There’s a little bit of everything in this one including a whole lot of Dale Hawkins. Not a straight out retro-sounding rockabilly disc, there’s some more contemporary rock here, some country and even some lounge-y material. Back Down To Louisiana doesn’t get off to a flying start though as the opener, “New Generation,” features an overloaded guitar and ends with a patriotic speech that could have been a quote from George W. Bush’s State of the Union address. New Orleans’ Johnny J. writes or co-writes a number of songs on the album including “Bang Bang,” an up-tempo raver that gets things back on track.

The title track is a retrospective tune that documents the beginning of Hawkins’ career over in Shreveport, after which the CD bogs down a bit with some average ideas. “Do the Thang,” though, ends the album on a positive note, a mid-tempo tune that shuffles along briskly. There are not a lot of 1950s rock ’n’ rollers still around, and very few that still have it. We’re very lucky to have Dale Hawkins around because he’s definitely still got it.