Rant ’n Rave With the Stray Cats

Released in 1983, Rant 'n Rave with the Stray Cats served as the follow-up to their massive American breakthrough. While their debut was a compilation of UK tracks, this record represents a more cohesive studio effort produced by Dave Edmunds. It solidified the band's image as the faces of the rockabilly revival, blending traditional 12-bar blues structures with a faster, more aggressive punk-adjacent delivery. The album is notable for its inclusion of '(She's) Sexy + 17,' which became a major hit, and 'I Won't Stand in Your Way,' which showcased Setzer's ability to handle doo-wop and pop-balladry with sincerity. Critics often point to this album as the peak of their technical prowess before the band's initial hiatus. It remains a definitive document of the early 80s fascination with 50s subculture, characterized by Setzer's signature slapback echo and Rocker's innovative upright bass techniques.