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An energetic and ambitious collection-
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On one hand, Vavoom! has the same can't-sit-still energy and brilliant musicianship of the 17-piece orchestra's previous efforts... But it sometimes seems as if Vavoom! goes a little too far in its attempt to sound experimental and break new ground in updated big band music.
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Despite his always dead-on guitar playing and decent set of pipes, Setzer pens original material that tends toward repetition. Couple that with a rather pedestrian "Mack The Knife"... and "Vavoom!" comes across as listenable, but ultimately forgettable
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Checkout.comThis is true hepcat music -- shaken rockabilly, stirred swing, chilled Big Band and it's finger-snappin' upbeat all the way through.
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[Setzer] reaches back to actual swing classics like "Pennsylvania 6-5000" and "In the Mood," as well as to vocal and jazzesque chestnuts like "Caravan" and "Mack the Knife." Foolishly, he has updated these with ungainly frills like hip-hop passages and dim-bulb lyrics.... other energetic fare works better...
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Bringing some rock into swing is clearly Setzer's forte, and he blurs the lines between swing, rockabilly, and surf with ease.
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The results are unfortunately as atrocious as they are blasphemous, setting a tone that keeps Vavoom! mostly falling flat on its straining-to-jump-jive-an'-wail face.
User score distribution:
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Positive: 2 out of 2
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Mixed: 0 out of 2
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Negative: 0 out of 2
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ButchSOct 5, 2002