This came out in 2000 — or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
Before Brian Setzer was the king of swing, he was a rockabilly rebel: Singer, songwriter and guitarist for DA-sporting New York traditionalists Stray Cats.
Their moment in the spotlight was releatively brief — the Yanks didn’t pick up on them until well after the Brits, by which time the boys had already peaked musically. But like most shooting stars, they burned brightly. These 17 crisply remastered tracks are the irrefutable proof: More than half — hits such as Rock This Town, Stray Cat Strut, Runaway Boys and Sexy + 17 — were penned between 1981 – ’84. Also included are cool, overlooked late-period gems (notably a cover of Gene Vincent’s Race With The Devil) and three tunes from a gig taped in their hometown in their heyday. Rev it up and go, cat, go.
