“The Power of Rock ‘n’ Roll” is a virtual textbook definition of what a traditional rock song should sound like circa 2019. The title track from the long standing Canadian quartet’s latest studio album is an easy selection for single status – in some ways, the title and its message is a nod to what has sustained The Rsepectables since first forming in 1991. The band has proven remarkably stable over its nearly thirty-year history with exactly one original member replaced in that interval and they’ve experienced both localized and global success.
They have likewise garnered awards and even opened for The Rolling Stones once during their 2003 Forty Licks world tour. In the end though, it is the power of rock music to keep them passionate and hungry that propels them forward rather than celebrity or the promise of riches. The same driving force that led to the band forming still pushes them onward.
I enjoy how they reference their bluesy influences without ever losing a grip on the rock sound defining their music. There’s an ample amount of imagination fueling their playing, but a lot of the guitar work running through “The Power of Rock ‘n’ Roll” is ripped from a master class on blues rock lead work. When you couple it with the lean muscle of Stones-like rhythm guitar, you get exactly the package implied by the song’s title – a five star example of rock ‘n’ roll’s abiding power to engage you on a physical and mental level. Guest guitarist Waddy Watchel brings even more zest with his creativity as a player and his ability to blend his work in with the band in such a way it sounds like he’s a full time member.
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/Les.Respectables1/
The rhythm section acquits themselves with distinction. The palpable swing at the heart of this song gives the guitar work a solid foundation to work from and never weighs down the bottom end with the sort of bash and thud mentality dragging down lesser blues rock tracks. Their veteran experience shines through in this aspect of the performance. The song’s vocals grab the track by the throat and deliver zesty singing, but it is never overwrought and more focused on creating a seamless union with the musical accompaniment rather than standing apart from it.
Sébastien Plante’s vocals have a hard-won rasp coloring his gritty tone that makes his voice ideal for the track. He’s joined by key backing vocals for the anthemic chorus and Bernard Fowler tosses in some singing as well; his soulful voice provides a sharp contrast with Plante’s. Videos for such tracks rarely stand out, but the polish and sincerity of the promotional clip accompanying the single’s release separates it from the pack.
It is set in a variety of locations, most apparently in the American southwest, and sports the standard trope of the band members “playing” the track. There’s no real story or narrative in the performance, but it has a great deal of polish and captures the song’s and band’s spirit without any pretension. The Respectables’ “The Power of Rock ‘n’ Roll” is a winner from first second to last.
Jodi Marxbury