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 bullshit; this album is actually a superb example of adult-themed American biker-bar rock.

Chad Adams August 17, 2007
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