Hellstomper--The Real Hillbilly Motherfucker
Steel Cage 2004
There have been countless album reissues that have tried to improve upon already classic slabs. Sometimes, a revered work can turn out feeling botched due to tinkering, in this scenario. Thankfully, it's just the opposite for The Real Hillbilly Motherfucker, the remastered and expanded version of Hellstomper's Hillbilly Motherfucker platter. That this album could get any better seems impossible, yet here it is for all to bear witness to.
For the uninitiated, Hellstomper are the punk rock Lynyrd Skynyrd--period. Forget about all those other bands who've received that same description over the years--no one else combines punk, Southern rock, and outlaw country like these guys do. The Real Hillbilly Motherfucker benefits a great deal from a sound quality that is brighter, with more sparkle, than the original version. This newfound clarity never forsakes the raw charm which drew you to the album in the fist place--a perfect remastering job.
In terms of songwriting, The Real Hillbilly Motherfucker is an exercise in virtual perfection--that quality has held up, over time. On the higher octane end, you get the whoopin' and hollerin' punked bar room shuffle of "If I'd Killed Her When I Met Her," foolishly left off the album's initial press, as well as the ZZ Top inflected boogie of "Cock Fightin' Saturday Night." Still, when the band slows down a half step, really letting the Southern rock saturate through, that's when The Real Hillbilly Motherfucker shines brightest. The best examples of this are the epic "Sweet Whiskey," the slide guitar driven opener "Poor Man's Blues," and "Sumbitch," with its laughably ornery and and killer lyrics. In the end, "Stank" is still the best song in the whole collection and worth getting the album for, alone. It has the most amazing Southern fried groove of all time, with the band's sense of humor clicking perfect lyrically. Add a bonus acoustic radio live show with Hellstomper's country leanings pushed to the fore, plus an incredible untitled hidden track featuring lots of unkind sentiment towards the label who originally issued Hillbilly Motherfucker (Man's Ruin), and this set has risen to another level.
Longtime devotees to this album may find it hard to believe these improvements are so extreme, but it's true. Here, from gold has come an even shinier and more precious alloy and The Real Hillbilly Motherfucker is it. Newcomes who might run across a cheap copy of the original pressing are encouraged to save their dough for a copy of this new rendition. After hearing this, that old version just doesn't feel right anymore. Hellstomper and this album rule--kudos to Steel Cage Records for recognizing that fact and setting things right. Mandi-friggin'-tory--"have mercy," indeed.
Score this CD directly from STEEL CAGE
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