Bob Wayne – Hits The Hits

Self proclaimed outlaw carnie Bob Wayne is about as far from the mainstream as you can get.  His dustbowl honky tonk persona comes full of tall tales and rustling twangers that make him truly one of a kind.  Combined with an off kilter sense of humour, you’re never quite sure what type of wrench ol’ Wayne is going to throw in the machine next.  And this time, he’s really tossed in the least likely of additives.  Against all logic, Bob Wayne is taking aim at pop-culture with Hits The Hits, a full cover album of some this generation’s most iconic radio singles.

While the premise will surely conjure a snicker, Wayne mostly finds success in channelling these recognizable rhythms through his country filter for a selection of tunes that are both familiar and surprisingly original.  In some cases, the songs feel so radically altered in pace and tempo that it’s like stepping back in time hearing them for the first time, but in some sort of redneck dominated alternate reality.  Generally, the more “far out” the cover, the more Wayne makes it his own.  

So while the album is full of plenty of classic rock hits like “Rock And Roll” (Led Zeplin), “Sweet Child O’ Mine” (Guns N’ Roses) and “Crazy Train” (Ozzy Osbourne), it’s the oh so out of place moments like Adele’s “Skyfall” that most hit the mark. The song really kicks a little swagger in its step and turns what was once Adele’s vocal masterpiece into an energizing boot stomping romper.  The guitars just scream rustic country showpiece as Wayne’s version of the song takes on a lively guitar thumping life of its own.  Others like Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy” trot along at their own pace and scaled back tempo in a way that places emphasis on different lyrics than in the original.  Certain words that once took the backseat now stand in the spotlight, revealing insights into songs that you may have already felt that you knew.  The slower tempo in particular brings into focus songs like Imagine Dragons’ “Radioactive,” The Offspring’s “The Kids Aren’t Alright” and The Rolling Stones’ “Sympathy For The Devil.”

When it comes to the healthy dose of classic rock peppering the playlist, Wayne makes some interesting instrumental decisions that pay off.  “Sweet Child Of Mine” in particular replaces the guitar intro with fiddle work that instantly transforms it into a country song.  His laid back, colloquial vocal delivery almost has a conversational quality that capitalizes on the surprisingly emotional content that otherwise gets eclipsed by Axl Rose’s larger than life guitar theatrics.  Generally, the more risks Wayne takes, the more engaging the result (a lack thereof is what makes “Rock And Roll” the lesser of Hits The Hits’ classic rock trio).

Cover albums are always a bit of a gamble (who really wants to hear another version of Meghan Trainor’s “All About That Bass”), but with the right amount of humour and country flavour, Bob Wayne makes Hits The Hits a success.  Even with some songs hitting the mark slightly more than others, Wayne has amassed an unlikely playlist with each song bound by his unmistakable brand of outlaw flare.  A fun addition to Wayne’s growing body of work that with the potential to double as a decent starting place for newcomers.