TAROCK MUSIC

Psychobilly blues conjurer infused with a melancholically hopeful Gospelish stomp . . . 

Idiot Flats is music by which to read Wild At Heart.  The distorted guitars harken back to Link Wray and King Bee-era Stones, but also ahead to garage-rock California blues billy bands like The Blasters.  But there’s nothing clean or obviously tight in Rick Shaffer.  If anything, there’s a bit of the devil in him, in his stomp, an edge, an unwillingness to hoe the musically pretty party line.

He sings just as unapologetically as he arranges his bass, drums, and guitars.  He doesn’t posses a great voice, or a classically bluesy voice, or a classically rock voice, nor does he have the sort of voice that’s “seen things.”  Not that you don’t see things when your listening to Shaffer’s, One More Heartache.  You see all sorts of great things − duck tails and syringes and back alleys and dancers dancing hard to his music.

But Shaffer’s voice, like his music, like his musical tastes that have influenced his music, just is what it is.  It’s take it or leave it.  A bit haunting, a bit raw, a bit in your face.  But knowing, almost intellectual.  And with an unusually Gospel hopefulness lurking just beneath as well.  The kind of hopefulness that has the veracity of pain and sacrifice to it.  Damn fine.  Just really damn fine.

∎ Devon Jackson, Writer/Editor, 2012

(Devon Jackson is the author of Conspiranoia!, Editor of the Santa Fean Magazine, as well as a freelance writer for The New York Times, Rolling Stone, The Village Voice, Details, Vanity Fair, and The Huffington Post, to name a few.)

SEARCHIN’ FOR THE THING THAT’S GOT NO NAME:

RICK SHAFFER CHANNELS HIS INNER BEAT MOJO ON “IDIOT FLATS”

Long story short: this record burns with a wicked swagger that most artists in today’s marketplace would feel hard-pressed to match, let alone top.

We need some kind of rock ‘n’ roll highwaymen to wipe away those social ills that the original ’77 punks hoped to blot from the landscape – yet continue to bubble over with a noxious fever that makes every cardboard 1980’s Steeltown movie landscape seem like paradise, by comparison.

Double-digit unemployment?  Check.  A never-ending drought that turned the most well-manicured lawn to brown?  Double-check.  The serpentine wind of consumer debt used to gut the American Dream, as in, “Keep the plebs quiet through interest rates that go up, up and away?”  Triple-check, hell, the only missing ingredient is a royal jubilee (don’t worry, somebody’s probably got that scenario fleshed out in a drawer somewhere), so this is what bowling alone got us, I guess.

With its repeated calls to flout conformity and convention, Idiot Flats makes the perfect soundscape for this social-Darwin-on-steroids-mess that we take for current culture.  When I interviewed Rick in the fall of 2010, he’d just released his first solo album, Necessary Illusion, which moved me to joke with him: “When the Rolling Stones finally figure out how to get their ’64-era mojo back, it’s gonna sound like this stuff.”

Those tendencies grew even further pronounced on Rick’s second solo album, Hidden Charms, and burst gloriously to the fore here – wrapped around fuzz guitars, psychedelic drones and hill country blues, goosed along by shaker, or tambourine-driven backbeats (courtesy of Les Chisholm and the colorfully-named Boo Boo Spencer).  Except for a few extra bass bits from Leon Wingfield, Rick’s carrying the musical load here (guitar, bass, lead vocals and percussion).

And carry it, he does, from the opening bell of Unforgiven Man, a driving, ’60s-ish slice of Beat manifesto that throws down (“get deep inside his naked eyes, he’s got nothing to hide”), capped by some ad-libbed howls near the end: “Well, C’MON!  Well, C’MON!”  That’s the perfect setup for One More Heartache, whose spaghetti western twangs can’t mask its darker, freakbeat-tinged undercurrent, one born of convention-bustin’ aggression (“Well, it’s so bad/you don’t know/end up doing just what you’re told”).

Nostalgia-mongers don’t fare any better here on Around The Bend, which clangs along a fuzz-guitar-laden R&B groove (“You keep on askin’ me about the good old days/But I’m sorry, man, they’re comin’ to an end”).  The same story goes for Getting Low, another declaration of intent (“Take it or leave it were words I often heard/Why are you so stressed and so disturbed?”) that marries its fuzzy chunk-a-chunk to some tastefully twangin’ guitar leads, plus a six-pack of attitude (“I ain’t wastin’ time, just waiting on you/I’m getting busy, just seein’ this through”).

