Freddie Steady 5
Freddie Steady Go! (Fat Pete)
The Freddie Steady 5 are basically what remains after the breakup of Freddie Krc’s long-running locals, Shakin’ Apostles. Freddie Steady Go!, their first release, is subtitled “16 cool covers of timeless Texas Rock & Roll,” but cool obviously means something different to Krc and friends than it does to most people. With a couple of exceptions, these covers are not only lame, they’re completely unnecessary. Who would you rather hear perform songs like “Wooly Bully,” “You’re Gonna Miss Me,” “I Fought the Law,” and “Treat Her Right” – the original artists or a skilled bar band? That’s the dilemma presented here, and FS5 loses every time. Doug Sahm might have been able to pull something like this off – he’s represented here by “She’s About a Mover” – but Krc doesn’t possess Sir Doug’s soul or vision. Instead, we’re given nearly note-for-note re-creations; with no originality, what incentive is there to listen to this disc more than once? Krc obviously lived this era of Texas rock & roll or he wouldn’t have included tunes from the Moving Sidewalks, Fever Tree, the Clique, and the Vibrations. While this set might come off as entertaining late-night at a bar, on disc, it’s the unwelcome morning after.
This article appears in September 16 • 2005.