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The opening title track on “Cowgirl!” by Lynda Kay & the Lickity Splits lets you know what kind of lady we’re dealing with here: a pistol-cockin’ guitar rockin’ sweet talkin’ doll from Texas. The voice of Lynda Kay is as tough as it is sweet and fragile. Texas songwriter, Lynda Kay, who now lives in Los Angeles, is proud (and should be) to release her new album “Cowgirl!” with her seven-member band, the Lickity Splits, on the label Firelight Records. The style of music is frequently compared to large names such as: Johnny Cash, Janis Joplin, Elvis, Dusty Springfield and Patsy Cline. Although I agree with these comparisons, “Cowgirl!” to me, drips of fat country-soul--which you do not typically expect of an artist from Texas. The title song is an autobiographical tale concerning the upbringing of Lynda Kay by her super, strict, gun-toting father, and how that made her the "Cowgirl!" she is today. At present, the CD is on the radio in the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, United Kingdom, Italy, Ireland, Japan, and several radio stations in Texas, California, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky. Lynda Kay and Nick “The Brick” wrote most of the songs on this album. "Move On" is a solid composition of the country-rock variety. "Gimme Love" is jazz inspired with a nice laid-back feel. "The Game" is sultry like Bobbie Gentry, but with a ferocious guitar solo. In "Pick Me Up," the direction changes once again, and the sound escalates to a stadium rock level. However, through all its twists and turns, it thunders and swings like it is the last train to Memphis! On "Angel or The Night," she proves capable of a tender acoustic ballad. Further, we still hear the old traditional "Deep Ellum," and a delicious hidden track with barrelhouse piano, "Broken Hearted Blues," a cover by Lil Johnson, a blues singer from the beginning of the previous century famous for singing songs with explicitly sexual lyrics. Lynda Kay is full of funky, country-soul. Soul, yes "Cowgirl!" swings, waggles, and knows no musical boundaries and yet ties them together. Each time I play this CD, I find a new favorite, and I cannot stop my body from moving to the music. All there is to do is to keep listening and dancing! - Freddy Celis, Rootstime DJ 107.9 FM Belgium
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byPeer Bataille
http://www.altcountry.nl/recensies.html
LYNDA KAY & THE LICKITY SPLITS ****
TRANSLATION
“I'm a pistol cockin ', guitar rockin ', sweet talkin ' doll.” opens the title song to this CD Cowgirl! by Lynda Kay & the Lickity Splits and makes it clear what kind of person we are talking about. This is one tough lady from Texas. The lyrics from the song Cowgirl! tell her story: the sounds of Johnny flowed freely in the house where she grew up and typically came from the shooting range in the cellar. Cowgirl! (Firelight Records) drips of fat countrysoul, which you do not expect really of an artist from Texas. Lynda in Memphis would be a beautiful title for this album, but the truth is that the band is based is Southern California. From time to time you think you are listening to a countrified version of Dusty in Memphis especially on such tracks as Move On, or the steamy and lazy Gimme Love (“Just be my dog and let me chew on that bone/Gimme love”). The sultry sounds of The Game (with that brooding guitar solo) reminds me of Bobbie Gentry. The album takes another turn in the track Pick Me Up, but overall it thunders and swings like its the last train to Memphis! I have to ask myself as I listen to Cowgirl! if it is all tongue in cheek, and Lynda is simply a small town girl from, for example, Los Angeles and she is playing a game with us. But it really does not make a difference to me because the songs are strikingly original and convincing. On the tender Angel of the Night she proves very capable of an acoustic ballad. Further we hear the traditional Deep Ellum (with delicious barrelhouse piano), and the hidden track Broken Hearted blues, a cover of Lil Johnson, blues singer from the early 1930’s who sang explicit bawdy blues. Those who enjoy Grey DeLisle will love Lynda Kay & the Lickity Splits. We can always use more soulful singers!
ORIGINAL TEXT
‘I’m a pistol cockin’, guitar rockin’, sweet talkin’ doll.’ Op openings- en titelnummer Cowgirl! maken Lynda Kay & the Lickity Splits meteen duidelijk wat voor vlees we hier in de kuip hebben. Geen juffrouw om zonder handschoenen aan te pakken, deze Texaanse. Dat heeft ze niet van vreemden, zo blijkt nog uit Cowgirl!: in het ouderlijk huis was paps meestal in zijn schietkamer in de kelder te vinden, terwijl Johnny Cash door het huis schalde. Zoals wel vaker blijkt ook onder deze ruwe bolster een blanke pit schuil te gaan. Want Cowgirl! (Firelight) druipt van de vette countrysoul, die je niet echt verwacht van een artiest uit Texas. Lynda in Memphis zou een mooie titel geweest zijn voor deze plaat, ware het niet dat de boel is opgenomen in het Californische Pasadena. Want af en toe denk je dat je zit te luisteren naar een gecountryficeerde versie van Dusty In Memphis .Zoals het van dampende blazers voorziene Move On, en het luie Gimme Love (‘Just be my dog and let me chew on that bone / Gimme love’). Het broeierige The Game (met een gitaarsolo waar de vullingen van uit je kiezen barsten) doet dan weer aan Bobbie Gentry denken. In Pick Me Up gaan alle remmen los, en lijkt de boel over de top te gaan. Maar wat dondert dat, het swingt als de laatste trein naar Memphis! Overigens vraag ik me bij het beluisteren van Cowgirl! wel vaker af of het niet allemaal camp is, en Lynda gewoon een stadsmeisje uit bijvoorbeeld Los Angeles is dat een spelletje met ons speelt. Maar ook dat kan me geen lor schelen zolang het zo overtuigend de strot uitkomt als hier. Op Angel Of The Night bewijst ze ook een akoestische ballad aan te kunnen. Verder horen we nog de traditional Deep Ellum (met heerlijke barrelhouse piano), en het verstopte Broken Hearted Blues, een cover van Lil Johnson, een blueszangeres uit het begin van de vorige eeuw die veel seks in haar teksten deed. Liefhebbers van (bijvoorbeeld) Grey DeLisle zouden ook eens naar Lynda Kay & the Lickity Splits moeten luisteren. Van hen krijg je er geheel gratis een lik smeuige soul bij. En daar wordt niemand slechter van! (Peer Bataille)************************************************************
Kinda Muzik Review The Netherlands
Published 5/28/2004
LYNDA KAY & THE LICKITY SPLITS | COWGIRL!
