A Night on the Town by Brownsville Station (CD, Jun-2005, Wounded Bird Records)

Brownsville Station's A NIGHT ON THE TOWN. Love it.

Are these guys as good as bands like the Beatles, Kinks, Stones, Led Zep, or Deep Purple? Or American bands like Creedence, Steppenwolf, or Mountain?
Or an even more Rock'n'roll oriented, but also legendary band like the Velvet Underground?

Not exactly. But wait:


This is Michigan Rock'n'roll all the way. Music of the heartland. Unpretentious. Plenty of musical savvy without over sophistication. 70's Rock'n'Roll with a strong 60's undercurrent, and the spirit of 50's R'n'R & Rockabilly !
Brownsville Station are professional; but they don't try to impress us with musical prowess. Though not really Garage Rock; the garage is just around the corner.

What makes this band so great ?

They have personality! They have humor! They're playful!

With apologies to the phenomenally witty Ray Davies of the Kinks; Brownsville Station nearly threw more humor into their music than all of the above mentioned bands put together. They were more fun than even the Dictators or the New York Dolls; and less sleazy than either.
They play pure, crazed, fun-loving Rock'n'Roll. This little gem- a nearly forgotten classic, is full of rockin' songs. Off the cuff, freewheelin' music- but the band is tight.

Lots of good stuff here from open to close. Besides the many rockers of various hue and shade, there are little excursions into other styles: Country Rock, Beatlesque Pop, etc.

Check out the great one-two punch of Wanted: Dead Or Alive followed by Country Flavor. 'WANTED' is a Bluesy Rocker which manages to be both funny and dramatic. Intense and atmospheric, it contains the sublime refrain
"Sting my beehive 'cause I'm wanted Dead...
Sting my beehive 'cause I'm wanted Live...
Sting my beehive 'cause I'm Wanted:Dead Or Alive."

Country Flavor is a hilarious song about a kid who sneaks into the family cellar, where his parents(?) are apparently hiding a working whiskey still. His misadventures ultimately land him in the pokey, where he admits he knew better, but just couldn't resist that "country flavor".

They're excellent musicians...
Variety is always nice; and with 3 vocalists on the record, we have it here. 2nd guitar Michael Lutz has a pretty good voice- lead guitarist Cub Koda has a rougher, raspier one. Both are engaging singers full of charisma and good humour, and both obviously love rockin' music. Bass player Tony Driggins takes the lead vocal for Country Flavor (along with Lutz) and does a bangup job, cutting up with abandon. Both Lutz and Koda are excellent rhythm guitarists who, along with Bassist Driggins, lay down many a tasty groove. Great and widely various guitar licks and solos from the ever feisty lead guitar Cub Koda, who's bag of tricks never seems to be empty. He tailors his playing to fit the song at hand, never purposely trying to overshadow the rest of the band; so it's almost possible to miss his greatness; but as you continue to listen, it eventually becomes obvious that the man's chops and knowledge of Rock and Roots music are deep. Great, hard-hitting drumming throughout.
In my book, these guys could stand shoulder to shoulder w/any of the Guitar Armies of the Michigan Scene. And that includes Ted Nugent, the stooges, & the MC5.
Get it before it goes out of print.