Robert Gordon – Satisfied Mind

It’s hard to know where Robert Gordon fits now. Gordon, king of the late-’70s rockabilly revival, has been mostly dormant over the past fifteen years, and though rockabilly continues to wax and wane, he doesn’t much resemble the latter-day pomade crowd.

Then again, Gordon didn’t pine for the punk rock he split from in the ’70s, either, so maybe Satisfied Mind is simply his latest rebellious statement. There’s barely any guitar, for one thing, a near heresy for those who latched onto Gordon’s resonant, early-Elvis vocals when they came packaged with screaming lead guitar from Link Wray and, later, Danny Gatton.

Gordon seems to have burned off the youthful fire that drove his earlier work, and boogie-woogie piano has replaced guitar antics on most of these fourteen covers. The substitution makes for a thoughtful album, especially because Gordon has done what few rock ‘n’ roll singers have managed: He grew up without losing his edge.

He dabbles in world-weariness on “Sea Of Heartbreak” and sings with the resigned air of someone who knows on “Your Angel Steps Out Of Heaven”. His age-deepened voice swoops down low on “Little Boy Sad”, and there’s a roughness when he aims high on the rousing “Ain’t Gonna Take It No More”. There are also versions of the Hollies’ “Long Cool Woman” (pallid) and “These Boots Are Made For Walking” (stylish and subtle), but the title track is the most telling: With a satisfied mind, Gordon doesn’t need to fit at all.