TALLINN - Chances are, if you didn't hear "Cotton Eye Joe" in the mid-90's, then you were either deaf or in a deep coma. But don't let that bring back any bad memories. If you should suddenly want to see what you missed, Rednex, the European band that composed the banjo-and-harmonica anthem is stopping by the Baltics for one show 's in Tallinn 's after a nine-year absence from the stage.
What once originated as a playful fluke in Stockholm in 1992 is today a creative team of musicians, producers and art designers with a unique way of combining various musical trends into a unique sound. Particularly, Rednex's interest in the Wild West (yes, another European group fascinated by cowboys and Indians) fuses country, disco and electronic in a way never before recorded. It was this sound that led the band to international stardom.
Since their first release in 1994, Rednex spent a total of 25 weeks in the number one spot on the German singles chart, the longest streak since 1980. (Modern Talking being number two with 19 weeks). After having scored 10 consecutive Top 40 hits, the group released a Greatest Hits collection in 2002.
The album, "The Best of The West," contains the definitive tunes that propelled the band to international fame. It includes "Old Pop in an Oak", the lovely ballad "Wish You Were Here", "Spirit of the Hawk" and, of course, the ubiquitous "Cotton Eye Joe." Other popular titles 's "Mary Lou" and "Fat Sally Lee" hark back to the frontier days of ghost towns and smoky watering holes.
To be sure, some of the tracks 's e.g., "Cotton Eye Joe" and "Old Pop in an Oak" 's sound so distressingly alike that they are easily confused, but that shouldn't be a reason for passing by this one-of-a-kind party band. The atmosphere promises be grand, as even the doormen are likely to be dancing.
Rednex's current line-up hails from three different countries (U.K., Sweden, Holland), and nowadays it uses Amsterdam as a home base. But they are on the road again (no offense, Willie), with a stop in Tallinn on Jan. 14 at Club Hollywood.
Tickets: 190 kroons
More info: www.piletilevi.ee
