13 tracks / 53:20

      I am a sucker for clever band names and Microwave Dave and the Nukes is a winning handle that gives a hint of the good times music they play. Good times abound on their seventh album which is mostly blues-based music, but ends up having a little bit of everything in it. Don’t worry though, because all of these songs groove.

      There are ten original tracks, along with two cover tunes and a bonus track of mechanical noise (an automotive winch, or so I have been told). Much of the original material is written by guitarist and vocalist “Microwave” Dave Gallaher, who founded this group in 1989. The Nukes consist of James Irvin on drums and Rick Godfrey on the bass and harp, completing this Alabama-based trio; all three are all accomplished bluesmen and first-rate musicians.

      The album kicks off with “Drinkin’ Wine Since Nine”, which grinds but (like all liquor-themed songs) does not have the most intellectual lyrics. If you were not previously familiar with the band, this delta-inspired track provides a perfect introduction for Dave’s growly voice and dirty slide guitar work, as well as the tight and adventuresome duo of Irvin and Godfrey.

      As I said earlier, there is a little bit of everything here and the second track “Jesus was Smart”, shifts into a countrified shuffle and provides the listeners with some clever and smart-alecky lyrics.

      And the surprises just keep on coming. I have been listening to blues for a while now, and cannot remember the last time I heard a full-fledged lengthy bass solo on a blues album, but “I’ve got a Bet with Myself” delivers one, along with a fine selection of AC/DC to ZZ Top up-tempo rock riffs.

      The journey through the album finally slows down for a lovely blues ballad, “The Worst Thing” which provides Dave with the opportunity to show off some truly soulful guitar work. His voice and guitar work magically together.

      I cannot resist the Billy C. Farlow cover tune, “Alabama Saturday Night”, which has a tough Bo Diddley beat to it, thanks in no small part to the thumping drums laid down by James Irvin and some pretty sweet harp work by Godfrey.

      “All Night Boogie” is indeed a boogie, and features impressive Keith Moon-esque drumming throughout, almost like a drum solo that happens to have a blues song happening on top of it. James Irvin is very talented, and his playing throughout is considerably more complicated than what is found on more conventional blues albums. This song has really stuck with me and is my favorite on the album, so kudos for doing something a little bit differently, gentlemen.

      Heading into the final half of this CD, there are twists and turns through the influences of the Appalachians, and possibly Memphis, before things get decidedly weird (in a good way).

      You will see what I mean, because as the album ends, it takes a couple of unexpected turns, first with “Vagabundos”, a surf tune with Gallaher providing Spanish vocals in his distinctive baritone, and then with “Rafferty”, a 7-minute AOR instrumental that is amazingly melodic . Microwave Dave and the Nukes have provided a little something for everybody on this album, and it is quite a trip!

      By now you probably realize that this is not strictly a blues album, but overall is great entertainment and a lot of these songs have made it onto the playlist I am putting together for my next party. I think Last Time I Saw You will appeal to most blues followers, and I think you should give it a listen.

      Reviewer Rex Bartholomew is a Los Angeles-based writer and musician.
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By Lady K
May 2012

Soooo, Microwave Dave and the Nukes . . . Lady K assumed she was going to be listening to some totally psychedelic band that thought they were playing the blues. Oh, and by the way; and every now and then Lady K is wrong (hard to believe, but true). Microwave Dave is Dave Gallaher; and according to the promo sheet that accompanied this CD, he was born in Chicago, raised in Texas, served in Vietnam, attended Berklee School of Music, and now lives in Alabama. So, a heart-felt thank-you to Microwave Dave for his service to country back in the day, and now we thank him for the blues on “Last Time I Saw You.” The Nukes are Rick Godfrey (bass, harmonica) and James Irvin (drums). Microwave Dave wrote all but two of the tunes on this CD, and also does vocals, guitars, percussion, lowebow, cigtone and a bit of drumming (and no, Lady K doesn’t know how all of that music comes out of those ‘box’ guitars – it just does . . . and it always amazes her).

By now most everyone who reads Lady K’s musings knows that she is missing the country-western gene and has ‘issues’ with music that twangs. Luckily, while there are a few tunes that sorta-kinda lean toward a bit of a country sound, they did not make Lady K want to turn the disk into a Frisbee and toss it out onto the beach; mostly because Microwave Dave’s outlook on life and love and people is so uproariously hilarious on most of the 11 original tunes; in addition to the really good blues music, with killer guitar and percussion. Covers include David Elliot’s hard-driving up-tempo “I’ve Got a Bet with Myself” and Billy C. Farlow’s “Alabama Saturday Night” (borderline twang on this one and Lady K swears she heard a horse clopping in the background).

