Sir Douglas Quintet
"The Prime of Sir Douglas Quintet"
(Music Club)
Did somebody say Nuggets? But we're talking about the Sir Douglas Quintet. The original Sir Douglas Quintet weren't one of those American bands that came out of the mid-sixties trying to sound like The Beatles or The Stones. No, they just wanted to be mistaken for one the other bands that came out of the "British Invasion" (which would include The Kinks, The Animals, Herman's Hermits, The Who, etc). As a result, the Texas fivesome disguised themselves (barely) as a limey band in hopes of capitalizing on our mid-sixties fascination with all things British. Of course it was hard for the Quintet to pass themselves off as English when some of the bandmembers were Hispanic and the rest were bawdy Texas bruisers with absolutely no trace of a British accent. In any case, Sir Doug and the boys did just fine without their Anglo-mystique as evidenced on "The Prime Of Sir Douglas Quintet." Gathered from the band's early recordings produced by Huey P. Meaux (the Crazy Cajun), this disc showcases their eclectic mix of greasy R&B, cajunto, Texas swing, country soul and other American folk forms. With classic cuts like "She's About A Mover" and "The Rains Came," the band is revealed as a rock'n'roll combo with lots of rough edges and plenty of soul. Between Doug Sham's rough-hewn vocals and Augie Meyers roller-rink organ style, the Quintet were gloriously sloppy and passionately rocking. Besides compositions written by Sir Doug and Huey Meaux, the Quintet perform songs by Bob Wills, country music maven Harlan Howard and even Bob Dylan's "One Too Many Mornings." While their rendition of "Bacon Fat" did not result in a dance craze to rival the Mashed Potatoes, it did display the band's greasy garage leanings in no uncertain terms. This disc finishes off with a grooving' little R&B tune entitled "Funky Side Of Your Mind" and if that doesn't throw you for a loop then the Sir Douglas Quintet are probably worth your investigation. There's a lot more Sir Doug where this came from so get to work!
by Mitch Myers
copyright 1999 New City Communications, Inc.