As the liner notes to this album point out more than once, the Rapiers are the world's leading Shadows tribute band, and there's no denying that they have the sound of the great British beat group worked out to the last detail. 1961 could have been recorded in that year and it would hardly sound especially different; lead guitarist Colin Pryce-Jones has mastered the crisp, twangy style of Hank B. Marvin right down to his expert whammy-bar accents, Dave Lawes is equally if more subtly gifted as rhythm guitarist, and John Tuck and Roger Cover are a superbly non-intrusive rhythm section (except for "The Jinx," which is a showcase for Tuck's drumming). Most of the tracks are instrumentals, and all hark back to the good old days of British beat before the Beatles came along and spoiled everything, and anyone who digs this style will find 1961 to be an effortlessly enjoyable listen. However, the Rapiers duplicate the sound and feeling of the Shadows so well that they're often hard to tell from the real thing -- enough so that if you have a copy of the Shadows' 20 Golden Greats, you probably don't need this, unless you always wanted to hear Cliff Richards' boys play "In the Hall of the Mountain King." ~ Mark Deming
