Tuesday, April 29, 2008

RUBBER RODEO - She Had to Go (12" Single)



Recently I wrote about country-new wave hybrid Rubber Rodeo's second and final LP, Heartbreak Highway. By request, here's one of the band's earlier singles, She Had to Go from 1982.

By the time Rubber Rodeo released Heartbreak Highway in 1986, its sound had developed from a self-described "cross between Gene Autry and Devo" to polished, radio-ready pop with country touches thrown in here and there. She Had to Go is a perfect example of the band's quirkier early stage (which also saw the release of a new wave cover of Dolly Parton's Jolene).

She Had to Go is a bizarre, Devo-esque track about death, strangely enough. Check out the last minute or so, which sounds something like the hoedown from hell. The B-side includes Rubber Rodeo's take on The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly as well as another instrumental, Forbidden Valley.

(2/17/09 - You can now purchase this music, along with the band's self-titled EP, on iTunes! Go get it!)

Track listing:
1 - She Had to Go...
2 - The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
3 - Forbidden Valley

2 comments:

Uncle E said...

I always felt they had that late 70's Roxy Music vibe mixed with a little bit of the Violent Femmes. They were unique, I'll give them that.

Frank K said...

Yes, and while their output was admittedly hit-or-miss, I have a strange fascination with this band (if you couldn't tell!).