer from all-our-songs-sound-the-same disease, but they are certainly an acquired taste. No dulcet tones or easy ballads to be found here. Without having ever seen this band perform, I can only imagine their stage antics.

 ATOMIC AUDIO

Hear Samples of
American Grease

That's Life
Roll with Me
Purr Kitty, Purr
Wray Street

Get Real!

Visit the band online

Order yours—click here.
Click Here To Order


The CD's most appealing tracks are the fast-driving Rockabilly songs, with standouts including "That's Life" and "All Night Long", which has a catchy sing-a-long riff. "Wray Street" and "Six-Gun" divulge a Dick Dale influence, the former being an excellent surf guitar instrumental, and the latter a cowboy song with a raging six-string. Two '50s jukebox style slow dance songs, "She's Gone" and "Lonely Rock N' Roll Nights", have nostalgic appeal, yet despite the mood shift, the band's rambunctious, eager energy comes creeping through. The unlisted bonus track at the end of the CD tries for an old-fashioned microphone recorded sound with interesting lyrics.

The musical layout of American Grease is balanced overall, and the performers' skill is tempered only by their drive for powerful excitement.
This is an unapologetically loud band, most clearly underlined in hardcore Rockabilly songs like "Voo Doo" and "Seven Days." Fans of Rockabilly who like frantic energy and an Elvis slur sung in a volume more reminiscent of The Big Bopper will enjoy this disc immensely. But be warned: Rocket-powered antics tend to shake the car at high speeds.

—Frankie Hagan



Year 1999 Reviews
Year 2000 Reviews
Year 2001 Reviews
Year 2002 Reviews
Year 2003 Reviews
Alex Pangman—Can't Stop Me From Dreaming
The Aqua Velvets—Radio Waves
The Beau Hunks—Original Laurel & Hardy Music of LeRoy Shield
Cave Catt Sammy—Love Me Like Crazy
Cigar Store Indians—Guest List
Darrin Stout and the Starlighters—Debut
Dave's True Story—Dave's True Story
Deanna Storey—Sometimes I'm Happy
Devil Doll—Queen of Pain
Eight To The Bar—Hey, Sailor!
Fat Cats—Keeping Up With the Dow Joneses
Ingrid Lucia—Fortune
Jimmy Luxury—Hotels, Limousines and Lawn Chairs
Jon Rauhouse—Jon Rauhouse's Steel Guitar Air show
King Pleasure & The Biscuit Boys—Let 'Em Roll
Lascivious Biddies—Biddie-luxe!
The Moonlighters—Hello Heartstring
Ray Gelato Giants—Smokin'
Rocket 350—American Grease
Ronnie Magri and his New Orleans Jazz Band—Shim Sham Revue
Rumblejetts—Dry County
Saddle Up & Boogie—Western Swing With a Zing!
Skip Heller—Career Suicide: The Essential Skip Heller 1994-2001
 

Retro Reading Reviews
James Bond Movie Posters:
The Official 007 Collection
Lester Leaps In
Long Time Coming: A Photographic Portrait of America, 1935-1945
Marilyn
Pink Think: Becoming A Woman In Many Uneasy Lessons
That's Amore: A Son Remembers Dean Martin
Trash: The Graphic Genius of Xploitation Movie Posters
 


© 1999-2009 ATOMIC Magazine, Inc.
ATOMIC Magazine Inc., 917 Orchid Drive , Lewisville, TX 75067
info@atomicmag.com
All site content, including images and text, is copyright © 1999-2013 ATOMIC Magazine, Inc. & www.RetroRadar.com
This material may not be reproduced, borrowed, or used for any purpose except by written permission of the copyright holder. Terms and Conditions of use.