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ALBUM REVIEW
Bringing It All Back Home: A Review of Rick Shaffer’s New Album, “Stacked Deck”
By Zosia Holden
Rick Shaffer is a true veteran of the indie rock sce-
ne; as lead guitarist for the Philadelphia-based
band, The Reds, he released his first single in 1977,
and has been consistently putting out records ever
since. But like any musician with a large body of
work, Shaffer has changed his style many times,
testing out new sounds and reaching back towards
old influences; his new solo album, “Stacked
Deck,” ties it all together.
In their early years, the Reds identified
with the New Wave scene, and indeed,
their early successes were such that their
1979 album, self-titled “The Reds,” fea-
tured guest appearances by such promi-
nent artists as Blondie, The Polices, and the
Psychedelic Furs. Their lack of further
recognition today is not for lack of talent;
Shaffer’s grinding guitar and keyboardist
Bruce Cohen’s are undeniably distinctive.
Despite a lack of lasting recognition, The Reds
continued to put out albums under various manag-
ers and even produced some movie soundtracks.
Their sound vacillated between driving post-punk,
‘80’s appropriate pseudo-electronica, and dark,
artistic balladry. When Shaffer put out his first so-
lo album, Necessary Illusion, he steered his sound
towards a far bluesier, sixties-meets-distortion
beat. Rather than seeming out of place, it seemed
that this sound had been hidden in their heavy
beats of their songs since the beginning, waiting to
emerge. “Stacked Deck” highlights the maturation
of this sound; its wide range of influences make it
resistant to genres, and this diversity seems to fit
Shaffer’s songwriting perfectly.
The album is not without its flaws. A few of the
tracks start suddenly, so that one feels as if the
beginning was cut off. The audio is well-balanced,
but a little overbearing in the sheer density of
sound. Some songs are stronger than others. Yet
one gets the sense that this is how it is supposed to
be; the resulting sound is rough, unfinished and gut-
tural. It is a quality that most modern performers
shun, but which was a cornerstone of the compel-
ling delivery of delta blues musicians, as well as of
sixties garage rock: the only genre that comes close
to pinning down this music.
The first “I Won’t Deny,” sees Shaffer
channeling his inner 13 th Floor Elevators; it
has a crunchy bass line, a jangling tambou-
rine beat, and Shaffer’s signature guitar
whine, underlying his forcefully smoky vo-
cals. “Shudder and Shake,” on the other
hand, takes a Rolling Stones style approach
to the blues. The one-note pulse that
drives this song opens up the floor to
searing guitar licks, Delta-esque harmonica
moans and a genuine bluesy growl from
Shaffer.
“Found My Love” perhaps stands alone more than
any other track on this album. It is built on one
strong, simple riff, repeated as a refrain in the
rhythm guitar and filled out with a full band, back-up
vocals, and a tasteful lead guitar solo. Its lyrics stick
with the listener; they are clever, and upon hearing
them, one starts to relate to the frustration of the
singer, even without meaning to do so. “Cool
Treatment” lays down a cool rattle of percussion
over a lowdown, grungy guitar line, making for a
stormy cloud of sound and the deliverance of some
bitter lyrics. “Time or Love” ends this album on a
splendid note; it is a well-made blues ballad, spare
and utterly compelling, and its refrain promises the
listener that “Time or love is gonna get you.” Wise
words deserve a closer look; if you are in the mar-
ket for good music, Stacked Deck is certainly worth
the cost.