What was the name of the place?--The Morells---Shake and Push

One of the benefits of having a College roommate who DJed back in Wormtown was being introduced to some unusual recordings. One such record was by The Morells, a rockin' little band from Springfield, Missouri.

Hamburger, Cheeseburger, Lettuce & Tomato!

Being a freshly converted Punk hipster in the early 80's, I was a bit incredulous. Shake and Push seemed to be a fish out of water, perhaps a little old fashioned and corny for 1982. I think I thought this was some sort of goofy parody. But the more I listened, the more I liked. Turns out at this album is a a lot of fun. But probably just a shadow of the live experience.

I almost feel like I went to a flea market and made a mix tape of assorted obscure old vinyl releases. Or found a soundtrack to an unreleased John Waters movie. Or probably they simply know a lot more about music than I do.

But this is the good stuff, played with love. The band is having a blast and they invite you to share in the good times. And though the atmosphere is loose, these guys have some pretty impressive musical chops. And though Punk Rock was the music of choice for us, it was also true that there was a bit of a rockabilly revival going on, with groups like The Blasters and The Stray Cats. So maybe it really wasn't the worst possible time for this album.




The cover of course features Red's, aka Red's Giant Hamburg a local legendary restaurant on Route 66. Supposedly it was the first "Drive-Thru" Restaurant. I think Morells insured that Red's would be remembered forever with their homage to the restaurant. It's a great song that makes me smile every time I hear it. It makes me want to hop in a time machine and eat there! Unfortunately, Red's closed down shortly after the release of Shake and Push. I still miss it, and I never was there.....

The Morells are:
Lou Whitney: Vocals, Bass
D.Clinton Thompson: Guitar
Maralie: Piano, Vocals on Go Ahead
Ron Gremp: Drums

Comparisons can also be made to NRBQ and Austin's Brave Combo I suppose. Infectious 50's rock like Push, Kick, Shout! You have a tune like That Mellow Saxophone, which sounds like they are doing a cover of a song by some guys who wanted to sound like Louis Prima. They do a cool version of Bumble Boogie featuring Maralie, I guess. Ugly and Slouchy is a country novelty tune that would fit in on Hee Haw, and Growin' A Beard could have been a weird rockabilly number from an Elvis movie. But listen to that guitar. D. Clinton knows his way around a fret board!

Before The Morells did Shake and Push, Whitney and Thompson were in a band called The Skeletons, who put out a couple albums in their day. The Morells reunited eventually have put out a few more albums, including some live Cds, which I haven't heard.



You know an album is special when the first song Gettin' In Shape segues into the Village People's YMCA toward the end. Perhaps Shake and Push is an album that won't change your life, but it's an album that still amazes me. In a country where technology is homogenizing culture to such an extent, it's great to hear an album that is a poster child for American regionalism and diversity.