Rob Price
Gutbrain Records
rob + gutbrain.com = email

2014 May 09 • Friday

There must be dozens of Joe Meek compilations out there, and much overlap among them. For fans of The Shadows and other guitar-led instrumental, mind-century rock and roll, however, this CD, Dream of the West by The Outlaws, is a good one to get.

Joe Meek apparently put this act together, using a band originally called The Stormers and teaming them up with singer Mike Berry (originally Kenny Lord but, like The Stormers, renamed by Meek).

About three songs or so were familiar to me from other compilations. One of them, "Johnny Remember Me", was on the first Joe Meek compilation I ever heard. The Outlaws were Meek's house band and are on a lot of his recordings.

It's great to hear all these western-inspired tunes together, along with bonus tracks. And it's always refreshing to hear the thick, textured sounds Joe Meek got. It's a lovely sound, also weird and sad.