Reverend Horton Heat
Spend a Night in the Box (Time Bomb)
Along with televised bridal lotteries and pro rasslers holding public office, the idea of a mellow Reverend Horton Heat resolutely belongs in Metallica’s “things that should not be” file. But stranger things have happened — obviously — and compared to the bloodshot, bug-eyed zeal of ’93’s Full-Custom Gospel Sounds, the new Spend a Night in the Box is positively genteel. The first tip-off is that “Big D Boogie Woogie” concerns dancing of the jitterbugging vertical variety, whereas five years ago it would have been about a fluid-exchanging roll in some Deep Ellum hay. Maturity? God, I hope not. To his credit, the Reverend’s dexterous guitar-picking is in fine form, the rhythm section of “Nature Boy” Jimbo Wallace and Scott “Gorilla” Churilla are (as usual) tighter than Britney Spears’ capri pants, and producer Paul Leary generally keeps things crisp as a new C-note. Unfortunately, the Reverend’s home state has come to expect more from the patron saint of psychobilly than Gap-ready numbers like “Sleeper Coach Driver” and “Hand It to Me.” One Big Bad Voodoo Daddy is more than enough. Spend a Night in the Box is not outright apostasy — some of the old recidivism lingers in “Sue Jack Daniels” and the title cut — but if the Rev ever shows up on Fox’s “Who Wants to Marry a Musician?” I’m turning in my wiggle stick for good. (Stubb’s, Friday, Mar 17, 1am)
This article appears in March 10 • 2000.