Dale Hawkins: Wildcat Tamer

Contrary to what the annual Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremonies would lead you to believe, the history of rock has been decided as much by its marginal figures as by its giants. If they're lucky, they get remembered for one thing, even if that thing doesn't fully indicate their contributions. For example, And The Mysterians' single hit, "96 Tears," may turn up on the radio, but that in itself doesn't speak to the group's far-reaching influence in terms of its organ-driven garage-rock sound or its punk spirit. Similarly, Dale Hawkins will forever be known as the man behind "Suzie Q," if not the man behind its most famous incarnation. And, as usual, there's more to Hawkins than that. Recording for the Chess label with James Burton, Roy Buchanan, Scotty Moore, and other greats, Hawkins was a second-generation rockabilly, R&B, and Southern white-boy-blues pioneer—maybe not the first, but as his first new album in nearly three decades indicates, he's clearly one of the most enduring. Working with a tight combo on Wildcat Tamer, Hawkins churns out a series of bluesy rock numbers, both of his own composition (the autobiographical "Born In Louisiana," "Goin' Down The Road," and, naturally, "Susie Q") and others' (Chuck Berry's "Promised Land," Leadbelly's "Irene"). Free of unnecessary production frills—Hawkins never tries to come off as anything but old-fashioned—the album sounds great. He may never take the stage next to Billy Joel, but Hawkins proves that it doesn't take that sort of recognition to stake out your own distinct place in music history.