Shaun Young

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Photo by Matt Strickland
Review from ‘Now Dig This’ Magazine, March 2005.
“Ya gotta love rockabilly for it’s limited sound and handful of subjects-cars, girls, the occasional scrape with the law.” So wrote Margaret Moser in the ‘Austin Chronicle’ on February 11th 2005. Well, I suppose no-one HAS to love rockabilly, but I do not know any rock n roll fans who do not embrace it wholeheartedly just as they would include rhythm and blues and doo-wop into the fold that incorporates all styles of the Big Beat. Shaun Young, he of High Noon fame, understands the heritage of the music and writes it, sings it and feels it every bit as much as anyone did the first time around. Perhaps even more.
And so to this brilliant new Goofin’ CD, full of those subjects listed earlier by Margaret Moser. Within the 15 titles on offer, there are nine Young compositions but you’d be pushed to separate them from the originals (covers of originals from the 50’s) included as they are perfectly crafted and preformed rockabilly and rock n roll songs. Take ‘Mean Mean Mean’ with its wonderful shuffle beat in an ‘I Forgot to Remember to Forget’ kind of way. Had Warren Smith still been with us, he would have been first in line to perform his own rendition of this one. A highlight for me, no doubt. ‘One-Two-Three Carburetors’ explores the car angle and there’s a some lovely guitar and steel reminiscent of Sonny Fishers Starday tracks. And the ballad ‘I’ve Found What I Was Looking For’ is just exquisite and worth of many original ‘50s artists. Billy Walker springs to mind. ‘Don’t Ask Me Why’ is a beautiful pop rockabilly number with an Elvisy feel and a vocal reminiscent of Eddie Cochran.
Of the non-Young songs, ‘When Your in Love’ is a fine new version of the Sonny Curtis and Jerry Allison song that you may be familiar with via the ‘Bobby Vee Meets The Crickets’ album. Wonderful music and a great performance.
Then there’s Shaun’s own version of the Billy Fury ‘Sound Of Fury’ classic ‘My Advice’-wouldn’t have that tickled ol’ Ron to have a Texan record one of his songs, forty-five years after the fact! Add a Fabulous version of Joe Poovey’s ‘Move Around’ and a sound rendition of Jimmy Lloyd / Logsdon’s ‘Rocker In My Pocket’. And this is one hell of an enjoyable album. Dedicated to The Blonde Bomber, Ronnie Dawson, this is about as good as it gets…until Shaun’s next one, that is!
Howard Cockburn
Here's what 'Country Standard Time' has to say:
Many modern day rockabillies are content to play hard and fast until the listener can't tell one echo-laden bass-slappin' shuffle from another. Not Shaun Young, among the few independent label bop-cats who actually makes records with distinctive flair and diversity.
Young's shuddery, quasi-erotic vocal technique is used to great effect on Gene Vincent hot rod rockers ("One-Two-Three Carburetors") and Jack Scott pop-noir numbers ("She's Got What I Want"). But both singer and band - featuring the brilliant T Jarrod Bonta on piano - are at their best seductively grinding through two early-'60's type rockers ("Wiggle Walk," "The List"). Boasting hook-filled grooves galore, this set exemplifies what this genre sounds like when it's done right.
Ken Burke
Photo by Matt Strickland