Some artists are great at changing with the times and adapting to current trends as they age. Miles Davis was a perfect example; during the last years of his life, the innovative trumpeter was being influenced by hip-hoppers who were young enough to be his grandchildren. But for other artists, changing with the times isn't the thing to do. Take Joey Welz, for example. His specialty is rockabilly and early rock & roll, and it's just as well that the Baltimore native has stuck to a '50s-minded approach -- Welz would probably sound unnatural and awkward if he attempted heavy metal, grunge, new wave, or goth rock. The worst parts of this 23-song CD come when Welz attempts to blend electronic instruments with "real instruments" -- that sort of thing is fine for hip-hop, urban contemporary, and dance-pop, but it doesn't work when your focus is '50s-style rockabilly. Early rock & roll calls for an honest-to-God band -- not programmed instruments -- and the best tracks on Rockin' the Country are the ones that favor a real band sound and a more organic production style. When Welz has decent musicians backing him, he is likable; when he uses programmed instruments and is plagued by inferior production, he ends up reminding you of a not-so-successful night in a karaoke bar. Welz divides his time between original material and covers of '50s classics, and the CD's more enjoyable tracks include covers of "Rock and Roll Ruby" and Carl Perkins' "Boppin' the Blues." Rockin' the Country is wildly uneven and inconsistent, but it is has its moments.
© Alex Henderson /TiVo