Drake Bell Brings Back Rockabilly

Those who spent their childhood watching Nickelodeon on television, watching shows like “The Amanda Show,” and “All That,” must remember Drake Bell, the comedic, talented boy who chased after girls and played in a band on “Drake and Josh”. Bell released his third studio album titled “Ready Steady Go!” The actor, musician, record producer, etc. released this new album Apr. 22, 2014. The album includes twelve songs inspired by his rockabilly idols, like Brian Setzer, a guitarist featured on the album.

The opening song of the album, titled “Sunny Afternoon,” has a witty and comical tone that makes the song upbeat and catchy. The song could remind “Drake and Josh” fans of songs he performed on the show.

The next song “Bull” also has an upbeat rhythm that keeps the song moving. However, as the song continues it becomes a little too hectic with the multiple voices and the different instruments. The track has a touch of rock ‘n roll style that sets up the rest of the album, though.

“I Won’t Stand in the Way” slows the beat of the album down considerably. The song returns to the tones, beats, and sounds that one would hear listening to music from the 1950s and 1960s. It is a welcome slow song that adds a sad tone, adding depth to the album.

“Bitchcraft,” the lead single for the album, returns to the same tone of the song “Sunny Afternoon.” Bell should have changed tone, but the witty beat contributes to the story of the song while sacrificing a chance to branch out on the record.

The next song, “Runaway Boys” revolves around an electric guitar with a quick beat. It mirrors the tone of “Bull.” The long solo in the middle of the song adds the only interesting piece of this track.

“Makes Me Happy” returns to a more original tone in comparison to the rest of the album. “It’s Still Rock ‘n Roll to Me” is a cover of the song by rock legend Billy Joel. It is a relatively good, modern version of Joel’s song, however it does not match Joel’s passion in his song.

“Melina” adds another original tone of the album, making it one of the better songs on the album. Bell’s cover of the classic “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” is another good, modern rendition of an older song.

“Californian Man” adds an upbeat, old rock ‘n roll-style to the album like his song “I Won’t Stand in the Way.” “Back of my Hand” is a weak song on the album. The tone and the subject of the song are unappealing, potentially leaving a listener bored.

“Give Me a Little More Time” ends the album with another slow song, which mirrors “I Won’t Stand in the Way.” The song is a great ending simply because of the lyrics to the song that show deeper, more heartfelt emotions coming from Bell.

Overall, the album was not quite unique. The songs are difficult to differentiate between. Two of the songs on the album are not original songs, but modern renditions of older songs. Although the covers showed effort, the songs did not stand out from the originals. Drake should have not only added his own sound to the songs, but also his own tweeks to the song. Instead, the covers seem a bit pointless.

The majority of the album is based off of sounds from the 1950s and 1960s whether it was rock ‘n roll or rockabilly. The album does not stand out creatively among other albums being released, but it does have an interesting sound that doesn’t get played much anymore. If Bell decides to release another album in the future, he should look at adding his own personal, unique tone to the album and make his album stand out from others.