Bill Collins, performing as the lead of The Rabble Rousers, has written some of the best new worker songs that have emerged in decades. And best of all, like Billy Bragg he produces songs that stand on their own as great music, and will energize people whether they are walking a picket line or heading off to work.
Beyond Chron, San Francisco, CA
Randy Shaw‚ Jul. 10‚ 2009

This is one sharp-looking local release, but don't let the high-class packaging detract you from this well-timed concept album's working class values. Bill Collins is schooled in two rootsy musical genres that don't generally address modern social concerns — Irish folk music and American rockabilly — and one that often does, '70s punk. He applies elements of all three to reinvent the protest song, and damn it if he doesn't come up with some rousing rally melodies with urgency to spare. Traditionalists won't be scared off. Some of the updated songs — such as Joe Hill's "Casey Jones the Union Scab" — date back nearly a century, and younger, Obama-era activists will relate, too. With unions being targeted to give up benefits and sacrifice more than their share by several capsizing industries, Collins' impressive project couldn't be more timely or lively.
New Haven Advocate
Christopher Arnott, Jan. 15, 2009

We weren't here when Bill Collins first relocated from the West Coast and began making punk-inspired rockabilly in New Haven, but we certainly remember the late, great Swaggerts. And let's just say that "New Hard Times," a collection of electric folk songs, punky tunes that Billy Bragg would have liked to have written, is right on the money.
New Haven Register
Patrick Ferrucci, Dec. 26, 2008

As timely, trenchant and catchy as Woody Guthrie, these contemporary organizing songs put the tune back in union. West Coast punk legend Bill Collins, who's been a key player in the New Haven rockabilly scene since the mid '90s, has not just written some fetching new fight songs to sing a cappella in the trenches, he's made sure the CD versions are something special.
The Advocate
C.A., 2008

THE SONGS

Download all lyrics in a ZIP-file (274 kb)

1. I Say Union! : Inspired by the call and response picket line chant: I say "Union ", You say: " Now!"
2. Dirty Tricks: Election practices, Union buster tactics, and that ain't all!
3. New Hard Times: Those "good old days" are definitely far behind.
4. Hold There: Don't give up!
5. Union Town: Sort of a modern Johnny Cash/Woody Guthrie tune, inspired by a picket line chant.
6. Out On Strike: Inspired by the Sikorsky Teamsters, but applicable to all striking folk.
7. Joe Hill: An update of the old classic - but a version you can do" the twist" to. Don't forget to repeat the last line of each verse!
8. Card Count: As far as I know, the only song in existence to take on this topic!
9. Too Poor To Retire: ...
10. We're On The One Road: An old marching song from the WWII era, that has been converted to the Union cause.
11. God Told Me To: Dedicated to George Bush, and others like him, who use religion as a tool of manipulation to further their own personal agendas.
12. Cash Is Gone: A tribute to the "Man In Black", who spoke up for the common people in his songs; He will be missed.
13. Union Song: My first attempt at writing a Union song. The enthusiastic response it received convinced me there was a demand for this type of song.
14. Casey Jones: A reworking of the old chestnut into a danceable number.
15. Union Maid: Heads up to shout along with "the raids ", "the guys" and "for li-ber-ty ". (That's right, another updated oldie).
16. Ahoy! : Mostly for fun, but.most Pirates were sailors who took matters into their own hands when working conditions didn't improve!.
    Also, The Brotherhood of Pirate Crews had a Code of Conduct which included equitable sharing of wealth, democratic election of leaders, and even a form of health insurance, things that were absent from Royal or commercial ships during the Golden Age of Pirates.
17. Dirty Tricks: Election practices, Union buster tactics, and that ain't all!

