Review in: Roctober
A country-lovin', wicked souled rockabilly one man band should be rudimentary, soulful and badass, and the Foul one achieves all three, plus throws in some toe-tappitude as well.
Review in: Jumping from 6 to 6
Being unable to say “yeah” without loosing my beat when I play drums, I’m kinda fascinated by the one-man-bands. Recorded totally live (except for one song, Wanted Man, that have a guest fiddle) with raw and powerful sound, Al delivers a fine collection of Rockabilly-Blues-Country tunes. Apart from his voice, a powerful and soulful growl, Foul’s strength has to be found in his lyrics. In “Flat Broke” he explains the good side of being a one-man-band : “There ain’t no use in me having a band anyhow / just a couple guys I got to learn to pay somehow / 50 dollars divided three ways”. Money, or the lack of it, is also the theme of “10 Bucks” where the poor guy finds himself hanging on the telephone and telling lies to his girl to get 10 bucks cause “10 bucks will get me two six packs and a half pint of old crow”. But the best tune, one that has an immediate addictive effect is “Dropping Quarter For Jane”. This “romantic song” tells us about the singer’s love for… a peep show dancer. The one man band format isn’t a musical limit (like often) for Al, as the songs’ structures are diverse and sometimes rather complex. Add to the mix a couple of covers like Burnette’s Lonesome Tears, Endsley/Robbins’Singing The Blues and the traditional Rock Island Line and you have one hell of album. - Fred "Virgil" Turgis
Review in: Left Off The Dial
With a classic rockabilly style, and a course, gin-soaked voice, Arizona's Al Foul has just released a solo album. After one listen, you will be left swimming in images of crinoline and sideburns with a grin from start to finish. The One, The Only is an album with an unmistakable 50s flair, reminiscent of Elvis glory days; but Al Foul has added his own style to bring in a distinctly modern feel over its 50s counterparts.
The release is impressive in both its recording style and overall package. Each element has been carefully put together to deliver an album with a sound and a look that will surely please all you old-time rock and roll fans. Fuzzy, sepia photos adorn the inserts, and the recording itself has that telltale hollow sound of a vintage 50s rock recording. Thick with a rockabilly blues flavor, Al Fouls album could fit in with the best of the 50s rock heyday; but thats not to say that this album wont appeal to those with more modern tastes. Al Foul has added his own flare with gritty (and cautiously scandalous) lyrics, creating a level of clever amusement throughout the album.
The One, The Only takes you on a wild trip from start to finish. A little fiddle in Wanted Man gives the impression of hiding from the law in Mexico, while heavy, crooning vocals and acoustic melodies in Singing the Blues leave you longing and heartsick. But none of these hold a candle to my favorite track, Dropping Quarters for Jane. This swinging, toe-tapping, love(?) song for a peep show dancer can only make you smile. Every style and trick works well for the album and shows a wide breadth of talent.
With one listen, you will feel that Al Foul is singing in your living room. It will be nothing short of a glorious experience for those who appreciate the modern rockabilly niche.
-Chelsea Cochran
Review in: Splendid Zine
Rockabilly is a genre stripped to essentials -- just guitar, electric or standup bass, the slap of drums and a rebel yelp. There's nothing fancy about it, nothing ironic or detached, but that doesn't mean you can't have a sense of humor. Al Foul, who hails from Boston by way of Arizona, has the grit to pull off this outsider format, and the self-deprecating wit to explain why he's doing it solo. In the tone-setting "Flat Broke", he explains the economics of one-man-bands quite succinctly, right up front, singing: "Well ain't no use / in me having a band anyhow / it's just a couple of guys I got to learn to pay somehow / if a dollar's divided three ways / no use talking / just put it in a tank / I swear if we had a gun, it'd get ripped off too." His voice has the right kind of authenticity and dirtiness, reverberating with feeling but never more than half a step away from a shit-eating grin. He backs himself on guitar and simple drums, creating a minimal but foot-stomping beat that'll remind you of pre-bloat Elvis. Best cuts include the lust-crazed "Bo-Wang" and the very funny "Ever Seen a Flying Saucer?" You might assume that this last song has something to do with Roswell, given that Arizona is so close to New Mexico, but the saucer actually belongs to a coffee cup, and it's tossed at Foul's head as a weapon. Hard to say what brought it on, except that immediately before it took flight, Foul and his wife were discussing, as he puts it, "the rent, the bills and my musical career." The singing is quite good in a deep, trembly, Sun Records kind of way, and Foul accompanies himself quite effectively. The One, The Only may not convert the masses to rockabilly, but it's a fine and funny discovery. -- Jennifer Kelly
Review in: Blue Suede News
Raw and unique, simple but compelling. Think Hasil Adkins minus the heavy West Virginia accent plus more intelligent lyrics. Al Foul wrote all but 4 of the 12 tracks and tells tales about relationship trouble and pleasure as well as being "Flat Broke," a reocurring theme ("10 Bucks"). Musically Al's vocals and solid acoustic guitar playing are held together by himself on drums/percussion (a bass drum and something that sounds like a tambourine or hi-hat). Yes, Al Foul is a one man band, so don't expect too many variations in the rhythm department. Style-wise it's raw music blending Blues, Rockabilly, Country and even Folk - obvois in the cover versions of "Wanted Man," "Lonesome Tears," Singin' The Blues," and Rock Island Line." Place him in a dim little Juke Joint somewhere and the party will heat up! - GMB
Review in: The Music Korner
For the past 15 years Al Foul has been on the music scene in the Foul Mouthed Elves and Al Foul and the Shakes. Now he's following in the footsteps of the legendary one-man band Hasil Adkins with his new CD The One, The Only. Recorded with Al singing, drumming and playing guitar simultaneously this is a disc full of raw, raucous rockabilly with a strong sense of humor that will have you hunching all night long. - Geoff Melton
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