Search - Jeffrey Frederick :: Ooh La La Les Clams

Call him anything...

Roger A. Straus | Portland, OR | 03/28/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Jeffrey Fredericks was truly great, and unfortunately "late" (but not for dinner, no way). This literally infectious set (from Portland, OR's Euphoria in 1981)is one of those recordings Jeffrey should have released when he was still around to take credit for it in person. Ranging from his amazing originals through his inimitable covers of Michael Hurley, John Prine and others, even traditional songs, this CD captures Jeffrey Frederick at one of his peaks, with core members of the Clamtones (and now the Freak Mountain Ramblers), Dave Reisch, Roger North and Richard Tyler. If this doesn't crawl into your head and not let go, you're probably deaf. And if it doesn't cause you to break out into a broad grin and reach for your dancing shoes, you're probably undead. Heck, it would make zombies tap their toes and order a PBR! This is the real deal--crazy, tight, right in the groove and out of this world (after all, it covers Blue Navigator...). The biggest problem is, when people ask me what Jeffrey's music is like, if I said kind of like the Holy Modal Rounders (heck, the Clamtones WERE the West Coast Rounders when Steve Weber fronted them, kind of like the Freak Mountain Ramblers, kind of rock and roll, kind of alt country, kind of swingy, kind of honkey tonkish, kind of... well, you get the idea. They don't have a clue what I am talking about. The best definition of Jeffrey's music IS his music--and this is some of the best."