The Riptones celebrate a world of simple blue-collar joys — pork loin sandwiches, motorcycles, cold beer, the sweet smell of livestock at the county fair. It’s a world where even guys who punch their bosses in the face and steal company trucks never forget to call their moms.
This Chicago quartet featuring the Bonansinga brothers Jeb and Tod plays good basic country rock: three chords and a cloud of twang. Extra Sauce, produced by Ian Spanic of the Spanic Boys, doesn’t have a lot of fancy licks, nor many deep, revealing lyrics. But it’s got some dang fine topical songs. “Motorcycle Man” has the potential to win as many fans among readers of Easy Rider as with readers of Cornfed. It’s a putdown of a Harley-riding yuppie: “Look at that joker on a brand new hog/I’ll bet he drinks espresso and has a trendy dog.” After poking fun at the pristine helmet upon the greenhorn’s $50 haircut, Jeb gets philosophical: “I know I should not judge, you have every right/But you cannot purchase freedom and acquire a way of life.”
In “Good BBQ”, the band explores the sensuous similarities between love and food. Here Jeb sings the praises of a woman (“a real humdinger, a hullabaloo”) who shares his fondness for hickory-smoked cuisine, summing things up in this classic line: “I kiss her goodnight, I taste good barbecue.” (A subsequent song, “Crawfish Pie”, is similar in theme, but ultimately not as affecting. But maybe that’s just my own taste in food clouding my musical judgment.)
“The Meanest Man In the World” is kind of dumb, but Tod sings lines such as “Some say his heart was broken/His gentle soul was torn apart,” with such sincerity that it’s irresistible. The Riptones also show they can do a sweet honky-tonk wailer with “I Forgot to Cry”, highlighted by the Bonansingas’ brotherly harmonies on the chorus.
Just like the Himalaya that Jeb sings about in “County Fair”, Extra Sauce zips by with great speed — 12 songs in just over 33 minutes. But like that midway attraction, it’s a satisfying ride.