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Soldiers of Love is a refreshing blast of Buck ‘n Beatles.  Lots of pure Buck Owens style country with good classic retro Beatles rock and roll.  It’s not just rockabilly; it’s uniquely DeRailers rock solid.  Live performances by the DeRailers in the last couple of years were always very energizing, but the CDs just didn’t capture that same feel.  Soldiers of Love has turned that corner to give you a DeRailers' fix between live events.  My personal opinion is that the boys got Nash-Vegased for a while with the Sony label, but are back on the true track since the switch to Texas-centric Palo Duro Records.  As band leader Brian Hofeldt puts it, “We’ve always been a country band with a rockin’ heart.” And that’s what DR fans have been responding to for the last 8-9 years.

Although the band has been through some minor style and membership changes over the years, the current combination works just great.  These days, Brian Hofeldt is holding down the lead vocals single handedly.  Chris Schlotzhauer, the best steel in Texas music, is still providing that distinctly DR wail.  And let’s not forget their trademark retro suit and tie appearance, a wonderful relief from today’s norm of cut-offs, dirty T-shirts and flip flops. Even the face of the Soldiers of Love CD keeps with the retro feel of this endeavor by looking like a tape reel from an old reel-to-reel tape recorder.  The tracks are authored or co-authored by a combination of Brian Hofeldt and others, specifically Buz Cason.  Cason authored the classic title track (among others), "Soldier of Love", as well as produced this CD for The DeRailers.

A quick rundown of most of the 14 tracks:
• The CD opens with "Cold Beer, Hot Women, & Cool Country Music".  This frolicking southern-style rocker is bound to be a hit with everyone that lends an ear.
• "She’s a Lot Like Texas" (Cason) is pure country ballad that Buck might have done.
• "Soldiers of Love" sounds like it should have been a Beatles song (although I don’t recall that they ever recorded it).  DR’s treatment of this one is pure listening bliss.
• "Donna Sue Earline", with its almost hand-jivish licks and beat is another blast from the past with a distinctive mossy, squishy Louisiana feel.
• "The One Before Me" is another mournful Beatles-type harmony ballad exceptionally done by Hofeldt.
• "Hey, Valerie!" and "Get ‘Er Done" are both a rockabilly blasts complete with retro guitar licks and boogie piano.
• "Cattin’" and "Every Time it Rains" are both great ballads, one retro rock, the other country.
• "Everything I Believe In" takes the DR ballad into the classic rock world.
• "An American Man" is one of the best Johnny Cash tributes I’ve heard.  This one is even done in Johnny Cash chords, licks, and vocal style.
• "Poppycock" a great retro rock instrumental.
• "You’re Looking at the Man" and "It’s Never Too Late for a Party" are DEFINITELY Buck honky-tonking and drinking songs.

Check out http://www.derailers.com for Soldiers of Love and other DeRailers CDs all the way back to 1996.  That site will also let you listen to the tracks on the CD (not just an MP3 byte) and link you to listings of their performances.  Although this CD comes close, nothing has the impact like a live DeRailers show.  Make sure you catch one at the earliest opportunity.

Written by Cheryl Arthur, July 2006

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