Royal Crown Revue: The Contender
Chuck Eddy, Rolling Stone, 1 October 1998
SNAZZY FEDORAS and a brass section can't hide Royal Crown Revue's tough-guy heart. On their varied and witty fourth album, The Contender, this swinging Los Angeles septet subjects the Rat Pack revival to its self-proclaimed "adversary stance," spieling about boxing, small-time criminal activities, fallen starlets and Marlon Brando. And they rock, mastering complicated beats at fast tempos, using horns for gallivanting hooks more than for gratuitous honks.
Total word count of piece: 218