Since its formation in 1967, NRBQ has been a champion of roots music in the broadest sense of the term, well before the genre had a name. They've covered jazz legend Sun Ra ("Rocket #9") and collaborated on albums with Carl Perkins and Skeeter Davis.
That musical inclusiveness, combined with a sense of humor and a reputation for dynamic concerts, has helped sustain a career now in its fifth decade. A fittingly eclectic collection of artists has teamed up for The Q People, a tribute album that shows the durability and adaptability of NRBQ's songs.
Steve Earle delivers a feisty warning on "A Girl Like That", snapping off the song's putdowns like a mid-1960s Bob Dylan. Bonnie Raitt captures the freedom and exhilaration of "Me And The Boys", a song she covered on her Green Light album in 1982.
Los Lobos transform "Never Take The Place Of You" into a 1970s Philly soul ballad, complete with strings, vibes and backing vocals that echo the Stylistics. Mike Mills steps away from R.E.M. for a rare lead vocal on "When Things Was Cheap", with assistance from Mitch Easter. Among the lesser-known contributors, Settee makes "Ridin' In My Car" a three-minute pop gem with Beach Boys-influenced backing vocals.
The album closes with an adventurous audio cartoon by SpongeBob SquarePants featuring Tom Kenny, a standup comedian who once opened for NRBQ. "Little Floater's Wild Weekend" features bits from seven NRBQ songs and plays like an episode of the Nickelodeon show without pictures. The performance held the attention of my preteen daughters, Maria and Julia, for its 17-minute duration. It could be the ticket to hook the next generation of Q People.
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