Album Notes

Besides being a renowned guitar slinger of the first order and an unforgettable stage performer, Slam Buckra is also a true sonic pioneer of songs.

On his 1999 RAymo' Records CD release "Vodka Swan" Slam confidently dives into fresh and rarely chartered musical and lyrical territories deftly juggling, twisting AND blending the genres of funk, blues, pop and rock. Amazingly, despite all the divergent styles, Buckra manages to squeeze out a concept album of sorts with a nearly seamless theme of booze, fun and feral romance.

The sounds are definitely original yet accessible to those with adventurous ears.

The lyrics are packed full of dreamy, hilarious and sometimes downright eerie imagery.

His vocals are varied, almost as though he suffers from a case of musical multiple personalities. Sounding much like a surrealist Gilbert O' Sullivan on the McCartney-esque "Martini Bruises", on the very next track, the roaring spitfire psyco-blues title track "Vodka Swan", Slam sounds more like Tom Waits reeling on a wheelbarrow of crank.

The two rather spooky spoken word blues numbers, "8-Ball" and "Pissin' Blood", breathe much needed vigor and originality into that musical style and feature some amazing, soul ripping guitar solos by Mr. Buckra.

Then there are a handful of zany funk workouts (ignited by the sassy funk drumming and compositional contributions of Patrick Wiseman) that sound like they might have been co-penned by Frank Zappa and Primus.

But they were not.

Those musical nuggets, like all the songs on this rather bizarre aural adventure were hatched by the mind of Slam Buckra. And an ADVENTURE it IS. Not for the timid, the squeamish or fans of the musical staus quo. Hey kids, after all, there is an actual spanking solo on "Spank Watusi".

It's a little like a Hugh Hefner hosted "funk party" in Clarksdale Mississippi where Allen Ginsberg has spiked the punch with a little LSD and a lot of vodka. Slam Buckra's "Vodka Swan" is a spankin' good time filled with just enough thrills and deep dark chills to keep the grey matter squirmin', the eyesballs buggin' and the ol' love pump a-pounding! Hank Jansen (July 2003)

"Extremely cool...sounds like a Mexican Death Match between Captain Beefheart, Albert King, Frank Zappa and Z.Z. Top...A FUCKING MASTERPIECE!" Buddy Blue

PUBLISHED REVIEWS OF "VODKA SWAN":

"This is a damn good bunch of songs...Buckra's voice is a dangerous bourbon growl...a strange cross between John Lee Hooker and Frank Zappa...SIMPLY FABULOUS!" John W. Young, Chico News & Review

"You can hear Zappa, G. Love and Captain Beefheart...I believe Frank Zappa would have LOVED Vodka Swan!" Zach Cole, Blues Ink

"Cowboy acid jazz...seriously arranged and excitingly executed psychedelic grooves...feverish guitar licks weave the funky songs together putting the O in the word SOUL!" Lance Magazine

OTHER SLAM BUCKRA CDS AVAILABLE AT CD BABY:

"Lucky Scars" (2003)
"Dames n' Gallows" (2001)