Call me crazy! Would you ever dream of dumping Elmer’s Glue all over your prized LPs? Well, I did! I not only dreamed about it, I bit the bullet and tried it! But, why did I do it? And, did it work?

I imagine this disc could set off a lot of controversy amongst avid Beatles fans–the ones who feel that any new presentation of a classic repertoire is treading on hallowed ground.  But aside from that, this newest of Beatles releases is actually the soundtrack to a Cirque du Soleil presentation at The Mirage in Las Vegas.  What Love is: a new reconfiguration of Beatles songs, reimagined and recombined (or as some would say, a “mash-up”) to create something new.  Gimmick?  Or a unique new project?

I’m not one to post much personal information here, but I was the victim of taking a spill off of my mountain bike back a few weeks ago.  Nothing crazy: I’d hit a patch of mud or moss, in front of a new subdivision, where sod had been planted recently.  A very tiny patch, in fact, but not small enough that I didn’t hit it.  I think it took me all of a half second to hit the ground, dumping all my weight onto my left shoulder, and giving me a mild concussion as well.  While the emergency clinic told me I had a Level II shoulder (or AC joint) separation, the orthopedic doctor said it was a Level V, and I needed surgery immediately.

In the rockabilly tradition, “slap” bass is predominant, providing a bright percussive element in addition to a meaty bass line that propels a song forward.  While you hear it on countless rockabilly recordings from the 50s, and even a few blues records here and there, it was pretty much lost on popular music until Lee Rocker brought it along with him in the Stray Cats way back in 1980.  Since then, the Stray Cats have recorded numerous albums with Rocker’s participation, and the individual Cats has splintered off into numerous side projects both solo and with other bands.  (Avid readers know I’m a big Brian Setzer fan.)  A few years ago, I’d gotten Brian Setzer’s Ignition album, and along with the 50s channel on XM Radio (which features rockabilly on Bruce Berenson’s “Rockabilly Road Trip” and Matt The Cat’s occasional weeknight features), I found a renewed interest in rockabilly both new and old, finally exploring something outside my familiar Stray Cats recordings.