Stevie Van Zandt’s Wicked Cool Records Releases Third Ricky Byrd Single… ‘Louanne’
The jet-propelled energy of the 2:49 “Louanne” by Ricky Byrd is so infectious, you’ll be smitten like a kitten on a loving lap…and just have to hit repeat. Again and again. Power Pop at its finest with elements of Cheap Trick, ELO and Raspberries, Byrd’s got that ear-candy thing down. It’s all in his production. It just feels so good.
The first two Wicked Cool singles from this veteran of the bands of Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes, Ian Hunter, Roger Daltrey and Joan Jett & The Blackhearts (for which he was inducted into the 2015 Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame with Paul Butterfield, Lou Reed, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Bill Withers) were “Alien” and “Glamdemic Blues,” this particular “…Blues” backed with a scintillating cover of The Four Tops Motown classic “Reach Out (I’ll Be There).” Byrd’s still got an electrifying Duane Eddy/Link Wray-styled instrumental blast up his sleeve that he played for this reporter recently but for now, “Louanne…if anybody could…you can” is the catch of the day.
Byrd: “My last two albums, Clean Getaway and Sobering Times, had lyrics that spoke to the
issues of addiction and recovery. With this new batch of tunes that I’m releasing as singles on
Wicked Cool Records, I was consciously staying away from that subject matter.
“'Louanne' started with the riff and chords, as do most of the songs I write. Then I start to mumble words and fool with a melody. As I was going through the usual process I blurted out `Louanne.. if anybody could you can.” Then came the line “Why don’t you go on and get yourself right, Louanne.’ I knew at that point where I was headed so I guess you can say lyrically `Louanne’ is a song of encouragement for someone struggling with something, and the music is being driven by a nasty rock’n’roll riff.”
LISTEN/STREAM ‘LOUANNE’