I have been a fan of the Rev for a long time. They're easily in my top five favorite bands. I'd probably say they're close to first or second place. I just love this band. It's been a while since RHH put out a new album of original material. They did a Christmas album in 2005, and Revival was released in 2004. A pretty long time to go without new stuff from a band that has been cutting new albums about every two years since 1991.
Laughin' and Cryin' is quite worth the wait. With a more country feel than most previous entries, it's a more mature entry. Not that Jim "The Reverend" Heath has lost any of his satirical bite or rockin' attitude, but he seems to have come to understand that you can nuance those things as well (or better) than beating them into your head at 4-4 time.
Heath is no slouch on the guitar. On previous albums he tears up his fretboard with precision licks of which the best shredder would be proud. Tempos slow and solos get more care on Laughin' and it helps set the mood. In fact you have to wait until the last song to get anything much up-tempo but even that entry "Oh By Jingo!" has more of a Chet Atkins feel to it than anything really rocking. And that's not a bad thing.
UPDATE: After 10 or more complete listens, I have concluded that this is the perfect fusion of Chet Atkins, Duane Eddy and Link Wray. It's the mellowest RHH album ever. I'm digging it.
Prime cuts:
Death Metal Guys
Oh God! Doesn't Work in Vegas
Spacewalk
Oh By Jingo!
Here's a great piece on the Rev from a blogger I just discovered.
Here's a piece I wrote about the Rev a while back.
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