That makes two more standouts in an album brimming with ’em, which is all down to Rick’s strengths as an arranger, and is truly the secret weapon here.  Just when you think it’s impossible to wring anymore mileage from this brew of ’60s garage, hill country blues and freak beat pysch, you get surprises like Remember, basically, an up-tempo cocktail of the above-detailed elements, held together by a highly-mixed tambourine, one of many subtle textures put to good use here.

On the title track Idiot Flats, Rick lets his Southwestern blueswailin’ side hang out, over an understated, mid−tempo funky bed of drums and tambourine – as he recalls his chance encounter, Marquee Moon-style, with an old, been-there-done-that sage who warns him about the ways of the straight world (“This world gets too unkind/If you don’t live/If you don’t do/If you think now, brother, like they want you to”), and its never-ending encroachments on your life, but not in this particular company, where no tune breaches the four-minute mark – a welcome alternative to this age of CD and DVD bloat.

I could go on forever, but you get the idea.  As I mentioned at the beginning, whether it’s the state of rock ‘n’ roll, or our increasingly sorry, Soviet-style culture, we’re way overdue for some changes – and Idiot Flats will give you the conviction to lead that charge.  If you only know Rick from his New Wave pioneer era in The Reds, you’ve heard half the story – the rest of it’s here, and the contents will make you a believer out of you in a hurry.  Here’s to the real hissing of summer lawns!

• Highlights: Unforgiven Man, One More Heartache, Idiot Flats, Around The Bend, Getting Low.
• Lowlights: None, dammit!
• Rating: 5 out of 5

■ Ralph Heibutzki, Communiques, Chairman Ralph’s Ministry Of Truth, 2012

(Ralph Heibutzki is the author of “Unfinished Business: The Life & Times of Danny Gatton.”  His articles appear in Bass Player, DISCoveries, Goldmine, Guitar Player, Vintage Guitar, and he is a regular contributor to the All Music Guide.)

Rick Shaffer delivers near perfect rock album with Idiot Flats

As a lifelong rock n’ roll fan, I can honestly say that I’ve explored and re-explored a wide range of what the genre has to offer.  Coming across the work of Rick Shaffer recently, though, made me wonder if I’ve really been paying close enough attention.  His new CD Idiot Flats is a joyous mix of the Rolling Stones, Iggy Pop and the Black Keys with an occasional rockabilly tinge to the proceedings, and it’s a solid effort.  Unforgiven Man showcases Shaffer’s one-of-a-kind pepped up badass vocal chops, and it would be hard for any rock fan to not love it.  One More Heartache brings Springsteen to mind with gut wrenching honesty.  Already, by track two, I’m blown away and requesting a physical copy for my nest road trip.  Remember doesn’t slow things down – it heavy’s things up a la 16 Horsepower to keep the momentum strong and forceful.  The title track is a low down blues number, dirtier than the Black Keys material we’re used to hearing these days.  Highlights from the rest of the release include the mean romper Around The Bend that’ll make you want to dance by yourself (it’s that kind of number), and Dangerous Dance, which brings the great Steve Earl to mind.

I would not hesitate to HIGHLY recommend this release to any serious fan of rock, rock n’ roll, blues, Americana, and even country.  This album is near perfect and delivers a swagger most artists don’t even dream up.  GET IT.

∎ James Moore, IMP, 2012

(James Moore is the author of  the best selling music marketing book Your Band Is A Virus, and is also a contributor to The Muse’s Muse, Skope Magazine, Target Audience Magazine, Evor, and Music Think Tank.  Moore is currently working on two new books, including “Your Band Is A Virus – Expanded Edition”, which will include an industry insiders interview series featuring legendary producer Stuart Epps (Led Zeppelin, Elton John), HIP Video Promo CEO Andy Gesner (HIP has worked with Johnny Cash, Bon Iver, Pearl Jam, Of Montreal), Justin Wayne of the Justin Wayne show, and Crystal Lee of Vandala.)

