The Pine Valley Cosmonauts: The Pine Valley Cosmonauts Salute the Majesty of Bob Wills : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

Those winter nights get long and lonely, and there's only so many times you can paint your toenails watching that tape of Brad Pitt on Oprah. So why not pop in this tribute to Western swing pioneer Bob Wills and blast your seasonal affective disorder out the chimney. The ringmaster is the Mekons' Jon Langford, with his band the Pine Valley Cosmonauts and an elite corps of country-punk rowdies taking turns on the mike. Bob Wills was one of country's all-time classic songwriters, mixing up Texas jive and jazz, and his tunes inspire festive, rocking performances all round. Top-shelf indie songbirds like Edith Frost, Neko Case and Kelly Hogan ride their blazing saddles through the Wills songbook, while Mekon punk-marm Sally Timms teaches us all a lesson in "Right or Wrong." No irony or art-slumming here, just great tunes roughed up in the liquor-store parking lot. If you can't get your guests shaking ass to The Majesty of Bob Wills, consider joining a monastery. (RS 804)

ROB SHEFFIELD