Delta 72

If you ever had any doubt that the year 2000 was going to be all about the '70s, the Delta 72 are here to make the point clear. Think of that classic rock-soul hybrid that the Rolling Stones made into a successful business, fire it up a couple notches, add plenty of fuzz guitar, gritty funk rhythms and frenzied vocals to get the picture. This might be the third full-length for Delta 72 since 1994, but in many ways it's their rebirth into the traditional canon of rock. Adam and Eve, (Royal Trux duo Jennifer Herema and Neil Haggerty), are proving to be a production crew that brings great heart-wrenching raw performances to tape, which they do on 000 to perfection. Edgy rave-ups like "Are You Ready?" and "Great Paper Chase No. 1" conjure the ever-present Jon Spencer while "Ten Lbs" kicks some killer clavinet that's bound to funk you senseless. The use of soulful female back-up vocals with live rare groove funk licks, warm pumping organ melodies and sweet guitar make this disc a party waiting to happen. The one track that makes the Stones connection painfully clear is the ballad "Just Another Let Down," which is mixed by veteran Shelly Yakus, who has worked with the likes of the Band and Tom Petty. Bottom line is classic rock'n'roll never goes out of style when done right. With the likes of Fu Manchu, Zen Guerrilla, Zoobombs, Nebula and Delta 72 bustin' out lately, we need to brace ourselves for a big-time flashback.