The FretTones - Down On My Luck

The FretTones - Down On My Luck

Track listing: SOMETHING I DONE / SO LONG GOODBYE / SNEAKY PETE / MAKE UP YOUR MIND / ALL DRESSED UP / TAKE ME BACK / DOWN ON MY LUCK / YOU'RE GONE
SHE'S LEAVING / YOU GOT ME / SHE'S GONE FOR GOOD / POOR LITTLE BABY / BABY DONE GONE AWAY / YOU KNOW IT'S TRUE / YOU GOT ME / SHE'S GONE FOR GOOD.

The FretTones are one of the most exciting new bands on the UK scene and their debut release, Down On My Luck will only enhance their growing reputation. Formed two years ago at the Spiders Web in Edinburgh, they consist of Keith Turner on lead vocals, Martin Barret (The Tennessee Hot Shots) on lead guitar and Alan McCubbin (The Accelarators) on upright bass, with occasional drummers to complete the quartet. They play authentic rockabilly and have already made successful debuts at Hemsby and the Rockabilly Rave.

Down On My Luck was recorded at the now legendary Chris Cummings' Riverside Studio in Blackpool, and features a bunch of originals with just a few covers. Ross Wilson plays drums on a handful and Cummings plays steel and three including the sublime So Long Goodbye, which not surprisingly had a Riverside Trio feel to it. Something I Done is a hard rocking opener and they also excel on the hot rockin' blues of Poor Little Baby.

Of the covers, Al Ferriers' My Baby Done Gone Away is changed the most from the original and it works well. Sonny Fisher's Sneaky Pete is a great cover with the stinging guitar echoing the original. It's great to hear someone do Bob Luman's Make Up Your Mind. I'm surprised more people don't give him as whirl. This is a brilliant debut release and one of the best albums I've heard for a while.