The mid-tempo “Drinkin’ Wine Since Nine” sort of describes a night out in the life of any-man (or woman). “Been drinkin’ wine since 9 . . . feelin’ mighty fine . . . been makin’ friends since 10 . . . friends who I know I might not ever see again, those people who’ve been my friends since 10. Been up-steppin’ since 11 . . . never knew I could dance so fine. (they) told me I was through at 2 . . . put me out on the street ‘bout 3.” See? Just a normal night out – we’ve all had ‘em!!

Track two is an up-tempo shuffle, with some heavy, rocking guitar and a completely different outlook on life and love. He says he’s been “lied on, lied to and lied about . . . been called a cheater, a beater and a bum . . . ‘Jesus Was Smart’ not to mate . . . been called heavy and horny and hairy . . . ‘Jesus Was Smart’ not to marry.” Too funny; a bit cynical; possibly written after one of those wine-drinkin’ nights; definitely lyrics that I wasn’t expecting to hear on a blues album.

“The Worst Thing” is slow, with some bluesy-sexy guitar, and (again) a different way of describing a new romance. “Whatever happened to that feeling, the one that’s been here for so long? I was standing, but now I’m kneeling and I don’t know what’s going on.” Phrases that describe the way that his life used to be - the life he’d been used to living. And then . . . things change and “now I know what happened to that feeling; that status quo I couldn’t lose . . . I was hurt but now I’m healing; wearing new holes in my dancing shoes.” He sings to his new love “you’re the worst thing that ever happened to the blues.”

“Tire Man” – it’s catchy, and up-beat; equating life and love to being a tire-man (yes, really). “I’m a tire man – must be why I’m getting tired of you . . . I’m so much finer than those recaps you were running before . . . I’m a tire-man baby, ain’t gonna be your spare.” More laughs follow on the up-tempo, zydeco number, “Last Time That I Saw You.” Try to follow me now, “the last time that I saw you was gonna be the last time that I saw you . . . the last time that I saw you I made up my mind, if we didn’t work it out, it was gonna be the last time that I saw you. Next time that I saw you, I forgot about the last time that I saw you; it must have slipped my mind about the last time that I saw you. ‘The first time that I saw you, I wish it was the last time that I saw you.” OK, and there’s a track called “Hydraulic Grind”; someone recorded 13 seconds of a Dodge van winch. (Which of course, Lady K recognized immediately. What the hell is a van winch?)

“All Nite Boogie” is super-fast, hard-driving, and a relentless rocker that will make you want to dance, but bet ya can’t keep it up for the 6+ minutes that the tune lasts. Guy’s got nowhere else to go; no place to live; no place to sleep so he’s staying on the dance floor all night; then he woke up on the dance floor, and boogied some more. I don’t think it’s possible to fall asleep during “All Nite Boogie” – and you won’t want to – it’s kick-ass. “Goin’ Downtown” is another uptempo rocker. In this one, he’s tempting her to go out and play. “Week day, work day, what the hell . . . c’mon baby we’re goin’ downtown . . . got cash in my pocket, lock your purse in the trunk . . . you can get a little drunk. We’re ‘Goin’ Downtown’.”

Every bluesman loves a road song, and in the mid-tempo “Cadillac Ride” he and his lowebow are heading to Memphis, to Beale Street, looking for that “Cadillac Ride.” It’ll make ya want to sing along. Which you’ll also want to do with the up-tempo “Vagabundos.” The tune has a flamenco feel, and unless you can speak Spanish, you’ll not be singing along as Microwave Dave sings the whole tune in Spanish. The Last Time I Saw You ends with the addictive mid-tempo track named “Rafferty.” This is an enjoyable CD; you’ll want to listen more than once!!!
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If George Thorogood and the Destroyers, the Stray Cats and Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials combined their
signature sounds with the tavern wisdom of a Hank WIlliams hillbilly howl, you might get something like
Microwave Dave & the Nukes.  The Alabama trio, once praised by the pen of legendary author Stephen King,
who told readers that Dave's slide guitar "will change your way of life," are back with their latest, 
Last Time I Saw You.  This self-produced record is filled with the sort hip-shakin' chicken gristle the
guys have been pumping out since their days backing Jerry "Boogie" McCain.  Dave's ice-cool delivery and
the Nukes' derailed freight train accompaniment are the soundtrack to an evening of barnstorming blues bliss.

