1st tune, “You’re Gonna Miss Me” is hip, rock lobster, surf, one hell of a crab boil beach party blow out with some favorable libations to quench your every need. If you are throwing a party, blast it, to hell with the neighbors !
“Shaking All Over follows“, a more contemporary song, but ladies & germs Robin Sylar is pretty far from contemporary. To bad this dude has gone to play the big gig in the sky. His stuff is really pretty wack and enjoyable. Not blues per-se, but totally enjoyable, if you are in that mood.
Ha Ha ! The Cajun “Iko Iko” tune is the next ditty and once again its unique and brings a smile to my face. There is some scratchy talking at the end of this thing. “Hollywood Millionaire” follows up sounding almost like something out of the Hillbillys With Jed , Granny , Jethro Bodean and the ever sweet Ellie Mae.
“Heart of Stone”, yeah that one , is next and this one almost seems wrong, but that is what makes it Sylar. It’s actually a pretty good take on this song with a definite Sylar touch. Look out now cause this next one is a flash back to that opening party, “Pretty Girls”. The Mack Daddy has his eye out for ya and he wants a piece of you so look out. Some quackin’ guitar on this cut and seductive keyboards. Oh heck, be careful, ya just might get turned on listening to this one.
Did somebody say “Shot Time”, yeah they did. Pick your poison, Wiskey, Gin, Schnapps ? Life ain’t nothing but a Sha bam goin’ on it says and the black helecopters are following this freaky dude. When that happens, it’s “Shot Time”. This one will crack you up . It’s a definite drinkin tune, think I’ll fix myself one now. “Back to Luka” is next and this one is a blues tune with some driving guitar and a real solid back beat. Some real solid vocals here.
“Surf Puppy”, starts out with a growling Mad Dog, then goes into a Munsters type beach theme, then something out of The Ernie Kovacks Show, and back to a weird Munsters theme from the orient. This man really mixes his media and the barking surf puppy marks the changes. I think this dude is doing something more than shots. But then again ya “Can’t Judge a Book” is the next song and it’s oh so true. Well in this review I’m telling ya this cover has “Tricked Out” written all over it and buddy believe me it is . The Green Acres theme tossed in here is more proof.
“Misirlou” The classic bonsai and riding the surf tube is just was the Sylar ordered. There is no doubt that this is a groovy fit into this collection. It confirms what you had been thinking the whole time while listening to his music. He had to get this one into his collection before he bit the big wave.
“Sugar Bee” is next and again we find some real blues, believe it or not, it’s like it was always there amongst the mixed hodge podge of wackiness that went before. “Hand Jive” is next and there it is again, a Cajun Blues mix. Not knowing what to expect next really makes this collection something fun and enjoyable to listen to. Heed the veiled warning though, you really won’t know what to expect till you actually hear it.
With that in mind, I should leave something to the imagination. There are a few more cuts on the CD but I ain’t gonna tell you about them. I think you get the jest of what Mr. Sylar has to offer and I suggest you pick up the CD for yourself. Words can only describe so much, this is something you need to experience and hear for yourself to truly appreciate. If you are intrigued by this type of mix, you just gotta hear it.
This was his second CD and it was just as crazy (in a good way) as the first one. Robin Sylar passed at age 54, in December 2005. (The following are excerpts from Ft. Worth Star Telegram Dec.2005) The Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office ruled his death a suicide. Sylar was Influenced by musicians such as Jimmy Reed and Albert King, but his style was completely his own. In the 1970's, Mr. Syler played in the band Krackerjack with legendary blues-rock guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan. He later shared the studio and stage with players such as Doyle Bramhall, Jimmie Vaughan and Homer Henderson.
Check out his web site www.robinsylar.com . Enjoy !
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