NRBQ is one of the longest-lasting rock bands in history, and while they’ve never had a hit, they’ve made almost uniformly strong records for their entire career. Started as the New Rhythm & Blues Quintet (later Quartet) in 1967, the lineup has of course gone through some changes, but three-quarters of the current lineup has been together since 1974, and this foursome — Terry Adams on keys, Joey Spampinato on bass, Johnny Spampinato on guitar and Tom Ardolino on drums — has been unchanged since Big Al Anderson left the guitar position in ’94. (I was fortunate to see that lineup in about ’92, with Richard and Danny Thompson opening for them.)
On Dummy, NRBQ continues to do what it does best: stripped-down garage rock that covers a lot of stylistic bases, from blues to pop, R & B to reggae, rock ‘n’ roll to country. It doesn’t give much more than a bare hint of the manic genius of their live act, but it’s a solid disc from four guys who know how to rock.
The opening title track deftly introduces the sound, with piano, guitar and bass all playing an eighth-note series in unison behind wailing horns, before dropping into a slower, piano-driven R & B that’d be at home on any Randy Newman album. After that intro, highlights include the sweetly soulful “I Need Love,” the twangy country shuffle of “Be My Love” with lots of nice harmony vocals, and the rockabilly raveups of “One Big Parking Lot” and “God With a Blue Dress,” a steaming slab of garage-rock that answers Mitch Ryder’s long-ago hit, “Devil With a Blue Dress.”
Also nice are the swampy blues of “Call of the Wild,” the slow, languid rocker “Imaginary Radio,” the greasy funk of “Hey Punkin Head,” the rattling dance groove of “Do the Primal Thing” and a credible stab at bossa nova with the Jobim-Gilberto composition, “All That’s Left to Say is Goodbye.” The most overtly political is the final track, “Misguided Missiles,” a very direct comment on the current state of affairs in the U.S. Al Anderson reputedly plays guitar on this track, but it’s hard to pick out his efforts. About the only track that didn’t work for me, in fact, was the cloying “Little Rug Bug.”
Dummy is good honest rock ‘n’ roll, stripped down to its essentials, by a veteran road-tested band. They make it sound easy, but in reality, a lot of bands should be so lucky to sound this good on their best day.
(Edisun, 2004)