The band consists of well-traveled and schooled musicians by this point, after two decades of roadwork, the
band is a well-oiled machine.  Dave and the boys (longtime bassist Rick Godfrey and drummer since the mid
2000's James Irvin) ramble through cuts like the rude shuffle of Drinkin' Wine Since Nine, Dave's beer-
goggled lyrical play recounting the hours 'til closing time ("been drinkin' wine since nine/makin' friends 
since ten/up steppin' since eleven/ain't been myself since twelve/come undone by one").  Jesus Was Smart
relies heavily on Dave's reverbed-to-kingdom-come picking, his notes bending and skewing throughout the
track, which is a more fleshed-out arrangement of the original first heard on the band's 1995 Goodnight, 
Dear release.

The band turns a cover of the 1982 Levon Helm rocker I've Got a Bet with Myself on its ear with a sneering,
garage-rock treatment and mid-song bass/drums breakdown, easily one of the most infectious cuts on the 
record.  Goin' Downtown has that greaser, Gretsch-wrecking rockabilly attitude and vibe, Dave's grizzly-
like growl bottoming out to imply that extra air of trouble walkin'.  A late highlight is Cadillac Ride, 
which features Dave playing a Lowebow, a cigar box-type guitar which Dave uses in his "one man band" 
performances around Alabama.  Guitar lovers will also undoubtedly enjoy Vagabundos, a classic Ventures-
meets-Junior-Brown minor-key surf theme, sung by Dave in Spanish.

Throwing caution to the wind, Microwave Dave & the Nukes rely on Delta-scare tactics, country-fried backbone,
and plenty of greasy sarcasm to get them through this roughneck houserocker of a record.

--Mark Uricheck
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Microwave Dave Gallaher. Born in Chicago, raised in Texas served in Vietnam, 
studied at the Berklee School of Music, mentored by Johnny Shines. 
Microwave Dave & The Nukes , formed in 1989, a Huntsville/ Alabama resident trio, 
played many successful shows, have six albums of which "American Peasant" (2004) 
and "Down South Nukin'" from 2006 are most important. This last album is a live album which 
production lay in the hands of the legendary Johnny Sandlin, a man who via the band Hourglass 
was responsible for the formation of the Allman Brothers Band. And now after three years working with 
Jerry "Boogie" McCain and backing the late Bo Diddley, 
Microwave Dave & The Nukes are back with their latest album, "Last Time I Saw You". 
Meanwhile this blues band developed into world class. 
Their raw southern-style blues even surprises blues newbies.

Besides the excellent guitarist Dave Gallaher this band consists of Rick Godfrey (bass and harmonica) 
and James Irvin (drums and percussion), together a versatile trio whose sound and vibe is comparable 
to a band like Omar & The Howlers, because of the more intelligent lyrics and energetic guitar-driven music. 

The opening track, the funky "Drinking Wine Since Nine" is a great start and 
leads to a shuffle "Jesus Was Smart", a song with a more Stax Memphis sound. 
This song sets the tone for an album filled with simple truths. 10 of the thirteen songs are
written by Dave himself. The first cover "I've Got A Bet With Myself" sounds like a Savoy Brown 
blues song from their early years. After the melancholic "The Worst Thing", a vintage Delta-style ballad, 
we hear Gallaher on drums for the first time and on 'Cigtone' cigar box guitar in the funky "Tire Man". 

Then follows the second cover, Billy C. Farlow's "Alabama Saturday Night" with Rick Godfrey 
on harmonica and Dave on Cigtone. Half way we arrive at the title track 
"Last Time I Saw You", this song has a Buddy Holly garage feel and next "All Night Boogie" sounds
as it should: a ripping boogie, where everybody gives all he's got and this will definitely be the live favorite. 
"Goin 'Downtown" is also a nice boogie blues. These last two songs show that thanks to lots of touring 
Dave & the Nukes know very well how to entertain their audience.In a more 
Memphis style "Cadillac Ride" we hear Gallaher on Lowebow guitar. In "Vagabundos" Dave goes Dick Dale 
and sings in Spanish about 'vagabonds'.
Closing tune, "Rafferty" is a nearly seven-minute melodic instrumental that sounds like a lost track of the 
Allman Brothers, and reminds of Hendrix' "Third Stone from the Sun" at times.

Microwave Dave still plays the blues with as much passion and fire as in the early days, 
with his distinctive deep voice, always hoarse and powerful. 
"Last Time I Saw You" consists of 13 great songs,which are for a big part American "white" blues and roots. 
What sets him apart from the average blues rock group from across the pond is the fact that 
his roots lie in his great heroes: Bo Diddley, JB Hutto and Hound Dog Taylor. 
His blues is therefore firmly rooted in the black tradition. 
The accompanying music, in addition to the typical and rudimentary guitar work of the master himself, 
fits well. This is mainly due to the growth that this band 
has gone through in recent years, though the variety in their repertoire remains the same.
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