Liner notes:

Seconds before the count-in at their very first show nearly 15 years ago, J.C. turned around from the mic stand, looked back at his Playboys and said, “You guys realize this is the first time I sing into an actual microphone?” And just like that, they were off. Peals of laughter filled the air like peeling tires at the start of a drag race.

And the boys are still going like that today, playing with superb skill, unmatched passion, and a full tank of humble genius. Their deep love for real rock and roll – rooted at the junction of American blues, country,
gospel, and folk music – radiates from every guitar lick, bass slap, snare shot, and vocal line. As true devotees of the rhythm and blues tradition, the Playboys know that the more serious you take rock and roll, the more serious you are about having fun. And the boys nail the fun part just as much as they nail those vintage sounds: the foot-stomping shuffle beats, the driving boogie-woogie guitars, the head-bobbing
thumps of the double bass, and the sexy swing of those cool-cat vocals. In fact, fuck that, there is no “fun part” to rock and roll because it’s all fun. Or else you’re not doing it right. The Playboys really do play, and
their raw joy roars out of every performance on stage and in the studio. It’s so damn fun because it’s so damn real – and so damn live.

Because that’s the thing… there’s live music and then there’s real live music – the kind of music played with real-time creativity, innovation, and audience collaboration, and with a sense of risk, danger, adventure, romance, and humor, just like a party. And just like J.C.’s first moment at the mic stand many years ago, standing at the wheel of a half-ton of souped-up musical steel ready to combust-it-all-up, the Playboys are still racing down the road, leaning into the turns, testing out the gears, and hollering into the wind. And as fans, we’re not just along for the ride, we’re part of the party, too. This first full-length Playboys album brings all of that history and energy together. It just doesn’t get more genuine than this.

It also doesn’t get more genius than this. Every track was recorded live over a single weekend with no songs needing more than 3 takes, and a couple songs just needing one take, like “Hot Dog” and “Little Bitty Man.” In fact, the former wasn’t even supposed to be on the album as it was a tune that the fellas had just messed with a couple of times, but as Andy Tipps recalls, it was Beau who “got the idea to try it once, and if it didn’t work then it wasn’t meant to make it on the album.” The “slackyness” really works as the guys are just “having fun with it,” says Tipps, and that “was symptomatic for the feel and mood throughout the whole session.” This live party vibe gave birth to “Little Bitty Man” too, which J.C. says “was actually recorded by mistake.” He remembers it like this:

We were about to record it, and everybody was standing around talking, when Anders started noodling the intro to the song. And then everybody just picked up on it and started to play the song. Before anybody gave it a thought, the song was over, and as it turns out, Nikolai had the tape rolling. Aside from a little talking at the beginning, it’s a hell of a take.

Nik Heyman, who produced the entire record, worked his own special magic in the studio to create the album’s incredible sound, but even more importantly, he fostered the feel of the performance sessions, too.
Thanks to Nikolai, the first crash cymbal on the album isn’t heard until the last beat of the opening track, “One-Two-Three,” a perfect, rollicking number. His encouragement to keep things simple and relaxed enabled
the Playboys to deliver awesome intensity with poise and professionalism. Heyman’s technical expertise is just as unmatched as his listening skills, as he recorded everything with just one microphone in the room, adding overdubs later for harmonica and back-up vocals. The sound is truly outstanding, with textures straight out of Sun and NorVaJak Studios, but Nikolai’s uncanny abilities also brought out something sonic from the Playboys’ own rehearsal space, J.C.’s garage (he’s a professional mechanic – and a damn good one).

Now… Mr. Hawkins, himself, is quite a character – or sometimes many characters. When he’s not the ball-busting Horst Veley, he’s the scarf-swingin’ show-stopper Mr. Lovely. But he usually goes by “Kedde” – a name which this writer thought meant “chain” for years, as in kædesaw (which is how rippin’ his harp sounds).
J.C.’s outstanding performance on this album is an original vocal style pulling from honky tonks, barn dances, and street corners – seemingly anywhere but the hills of Jutland in 2019. Highlights include some stellar Elvis drawls, hair-tossing Jerry Lee Lewis whoops, and percussive lyrics delivered like the great Bill Haley. As an American, my ears hear nothing but the real thing coming out of western Denmark, especially in “That Kind of Man,” an original and hilarious talkin’ blues tune with a cadence to the vocals akin to The Man In Black. J.C. co-wrote this one with Beau, who’s guitar licks and amp tones throughout the entire album just scream Chuck Berry and Duane Eddy, while Tipps channels the legendary Carl Perkins simply at will. The two guitarists are mesmerizing together. Meanwhile, Miguel and Sticks provide the chasse for the full Playboys sound, but they are by no means under the radar. Bass and drums make the rock and roll sound, creating that unmistakable and irresistible rhythm and blues feel, and in tunes like “That’s All,” Miguel’s driving low-end makes for that awesome momentum, as well as his own nickname, “the Muscle from Brussels.” Mr. Rizelle’s thoughtful choices on the kit are subtly brilliant, mixing in rim-riding, rhythm-shifting, and snare-shuffling with a variety of
no-fills and big-fills, all delivered with that powerful whimsy belonging only to Sticks.

The fun is endless with these guys, and their talents are bottomless. I could easily spend another page diving into the amazing bits of every tune on this album, but I trust if you made it this far, then you’ll do that
yourself. As a substitute drummer and sometimes-roadie for the band, I know from first-hand experience that the good times go wherever the Playboys go – from the garage, to the studio, to the club, to the festival, or even to the US Embassy. And the world needs good times right now more than ever. Rev up this record good ‘n loud.

- Mike “Zack” Sullivan