CD - Ronnie Nightingale & The Haydocks - Dutchrub

Has it really been 5 years already since the last CD release of Ronnie Nightingale & The Haydocks? Their album "Rock Till We Drop"
was very well recived back then, and it has become a standard for all Teddy Boys in Europe. Inspired by the European Rock 'n' Roll styles and Teddy Boy Movement, Ronnie and the guys composed 14 new songs, performed in their well-known breathtaking and braindamaging fashion.
With just about 25 years of experience, these guys really know how to rock your socks off, on record as well as on stage.

This new album was recorded at Studio Noodweer in Nijmegen, The Netherlands, and released on the new Empire sub-label Rebel Ted Records. From the first words "I had a girl and she left me all alone" the Haydocks thunder through my speakers with enormous energy. Ronnie Nightingale is definitly one of the best singers on the Teddy Boy scene, although he hails from Nijmegen (Holland) and speaks Dutch with a nasty slang, there's no accent on his English pronunciation and he can sing hardcore rock 'n' roll as well as sensitive ballads ("Is It A Sin").

Hard hitting the skins is William Olders, just cover your ears when he sledgehammers his sticks on "My Little Witch". Or listen to Charles Heyse pluck his bass with a vengeance on "Viking Road".
Masterclass guitarist Jeroen van den Bergh is dominating on "Gibraltar Rock" and on just about every other song on this excellent album. I guess it really shows that these guys have been together for such a long time.

"Nobody Knows" must be one of my favorites on this disc, although it's tough to pick one. The spooky opening, Ronnie's dark flavored voice and the guitar intro that sounds like The Meteors' "Johnny Remember Me" give me goosebumps everytime I play it. Very subtle, jet very powerfull, words & music both nothing less than high class.

"No Longer Mine" is something else too, a very sensitive mix of ballad and rocker that will move you the way only Ronnie and his Haydocks can. Also on this disc a couple of straight forward Ted Stompers like "It's A Ted World" "Drapecoat Boogie" "Gonna get You"
and the Flying Saucers style "One Eyed Cop". Magic!

There's only one slow song on this album (Ronnie warned me about it when he handed me the CD, LOL), a song written by Charles Heyse, and adapted by Ronnie. Just vocals and electric guitar, a bit bluesy and a great song, even though it is a well known fact that I'm not really a fan of ballads.

This is one heck of an album, great compositions, fabulous musicians, superb production, recorded (almost) live in the studio. What else can I say but... listen to the Teddy Boys roar!

Ronnie Nightingale & The Haydocks are:
Jeroen van den Bergh - Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals Ronnie Nightingale - Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar Charles Heyse - Bass, Double Bass, Backing Vocals William Olders - Drums, Backing Vocals