Until the release of his debut solo venture, I had never heard of Rick Shaffer.  I am proud to say that ever since that initial review, I’ve never forgotten him and apparently he’s never forgotten me either.  So when I was asked to review this latest dose of Rick, I happily obliged.  See, to me there is just something about keeping a sense of honesty to music and I personally feel that when it comes to his music, Rick Shaffer has simply never told a lie.

Following up his last album, Hidden Charms, in true Rick fashion he has continued to expound on his sound while sticking to his roots with Idiot Flats, his 10-track full length of bent-note blues, vintage garage fuzz and stripped down honesty, Unforgiven Man blasts at the intro with jarring blues finger lead over slightly dirty backing melody.  The hallmark vocal delivery is eerie in how much Rick can effortlessly channel a young Jagger.  Through the track he maintains his trademark “sense of urgency” with the lead still wailing through to the fade.  The fuzz finally takes the lead on Remember while the finger-picking wail takes the undercurrent role.  This is the facet where Rick shines most.  I believe in “too much of a thing” but no matter how much fuzz Rick pipes from his rig he never loses control of the ethos of the track.  The bluesy drone, guitar interplay and the vocal delivery find a commonality that makes the track mesh while allowing a full appreciation of the individual elements.  Title track Idiot Flats continues the dirty fuzz with bent-note fills and a nasally twang in the vocal delivery; noteworthy in that what I notice is Rick is peppering this album with a dose of vintage Psychobilly/Honky Tonk.  The minimal shaker/tambourine percussion keeps time in the background while the fuzz melody plods the track along over the bluesy picking at the foreground.  What is dramatic about it is the multiple soundscapes and layers Rick can lay down and then morph into one harmonious drone.  Around The Bend features a slide work intro over the scratchy backing drone.  Hard luck Blues vocals bolster the dirty ethos of the track with what sounds like triple guitar interplay.  Again, this track reeks of raw, organic grit that creates a complexity sum of the parts.

What’s important to note is that Rick Shaffer doesn’t put out new albums.  What he offers is a series of recorded evolutions of a sound.  Yes, the basic elements of blues guitar and 60s garage fuzz are ever-present, but the additional facets of vintage R&B, Honky Stomp and Hill Country rhythm can only be identified as evolutionary.  And fittingly so, in that Rick isn’t one to put out static music; this stuff moves and shakes.  It vibrates and resonates.  This isn’t simple “listening music”; it’s a sonic assault . . . an aural hostile takeover.  And there is something special when an artist can command your attention without asking for it, such is the case with Rick.

■ Christopher West, Skope Magazine, 2012

During the summer, when the sidewalk melts under my feet, I imagine my personal theme music.  It is usually a fictitious lanky guitar driven surfer song, very similar to Dick Dale and the Del-Tones’ classic, Misirlou.  After such moments, it occurs to me that the beach-side surf rock anthems vanished after a pinnacle of popularity in the 60’s.  Have no fear, Rick Shaffer is here.  His album Idiot Flats revives the forgotten genre.

Shaffer’s Idiot Flats revives the surf-rock genre but has more stain-power than the original fad.  His construction of hybrid sounds allows for a modern twist on an oldie favorite.  The album combines blues, surf-rock, and an edgy hit of folk to super-charge the wet reverb sounds made famous by surf-rock pioneers.  Shaffer’s talent is ingrained in this album as he played guitar, bass, and percussion not to mention writing the lyrics and belting out the vocals. You can hear his zeal in each track.

Listening to the final song Dangerous Dance summarizes the ultimate exaltation captured in this album.  The twanging slide guitar is front and center accompanied by a muted distortion.  The song combines all of the greatest elements of Blues tradition.  If I could describe the overall music styling, it would be the love child of Colin James and Tom Cochran mixed with the sounds of a 1960’s beach.  You can almost taste the waves!

This album deserves a good listen!

● Connie Adams, Orange Country Reverb, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 2012

RICK SHAFFER IS FOR FANS OF IGGY POP AND 16 HORSEPOWER

For fans of seriously hooky rock n’ roll of the more badass variety (Iggy & the Stooges, 16 Horsepower, Tom Waits, etc), take a close listen to the surprisingly masterful work of Rick Shaffer on his new release Idiot Flats, which I can honestly say there isn’t a miss on.

