Webb Wilder and the Beatnecks
Born to be Wilder
recorded live at WorkPlay,
Birmingham, Alabama
Blind Pig Records BPCD 5120

Popa Chubby
Deliveries After Dark
Blind Pig Records BPCD 5121

Who is Webb Wilder, this "kind of a Tom Petty for the trailer set" (San Francisco Chronicle), this man who proudly proclaims that he and his band, the Beatnecks, "play both kinds of music, Rock and Roll"? Here's how Webb Wilder describes himself on Born to be Wilder, this live CD recorded at Birmingham, Alabama's WorkPlay:

"Who is Webb Wilder? Webb Wilder is an electrifying artist. The last of the full-grown men. Last of the boarding house people. A man who will never be quite bald, never quite wall-to-wall. A man who knows every plate-lunch joint and thrift shop in Birmingham."

Elsewhere on the CD he gives the Webb Wilder Credo: "Work hard. Rock hard. Sleep hard. Eat hard. Grow big. Wear glasses if you need 'em." These and other monologues given in a deadpan baritone that makes him the Ben Stein of the rock 'n' roll set. (This deadpan delivery has also made him a noted actor in several highly regarded cult films.)

Webb Wilder plays guitar and sings lead vocals, and two other members of the Beatnecks also play guitar, giving forth a sound that can explore the variegated possibilities inherent in multiple rhythm and lead guitar playing. His music might be described as countrified hard rock that is multi-faceted, lyrically creative and exciting to listen to, and even beyond, as in the fully convincing rendering two rockified country ballads, "You Might Be Lonely for a Reason" and "If You're Looking for a Fool;" a surf instrumental, "Sputnik;" and even some solid blues-rock on Jerry McCain's "Stay Out of Automobiles" and a locomotive-driving, continuous drum-beat 5-minute-and-37-second version of Big Joe Williams's "Baby Please Don't Go," complete with a monologue on the Mississippi blues, that's reminiscent positively of Alvin Lee's classically electrifying performance on the 1969 Woodstock movie.

Many of the 15 songs on Born to be Wilder were written or co-written by Wilder's long-time friend Bobby Fields, and are an excellent admixture of country and rock themes. My favorite of Fields's on the CD is "Miss Missy from Old Hong Kong," a short but burning rock tribute to Oriental female pulchritude. Wilder and Fields hail from Mississippi, where they were knocked out by the sounds of the British Invasion and soul music; moved to Austin, Texas in the mid-1970s and played in bands there, soaking up more alternative rock sources; then on to Nashville.

All this brings together a hard-rocking original music that is roots rock 'n' roll, hard rock, country and blues, and is scintillating, driving and burning, yet has emotional depth, ironic twists, excellent musicianship, and lyrics that truly grab. An exciting musical hybrid!

The Born to be Wilder CD from notable roots-rock and blues label Blind Pig is also available as a DVD, Tough It Out! from Landslide Records.

Post-modern bluesman" Popa Chubby has been a Blind Pig mainstay since 2001, and is truly one of the finest blues-rock guitarists and vocalists around. It is indeed a pity that he had to suffer the misfortune of being born too late, and thus coming to musical age when pop music recording was staid and derivative, and had no room for an artist as creative and original as Popa Chubby. Had he been lucky enough to arrive on the scene in the 1960s or early 1970s, he'd be recognized for what he really is: another Hendrix or Clapton. Alas, he didn't emerge as a musician until the 1980s and 1990s, and thus end up relegated to small labels and non-"mainstream" genres. But like so many other talented but non-pop pabulum American musicians, he's widely regarded in Europe, where he played regularly for many years.

Deliveries After Dark, Popa Chubby's ninth album for Blind Pig, is 15 cuts of rockin' blues-based material in a variety of styles and beats, with some creative surprises--such as doing the "Theme from The Godfather" as a surf instrumental, and laying down a hot reggae number, "Woman in My Dub Bed." "I'll Piss on Your Grave" is a truly nasty slow blues, the kind of song we'd all love to sing (if only we dared!) to all those who put us down. "You Can't Stop Love" is an acoustic blues-rock, an excellent demonstration of Popa Chubby's mellower side. Deliveries After Dark also contains three musical manifestoes on his deep commitment to the musician's life: the electric "Let the Music Set You Free" and "Man of the Blues," and the acoustic solo, "Oh Rock and Roll You Heartless Bitch." "Grown Man Crying Blues" and "Money Isn't Everything (It's the Only Thing)" are blues on finances we can all relate to. "2nd Avenue Shuffle" is a good-rockin' traditional blues instrumental, "Sally Likes to Run," "Deliveries After Dark" and "You Never Loved Me" burning rockers with lyrical twists.

The musicianship here is truly stunning, with Popa Chubby showing versatility on a wide variety of guitars and expressive, emotionally-modulated vocals, and the addition of excellent keyboards from Dave Keyes and trumpet from Tipi Horowitz on "Theme from The Godfather." Except for "Theme from The Godfather," all songs on Deliveries After Dark are originals either written by Popa Chubby (real name Ted Horowitz), or co-written with the love of his life, Galea. Blues and more from California, Jamaica, Mississippi, Memphis and Chicago via way of a multi-talented, creatively-luminous, soulful interpreter from New York City!

Popa Chubby says himself on his notes for Deliveries After Dark, "I offer this work up with respect to the music, the fans and with hopes it will bring healing to those who listen! ... Death so censorship!!" Indeed!

Following their release in January, 2008, both Born to be Wilder and Deliveries After Dark rose swiftly to the top of the roots rock and blues charts and commanding radio airplay. The proof why is right here in the listening.

George Fish can be reached at georgefish666@yahoo.com.