There’s a certain sound that taps into some Boomers, including me, in a powerful way, and for those of us, there is Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats—the band that hit it big last year when their “S.O.B.” exploded onto the airwaves.
I’m happy to report that the band’s got another hit on their hands, it’s already Top 10 Adult Alternative. “I Need Never Grow Old” is all blasting horns, funky keyboards and rockin’ guitars –perfect backing for Rateliff’s raucous vocal style.
The lyrics, bits thoughts and chunks of words, are secondary to the explosive sound: These guys are all about letting loose and having a good time, old-time/pre-digital style, which they make clear by showing shots of a reel to reel tape recorder in the video.
Another band that was all about having fun in the studio and on stage was Bill Deal and the Rhondels—they put the spotlight on the beach music sound coming out of Virginia, their popularity peaking in the late 60’s. The Rhondels’ style was more pop and polished than Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats but clearly there is commonality in sound.
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RE: “S.O.B” — The song has taken on a life of its own; it’s even being featured in TV commercials.
The band’s sound is old school soul and rock.
They are based in Denver.
Just sayin…
…when we boomers were in our formative years—musically speaking—radio was our primary source of current hit music –formats and playlists were were looser and local than radio playlists are today, and we got to hear different genres, from pop –Frank Sinatra/”Strangers in the Night” –to novelty–Allan Sherman “Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah” aka The Letter From Camp Song, and much in-between.
That kind of variety and range educated Boomers, creating high standards for singing and writing, delivery, production, and song selection, regardless of format, which is why we can appreciate a band as different as Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats.
In my book, they are an ABSOLUTELY MUST LISTEN TO.