Must-listen tracks include One More Heartache, Dangerous Dance and Getting Low.

Note: This is not your average, clean-with-a-perfect-sheen modern rock.  But it’s probably what you’ve been waiting for.

• The BL Rag, Music Watch, 2012

I first took notice of Rick Shaffer back in 2007 when his band The Reds released their exceptional comeback album Fugitives From The Laughing House.  This was followed two years later by the equally appealing Early Nothing, and since then Mr. Shaffer has been busily releasing solo albums.  I always thought that Necessary Illusion from 2010 was his first solo venture, but now I find myself surprised that he did already one as early as 1971, one year before I was born.

This means of course that Rick Shaffer is by no means a youngster, but as on his previous records, he never sounds old and weary.  I missed his last album Hidden Charms, but the new one – Idiot Flats – is frankly not that different from what I have come to expect of him.  Playing the guitars, bass and some percussion, and of course in charge of the vocals, he only hired the services of a drummer and an additional bassist for the ten tracks featured on this new CD.  The recipe is still quite the same: garage rock rooted in the early Sixties, inspired by early Stones and the Pretty Things, funneled into concise three minute tracks that overwhelm their audience with reverb driven guitar, bluesy melodies and Shaffer’s cool, distanced voice that reminds occasionally of Lou Reed and Alan Vega.  The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion are another band he can be likened to, for all those who started listening to music in the Nineties, a long time after Rick Shaffer began his active musical career.

It’s hard to highlight any specific song, as the whole album is one extraordinarily listenable experience from the beginning to the end.  Last time I complained a little about the CD’s short length, but this time I guess I have come to accept that this kind of music works best in smaller doses.  Idiot Flats never sounds modern, and always catches the atmosphere of Sixties garage rock, and while this would feel fake with a lot of younger artists, Rick Shaffer has the necessary experience and years in the music business to make it all work.  Fans of dirty, unpolished fuzzy garage blues rock will feel as if they have just stepped out of a time machine.

Pascal Thiel, DisAgreement, Luxembourg, 2012

Something about the name Rick Shaffer rang a bell when I received this weeks’ review.  There are plenty people with this name of course, and then I recalled that I reviewed Shaffer’s previous release, Hidden Charms, early last year.  Even better, I recalled that I quite liked it, and its raw garage rock sound.

Shaffer’s latest, Idiot Flats, is in a similar vein as Hidden Charms, but also shows some nice growth as well. It still has a very fuzzy blues rock sound; early Stones, yet modern day retro rockers like Black Lips at the same time.

While it does have this garage rock sound, Idiot Flats has a bit more southern blues in it from his previous effort.  This seems to better fit Shaffer’s vocal abilities more than the more rocking efforts heard previously.  The quality of the recording seems improved from his last outing as well and the sound certainly is fuller now.

Idiot Flats has once again shown me that I am a Rick Shaffer fan.  These are the kind of tunes I would love to hear at a dive bar over my next pint.  While I do enjoy all of the songs on their own, it does get a little repetitious in a straight listen though. Thinking back to Hidden Charms I have to say that I enjoy the improvements from that release, but felt there was a bit more variety in the previous album.  Regardless, Shaffer continues to put out quality bluesy, garage rock records worth checking out, and Idiot Flats is no exception.

KEY TRACKS: One More Heartache, Hard To Tell

• Kevin Kozel, Muzik Reviews

Rick Shaffer is a man that follows his own path and a steadfastly unfashionable path it is too with clear evidence of a resolute refusal to polish his musical vision into mass market mediocrity.  So, if you like it rough and ready then you will probably have found the man of your dreams right here.

Remember makes a convincing case for this approach as the simple but relentless guitar riff overpowers the robotic drums on a journey down that goes all the way down the road to redemption.  Redemption practically implies the blues and that 12-bar approach is to be found on many of the other songs on this album with Got To Go being the prime example.  Idiot Flats might be a low budget thing but it sits right in the groove throughout.

Perhaps the weakest thing about this album is Rick Shaffer’s rather indistinctive voice but since it is a simple message that he chooses to deliver that isn’t too great a liability and, looking on the bright side, you have one more reason to crank it up.

• Bluesbunny, Glasgow, UK, 2012