About this Artist

• Biography

Editorial Reviews

Dave Edmunds' debut album, Rockpile, established his sound -- not only his revivalist tendencies, but also his method of meticulously re-creating the sound and style of classic early rock & roll, R&B, and country records. Edmunds plays nearly every instrument on the album, with bassist John Williams being the only full-time collaborator. As a result, the record doesn't sound "live," it has a pinched, precise quality that may contradict the spontaneity that was at the core of the original singles, but it does offer an otherworldly quality that makes the record distinctive. Take the hit "I Hear You Knocking," which has a mechanical rhythm and a weird, out-of-phase vocal that qualifies as an original interpretation, unlike his by-the-book take on Chuck Berry's "The Promised Land," which suffers from the stiff rhythms. Still, the best moments on Rockpile come from songs like "Down, Down, Down," an obscure gem that manages to re-create not only the sound, but the feeling of classic rock & roll, perhaps because Edmunds wasn't concerned with re-creating one of his beloved singles. [The 1999 reissue offers five new bonus tracks: "I Hear You Knocking -- Mono Single Mix," "Black Bill -- Mono," "I'm Coming Home," "Country Roll," "Blue Monday -- Mono," and "I'll Get Along."] Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

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