By Dante Murphy Hailing from halfway around the world, this Aussie quartet does classic American music proud. From the title track to Tennessee Ernie Ford's "Blackberry Boogie", the Chrome Daddies deliver 16 tracks of vintage excellence. "Hear My Plea" features a condensed vocal sound that is evocative of the golden age of rock 'n' roll, and sets the tone for a genuine retro romp. Vocalist Doug Wilshire also lends able hands to the steel guitar, especially on Hank Williams classic "Long Gone Daddy" and the sweet hillbilly serenade "Ramblin' On." The tone and composition of this tune is so authentic it's hard to believe it's an original, as are 11 of the tracks on this fine collection. The uptempo "Girl So Far Away" likewise features terrific slide work, complemented by the sweet pickin' of guitarist Peter Edwards. Among the covers are "Cattin' Around", beautifully rendered with just a hint of reverb from Edwards' guitar and the always steady rhythm section of Chico Lopez on Bass and Geoff Townsley on drums. Townsley adds vocals on the upbeat honky-tonk of "Saturday Night", a circa-1954 party anthem done right. Instrumentally, the players turn back the clock to soft-pluckin' upright and straight-eight skins for a true vintage sound. The collection traces the lineage of rockabilly, delivering the western styling of "It Must Be Something" and Hank Williams' "My Sweet Love Ain't Around" alongside pure rockers like "Kid Cadillac" and Junior Brown's "I Hung It Up". No matter what your mood, if you like great vintage American music, then Gear Up Daddy for a helluva ride!