''Blast Off!'' is an album by the American rockabilly revivalist band Stray Cats, released in 1989. It marked a reunion of the band, after three years of solo endeavors; the band's previous album, 1986's ''Rock Therapy'', was produced to fulfill a record contract. The album peaked at No. 111 on the ''Billboard'' 200. It peaked at No. 58 on the UK Albums Chart. The first single was "Bring It Back Again". The band supported ''Blast Off!'' by touring with

Stevie Ray Vaughan Stephen Ray Vaughan (October 3, 1954 – August 27, 1990) was an American musician, best known as the guitarist and frontman of the blues rock trio Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble. Although his mainstream career spanned only seven years, ...

Production

The album was produced by

Dave Edmunds David William Edmunds (born 15 April 1944) is a Welsh singer-songwriter, guitarist and record producer. Although he is mainly associated with pub rock and new wave, having many hits in the 1970s and early 1980s, his natural leaning has alwa ...

, who recorded it in two weeks. The band began work on the songs at Brian Setzer's house, in the summer of 1988. "Gene and Eddie" is a tribute to Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran.

Critical reception

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'' thought that the album "sounds even more half-hearted than the Stray Cats original (so to speak) take on the rockabilly revival." '' The Boston Globe'' determined that "Setzer can still play rave-up guitar with the best of them, though this album has time warp written all over it." The ''

Ottawa Citizen The ''Ottawa Citizen'' is an English-language daily newspaper owned by Postmedia Network in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. History Established as ''The Bytown Packet'' in 1845 by William Harris (journalist), William Harris, it was renamed the '' ...

'' noted that "the humor is there; they give Mr. Spock a pompadour during a ride around the galaxy, then walk on the moon in blue suede shoes." The '' San Jose Mercury News'' wrote that "if the way in which the Cats once played with and to nostalgia was original—in a secondhand sense—it now seems only dreary and rehashed." The '' Orlando Sentinel'' stated that "Edmunds gives the Cats a new lease by rekindling the fire that dimmed after their debut album." The ''

Calgary Herald The ''Calgary Herald'' is a daily newspaper published in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Publication began in 1883 as ''The Calgary Herald, Mining and Ranche Advocate, and General Advertiser''. It is owned by the Postmedia Network. History ''The ...

'' declared that "it rocks and that's why ''Blast Off'' is a fun rerun of the party-hearty sound that saw the Stray Cats top the charts in 1982–'83." The '' Los Angeles Times'' panned the album, writing that "these un-cool Cats should feel lucky they even get a second chance—especially since they show no sign of being more than a one-dimensional act." ''

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'' opined that "the Stray Cats have returned to their original launching point—as a good club band with no real vision." AllMusic wrote: "Featuring a set of pleasant, but unexciting, songs, ''Blast Off'' indicated that the Stray Cats' revved-up rockabilly ran out of gas quickly." '' Record Collector'' concluded that "there’s a fiery venom to the galloping title track ... and then there’s way too much filler." '' MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide'' called the album "unjustly ignored."

Track listing

References

{{Stray Cats 1989 albums Stray Cats albums