1999 compilation that spans the Rev's entire career from 1990 to 1998 covering his releases with both Sub Pop and Interscope. Also includes two previously unreleased tracks, 'Bath-Water Blues' and a cover of Johnny Cash's... more » 'Folsom Prison B lues'. 24 tracks in all!« less
1999 compilation that spans the Rev's entire career from 1990 to 1998 covering his releases with both Sub Pop and Interscope. Also includes two previously unreleased tracks, 'Bath-Water Blues' and a cover of Johnny Cash's 'Folsom Prison B lues'. 24 tracks in all!
Scott Schiefelbein | Portland, Oregon United States | 05/06/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If you're looking to build a music collection and have a limited budget that forces you to look at compilation CDs, "Holy Roller" is an absolute must. Nothing beats thrashing, wall-banging rockabilly for your entertainment buck, and "Holy Roller," with its 24 tracks, is a great capsule summary of one of the genre's defining bands.Spanning from "Smoke 'Em if You Got 'Em" to "Space Heater," "Holly Roller" covers the glory year of the Rev. Not content with raging guitars and a frantic beat, the Rev. also throws out some of the most irreverent, hilarious lyrics around. "Big Red Rocket of Love," "Bad Reputation," "Big Little Baby," "Now, Right Now," and others are high-octane rockabilly. The Rev. gets a little more humorous with "Bales of Cocaine," "Cowboy Love," and "Eat Steak" -- sure to drive any vegetarian to distraction. "Where in the Hell Did You Go With My Toothbrush" is musical and comic genius. Clocking in at well over an hour, the 24 tracks are a true compilation . . . none of those wimpy ten-track greatest hits albums for the Rev! Again, if you can't get the entire CD catalog of the Rev, this is the way to go."
Unexpected Surprise
Scott Schiefelbein | 04/27/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I didn't realize this was a compilation when I ordered it (Subtract a star from Amazon). On the CD it says there's two previously unreleased songs, but in actuality there is three. At this point I'd still give it four stars because it is mostly old songs, but they did pick the absolute best of the Rev. If I were to start buying his CDs all over again, and if I weren't such a fanatic, I could buy this one CD and hear all my favorites. (Still at four stars though, until now). If there was only one song on this CD, looped for 60 minutes, "Where in the hell did you go with my toothbrush", the whole CD would still be worth 20 bucks! This additional unreleased song is absolutely FANTASTIC!!! I'm not kidding, this song sums up the whole being of the Rev. I received the CD last night and I've listened to this track ten times already! I've cried, laughed, danced, and "sang". I can never seem to hear enough of this band. (I think it's Mazda that has one of his songs in their commercial, so it doesn't seem like I'm the only one who loves the music.)"
Good compilation
Alvin Johannes | Antarctica | 05/20/2001
(4 out of 5 stars)
"The Reverend Horton Heat are one of the pioneers of the "Psychobilly" sound, breathing new life into rockabilly by adding elements of punk, surf, metal, lounge, and psychedelia. Unfortunately, their studio albums have been wildly inconsistent, and having to wade through a sea of sub-par material to find the five or six gems scattered throughout each album can be a bit of a chore, and make it easy to write off the Reverend as a musical force. It's high time, then, that the Reverend got the "best of" treatment, bringing together an array of their truly great tunes. Unfortunately, "Holy Roller" acts as somewhat of a career overview, forcing us to sit through later tracks like the truly embarrasing "Lie Detector" from the downright disposable "Space Heater" album. For the most part, though, "Holy Roleer" sticks to the beer drinkin', hell rasin' good times that The Reverend is revered for."
See you in church!
James R. Mckinley | San Diego, CA USA | 04/21/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If you believe in the evangelical power of rock then this is for you: a howling celebration of self-knowing musical stupidity
for those heavy, heavy drinking sessions. HOLY ROLLER is a fantastic 24-track retrospective that neatly encapsulates the Rev's career-from 1991's SMOKE 'EM IF YOU GOT 'EM to 1998's SPACE HEATER.As is usually the case with this sort of compilation, themes emerge. The Reverend seems to be preoccupied with the positive effects of inebriation. Such tunes as "Bales Of Cocaine," "Marijuana," "It's Martini Time," "Baby I'm Drunk," and "Eat Steak" glorify excess with tongue planted firmly in snuff-filled cheek. It's difficult to think that a man who'll write a song called "Where In The Hell Did You Go With My Toothbrush?" isn't kidding. The songs are in the classic rockabilly format of guitar, slap bass, and drums, but the trio's fiery, noisy playing blows apart any notion of polite revivalism."
This is the album that got me into psychobilly
Mike Brennan | 04/26/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Oh man, there's no greater rush than hearing the intro stylings of Big Sky/Baddest Of The Bad. Marijuana and Now, Right Now are also more great speed songs. Even just the upbeat songs like Big Red Rocket Of Love, Bales Of Cocaine, It's Martini Time, and Baby I'm Drunk make for a fantastic album. The Rev is also writing some great guitar riffs for mellower songs such as Bath-Water Blues and Where In The World Did You Go With My Toothbrush?. I hear at the live shows, the Rev and Jimbo fret each others instruments while strumming their own, and then the Rev stands on Jimbo's bass while he plays it lying down. One of my friends was asked if he wanted to go see these guys before we'd heard of them...now he looks back on it and just says "Stupid, stupid me...". Seriously, buy this, it's great."