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Buck 69: When She Whispers Your Name

By Keith Hannaleck

Artist: Buck 69
Title: When She Whispers Your Name
Genre: Blues-Rock-Jam-Band
Label: TRC
Website: www.buck69.net
Purchase this CD: CD Baby

Buck 69 is the creation of father/son musical team Tom and Alex Clawson. It is a multi-generational, blues-style jam-band with some off-the-hook guitar playing. For their debut When She Whispers Your Name, they have served up a funk injected blues album that would be the perfect accompaniment to a late night swingers’ party. Why a swingers’ party? I’ll get to that.

“When She Whispers Your Name”, the track for which the album is named, is like the song JJ Cale and Dan Hicks never recorded together. With its cool Rowland-style electric piano, courtesy of BJ Love, and funky guitar by Alex Clawson it creates the mood of a late night on the other side of town. Tom Clawson’s vocals hint at 70’s era Eric Clapton as he sings the words “What about the night? / who’s gonna get you through the night?” This up-beat little number could very well be that perfect song the band is searching for.

On the blues-rock ballad “Good Days Bad Days”, Tom Clawson sings about what it takes to live through each day with the loss of his son Thomas – to whom the album When She Whispers Your Name is dedicated. The song isn’t as depressing as it would seem, it has a down-to-earth optimism and the music just feels good, and Alex plays the sort of sustained guitar that is at the heart of classic rock.

On the other hand, “The Monkey Song” is like the joke that went on for too long. It is either a rambunctious song for children about a pet monkey, or a raunchy song from a man who likes his woman to keep her panty zone free of hair. Judging by another song title, “Sex Drugs Ur Mom & Me”, it’s a safe bet that children weren’t even a consideration. After about two minutes I’d say I got the joke, but the song goes on for another three minutes and twelve seconds.

Slightly less obvious in its innuendo is “Sweet Spot”, an advisory song about how to keep your lady happy. This track features Alex cookin’ up the chicken-fat on guitar, and it exhibits the band firing on all cylinders with a tight and funky groove.

Buck 69 is a solid band with various great songs and some over-the-top guitars, but I hesitate to recommend When She Whispers Your Name to everyone because of the lyrical content of several tracks. This offering is for an audience that shares that special lifestyle; one where bathrobed men keep exotic oils on their night-stand and the women can dance for hours in six-inch stiletto heels. Alright… that last part was bull; this album is actually a superb example of adult-themed American biker-bar rock.

Reviewed - August 17, 2007

Tracks:

01. T-Town
02. When She Whispers Your Name
03. Misery
04. Risk It All
05. Cold Wind
06. Sometimes
07. No Time For Love
08. Sex Drugs Ur Mom & Me
09. Sweet Spot
10. Good Days Bad Days
11. Someone Like Me
12. I'm A King Bee
13. The Monkey Song
14. The Best Place

Credits:

Dave Alan: Drums
Buzz Anderson: Lead Guitar
Pam Berger: Harmonies
Alex Clawson: Lead Guitar
Tom Clawson: Lead Vocals, Song Writer
Candice Coleman: Vocals
B.J. Love: Keyboards
Todd Ovall: Bass
John Sevila: Lead Guitar

About the Author:

Keith Hannaleck, known as “MuzikMan” is a Journalist specializing in independent and major music reviews and the promotion of artists via the various media outlets flourishing online. He has worked closely with artists, management, publicity directors, and webmasters to provide some of the best and far-reaching coverage an artist could have. Focusing primarily on the internet as a medium for his work, Keith has been a pioneer in the industry changing the way a reviewer with his various talents are used by many artists, PR folks, and labels. He has provided strong and valuable work to labels, artists, and publicity people, writing reviews, press releases, and biographies and much more over the years, giving the people he works with the maximum amount of exposure through several top-notch websites that post his content on their sites.

Hannaleck built and maintained his own website in 1998 while networking and building his reputation through thousands of reviews and interviews, creating a special niche for himself. Through many years of dedication and hard work, he has reached a respected level of competence and knowledge that is frequently sought by the music industry today. Known for his speaking from the heart interpretations of music and being able to put it in layman’s terms for music fans, his work is found everywhere in cyberspace and in traditional print media, from press kits to quotes from reviews in magazine advertisements.