Phil Dirt - Reverb Central - PO Box 1609, Felton, CA 95018-1609 USA Lonnie Mack - The Wham of that Memphis Man!
 | This mid eighties LP release compiles some of Lonnie Mack's signature guitar sound.  He was contemporary with the surf sound. While he influenced it from the side only slightly, he is often credited with being a primary influence, or more rightly a pioneer of power chord blues rock, though most of his material was cut from an upbeat country perspective. |
Picks: Wham!, Suzie Q, The Bounce, Chicken Pickin', Down In The Dumps, Memphis
Track by Track Review
Rock (Instrumental)
This is one of the GREAT RI tracks out there, and it's taken its bloody time getting to CD. "Wham!" is just plain infectious. It's use of whammy, the early dominance of power chords, and the flights of joy in the performance are all top notch.
Country Rock (Instrumental)
"Suzie Q" is a classic rock tune. From it's launch with Dale Hawkins in the mid fifties on Chess to it's long tortured glory under the Golliwogs (soon to become Creedence Clearwater Revival), this tune has inspired a ton of artists. Right in the middle of the stream comes Lonnie Mack to make it more bluesy and swirly, more fluid and artful.
Country R&B (Instrumental)
This is an instrumental treatment of the Olympics' vocal dance number, with Lonnie Mack's swirling guitar and a chorus. Fun, but not particularly great.
Country Rock (Instrumental)
Speed is the order of the day. This previously unreleased number wails... it's a rapid fire rolling blueser with flashy lead work, like B. B. King at double speed.
Country Blues (Instrumental)
"Down In The Dumps" is a stilted bluesy romp, with an Eddie Angel feel and a swirling tone. It's a basic jam.
Rock (Instrumental)
Like the Surfaris' "Wipe Out," "Memphis" and "Wham!" were recorded to consume twenty minutes of leftover studio time. Both were solid hits in 1963. This is a highly rhythmic track, infectious and playful in a post Chuck Berry world.