Brian Setzer and his Orchestra rock out this morning’s CarTune with a big brass version of the Vince Taylor classic, “Brand New Cadillac.”
This live performance of “Brand New Cadillac” from The Late Show with David Letterman on April 27, 1994 could be considered a bit overwrought. Overblown. Caught near the acme of the great swing craze of the 1990s, it features Brian Setzer and the enormous brass orchestra he’d just assembled, plus Paul Schaffer and his entire CBS studio band, all blaring away at once.
The arrangement is broad as well, weaving in portions of another brass-rock warhorse, “The Peter Gunn Theme.” The total effect of all this bombast might be a bit much. You wonder why they didn’t drag a pair of cannon and an elephant onto the stage.
But what saves the performance, puts it back down on the asphalt and makes it burn rubber, is Setzer’s guitar and vocal. They’ve got the desperate edge of the 1959 Vince Taylor original. She’s gone, man. She left. In a brand new Cadillac.
Ooh, my baby drove off in a brand new Cadillac
Well she looked at me, daddy, I ain’t never comin’ back
We can also cut Setzer some slack as a fellow car guy and a for-real hot rodder. His personal rides include a string of Model A highboy coupes and a slammed ’57 Dodge. So brace yourself, here it comes: the full-house version of “Brand New Cadillac.”
Great song, and an interesting arrangement. But I thought it was bloody awful, and as shallow and cheesy as a TV showband performance.
For me at least, here’s a fine example of “Too much is almost enough”.
I can really relate to both views.