r e v e r e n d h o r t o n h e a t m a r t i n i t i m e

From The Pit...

There are two types of martinis. Good ones and bad ones. When you get a good one, it's really good. The bad ones are just as bad. I'm not sure when the best time is for martinis but when the Reverend Horton Heat says it "Martini Time", that's fine with me, good or bad.

"Martini Time" is the newest album from the Rev.. Jimbo is still thumping that stand up bass, and the new drummer is Scott Churilla, formerly of Sister Machine Gun and KMFDM.

Everything in the Rev's repertoire is here. Heavy rockers, ballads, and swinging dance tracks are all present. The whole Rev. gospel of sex, booze, sleazy women and fast cars is here too.

The album opens with "Big Red Rocket of Love" about fast hard sex in the back of a car that's just as fast and hard. Following is "Slow", once again about sex, but this time about more skillful experienced sex. Sometimes it's good hard and fast, but there "aint no reason not to take it slow".

The title track is a nice little ditty that makes you want to find some sleazy dive, belly up to the bar, swig some martinis and smoke some cheap cigarettes.

"Generation Why" is a cross generation anthem, sometimes praising, sometimes criticizing the generation gap and it's generations. Are you looking for your own identity or trying to be someone else?

There are also a couple kickin' instrumentals here as well. "Slingshot" highlights the Rev's guitar work and Jimbo's slap happy bass work.

"Rock This Joint" is classic rockabilly while "Cowboy Love" is a twangy hillbilly ode to "interracial cowboy homo kinda love". Other hot rockers include "Time To Pray", and "Now, Right Now". "Or is it Just Me" is a reverby psychedelic orgasmatron that starts gently and builds to smashing, thrashing climax, multiple times.

The Vegas cheesy glitz of "That's Showbiz" closes the album. It's about working "689 days in a row, 6 shows a day, 15 minute breaks" and struggling for fame.

This is a typical Rev. album, with little new ground covered. That's perfect though. When I listen to the Reverend Horton Heat, I don't want to hear evolutionary musicianship and clever new guitar tunings. I want to rock, and the Reverend never fails to deliver.