TRANSLATION
Born a farmers girl. Daddy practicing with his guns daily.Animal heads looking at you from every wall and the music of Johnny Cash always coming out of the stereo set. This is how Lynda Kay describes herself in the title song of her new CD, COWGIRL! If this lady doesn’t come from Texas, I’ll ride my horse without a saddle! I know I’m a man, which is why she drives me so crazy with her funky countrysoul. Soul, yes ! COWGIRL makes you want to move your body. I’ve played the thing a few times now, and it even makes my body move ! ‘Pick Me Up’ is a little too much I think, sounds like contribution to a Eurovision songfestival to me, You know a Rogier van Otterloo orchestra and the guitar sound of Jochem Fluitsma! One small mistake on a fantastic album that almost sounds like a live recording. And that could be possible because Lynda Kay is a great live singer. Her big band sounds terrific, wild and thank God, not too perfectly mixed! Lynda names Elvis, Cash, Janis Joplin, Patsy Cline and Hank Williams as her great influences. If you mix all those styles together with a good shot of Memphis soul, you’ll hear the sound of Lynda Kay’s new CD COWGIRL!, full of life experience, soulful, funny and made with love!ORIGINAL TEXT
Een boerentrien van huis uit. Vader oefende dag in dag uit met zijn pistolen. Dierenkoppen keken je strak aan vanaf elke muur en altijd maar weer schalde Johnny Cash uit de geluidsinstallatie. Lynda Kay graaft zich autobio in de titelsong van haar cd Cowgirl! Als deze meid niet uit Texas komt, berijd ik mijn paard voortaan zonder zadel. En ik ben een man. Precies dat zal wel weer de reden zijn waarom Lynda mij horendol maakt met haar funky countrysoul. Soul ja. Cowgirl! swingt en heupwiegt dat het een aard heeft. Ik heb het ding al een paar keer achter elkaar gedraaid en telkens weer zet mijn stramme lichaam zich in beweging. Om gek van te worden. In 'Pick Me Up' wordt het me allemaal een beetje te veel, daarin klinkt Kays uptown swing als een songfestivalinzending. Je weet wel, Rogier van Otterloo-orkestje en kutgitaren van Jochem Fluitsma of hoe heten die lui. Een vergissinkje op een verder voortreffelijke plaat die bijna geheel live opgenomen lijkt. En dat zou prima kunnen, want Kay is een fantastische zangeres en haar grote band klinkt lekker wild en goddank niet perfect afgemixt. Lynda rekent Elvis, Cash, Janis Joplin, Patsy Cline en Hank Williams tot haar voorbeelden. Als je daar nou 'es een flinke scheut Memphis soul bij gooit, dan ben je er wel zo ongeveer. Doorleefd, soulvol, grappig en met liefde gemaakt.
tekst: Ronald Besemer5/28/2004 http://www.bigroadblues.com/dcforum/DCForumID8/120.html
Lynda Kay was one of the highlights of the [CigarBox Guitar] fest. She has many incarnations. Her CD "Cowgirl" is her 60's/70's big hair hot country singer thing. I love it! She has tapped a genre of country that has yet to be exploited… I tell you what... just her pictures gave me a bit of vertigo but when she busted into "That's Alright Mama" I had to sit down. I thought I was going to pass out. Think of every hot pin-up girl you've ever seen with an instrument. Make her real. Give her a God given voice, songwriting talent and more chops on an instrument than you've ever heard. F**K Clearchannel, F**K American Idol, F**K the White Stripes... Aw, heck let's just say that if her and Josh were on Leno tomorrow they would be bigger than Britney "inbred" Spears and rightfully so.
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Hallandsposten 4/30/2004
Colorful Crossings by Gert-Ove Fridlund,
4 out of 5 stars
Lynda Kay & The Lickity Splits: "Cowgirl!"
Blues, jazz, classic rock, hip-hop - describes the music of Lynda Kay and her seven man strong Lickity Splits. The whole menu is served up with finesse, probably because the musicians originate from such different places. Fronting the band is Lynda Kay Parker, singer/songwriter from Texas (now living in Los Angeles) whose style has led to comparisons to among others Patsy Cline, Janis Joplin and Elvis. Cowgirl! is a colorful album with lasting original compositions. All of the songs give the musicians the freedom to express themselves. One is stricken by the guitar playing of Joshua Piscioneri who lets go his inhibitions go on more than one occasion (together with Lynda Kay he forms the duo Pearl Handle Pistol). Also drummer Nick Scarmack (an excellent songwriter himself) impresses, as does the full horn section. It's a swinging big time between the breaks. It is also heartfelt like on the bonus track - a delicate slow blues, live!