Let's be honest, the ole Rev. hasn't been on a hot streak lately. His last few albums -- including 2000's more laid-back and traditional Spend a Night in the Box -- haven't been raking in the chips. So, like many a high-stakes gambler in the hole, Heat -- aka Jim Heath -- aims to turn his fortune around by betting it all on Lucky 7, a more reinvigorated, back-to-basics affair. And a fairly safe bet it is. Most of these 14 tracks are as predictable as a one-horse race, with the Rev. twanging up a storm on his old gee-tar and belting out familiar, 12-bar barnburners about fast cars, hard liquor and evil wimmen over the solid standup-bass thump and two-beat bashing of his long-serving rhythm section. There are a couple of time-wasting instrumentals and a few too many carbon-copy cuts to make this his finest moment, but even so, for fans of the Rev.'s psychobilly freakout frenzy, it's a sure winner. (More on: Reverend Horton Heat).

Track Listing