CREDITS:

BILL COLLINS: Lead vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, backup vocals

ELF: Lead and rhythm guitar, second vocal on New Hard Times, Cash is Gone, backup vocals

GARY "CHOPS" MacCONNIE: Banjo, mandolin, backup vocals

RAY DeVARYO: Drums, backup vocals, washboard on Union Town, tambourine on God Told Me To

ANDY MERCK: Bass, backup vocals

TAMMO LÜERS: Lap steel guitar on Cash is Gone

DIGGER & BRONWYN KANITZ: Backup vocals

STEFAN ULRICH: Head engineer
MARTEN ULRICH: Second engineer
GABRIEL WUNDERLICH: Assistant engineer

Recorded at Palais Aux Etoiles, Bremen, Germany
Produced by Tammo Lüers
Preproduction Assistance: Tim Shapland (Sworn Liars) and Ole (Dimple Minds)
Special Thanks to Velvetone and Dimple Minds

THE REASON:

Basically, one day I decided two things:
1) To quit moaning and complaining about how bad things are in this country, and....
2) To get up off my lazy butt and try to make a difference.

I was inspired to these ends in great part by witnessing my partner Gwen's dedication to working towards social change and justice on a national level as part of the progressive Community/Union movement (through UNITE HERE, SEIU and CCNE) and more locally through groups such as CORD and Latino Citizens for Respect.
Not only were these organizations' views in line with my own, but they were fighting the Big Bad Guys and winning!

I realized the best way I could give support to these causes was to write and record music that would help give this new movement a soundtrack: Songs about current issues, relevant to modern times. Songs that fire people up for picket lines, rallies, and similar events; Songs that make people want to stand up together, fight back, and sing along.

I decided to incorporate the power of picket line chants into a musical mixture that combines the heart-felt grittiness and catchy melodies of traditional/progressive Irish music and old-school Country with the punch of Classic Punk music, in much the same way that Street Punk uses soccer chants to get the crowd involved. I call this style of
music Hard Folk; It can be performed either solo acoustic or with a full band for more power. The name of this group/project is RabbleRousers (MySpace).

The original idea was to record acoustic versions of these songs here in Connecticut and electric versions in Bremen, Germany, where I've made many musical friends over the last two decades since my first European tour in '87.
This CD represents the electric, European versions. Additional, acoustic songs are still slated to be recorded locally.

We began rehearsals in Bremen for the electric recordings on April Fools Day 2008, and mixed the last song on May first, International Workers Day, 31 days later.

To other artists and musicians; I say: Do it... the time is now!

Bill Collins, New Haven, May 2008

THE RABBLE ROUSERS

THE PLAYERS:

BILL COLLINS - guitar, vocals, songwriter:
Collins and MacConnie's Irish Drinking Songs, The Swaggerts, Big Bad Johns, Baltimore FOOtStOmperS, MDC Fang, Special Forces, etc.

ELF - lead guitar, second vocals:
Slime, Mimis, Rubberslime, Abwärts, CIA, Targets, etC, etC, etC!

GARY (CHOPS) MacCONNIE - banjo, mandolin, backup vocals:
Collins and MacConnie's Irish Drinking Songs, Boiling Man, No Image, Disaster Party.

ANDY MERCK - bass, backup vocals:
Velvetone, Tav Falco's Panther Burns, Wanda Jackson, Rumble On The Beach, etc.

RAY DeVARYO - as drummer: Dimple Minds, Scallywags, Dirty Drunken Desperados, Gutter and Guts, (as vocalist): Velvetone, Boppin Whoppers, (The) Wayne Newtons, Wanda Jackson (back-up vocals,)etc.

TAMMO LÜERS: in-house producer for Bear Family and Crosscut Record labels, also, member of Zumo Kings production team. (as guitarist): Velvetone, Tav Falco's Panther Burns, Wanda Jackson, Vee Jays, Swim Two Birds, etc.

STEFAN ULRICH: recording credits include: Wanda Jackson, Chelsea, The Whacking Shillelaghs, Velvetone, Dimple Minds, Otis Clay, Roy Gaines, Carolyn Mas, Johnny Tame, BB and the Blues Shacks Hollywood Fats, etc., also, member of Zumo Kings production team. (as drummer): Velvetone(currently), Dimple Minds (currently), Uli Beckerhoff, etc,etc etc!!!.