In no particular order, here are snippets of reviews on Mean Gene Kelton & The Die Hards. Web links or emails provided when available.

From The Baytown Sun Chat Forum
07.04.07

I had never had the pleasure of hearing Mean Gene Kelton, although I felt sure I would enjoy his music. I went out last night and was pleasantly surprised at just how much I did enjoy his music. So much energy! You know you got 110% from Mean Gene. The weather was phenomenal. Never ever do you have such a pleasant night in Baytown in July. I love the new deal where some bands play on July 3. I missed the first band, but caught Johnny Lee. 61 years old and sounds just like he did in the 80’s. What a quality band he had! As good a country western concert as you could find anywhere.

I am only sorry I missed hearing Gene Kelton! I have been following his career since the mid 80’s (before he actually started recording CD’s). He was great way back then and has only gotten better! YOU GO GENE!

CDBay.com
Customer Submitted Reviews for Most Requested

 Man this cd rocks.
Reviewer: Kelton Hatton
Man this cd was so freking awesome. Hey keep doing what you do because it kicks ass.

 Loved the album!
Reviewer: Alex Sparks
This has got to be one of the best cds in my collection. I didn’t take it out of the cd player for two weeks! I highly recommended this cd to my friends. They heard it and loved it.

 Great Texas Blues Guitar
Reviewer: F M “Doc” Cox
As a misplaced Texas biker (from Llano, TX.) living in the Washington DC area——It was just great to listen to this CD. So many memories of home , places, old friends. GREAT.

 Fantastic!
Reviewer: Mrs. Nettle
Great CD. Can feel the pain when listening to Cruisin Texas Avenue, brings the memories flooding back. Look forward to more music in the future!

 your cd is great. it has great adult party songs on it. im glad that i ordered it
Reviewer: Keith Terrell
i loved the cd. i consider it one of my favorite cds. its exactly what i was looking for in party music..tks..make some more of them..

 The Undisputed Blues Man of Texas…
Reviewer: SMOKIN’ JOE DENSON
I’ve been around this city (houston) along time and seen a lot blues guitarists. But no one has earned the title of The Blues Man of Texas as Mean Gene has. This CD is well recorded and produced. Not only that, but it gets to the heart of the matter. It’s a great commentary on what the state of blues is in today. Mean Gene Kelton has hit a home run with this album. I highly recommend it!!! SMOKIN’ JOE DENSON

 Southern Fried!
Reviewer: Dj Smilestir   (click for website)
What can I say but that this CD has really been used since I received it! Get your Southern Fried music here. Great lyrics & hooks on all the songs. Mean Gene gets you into the groove with his Southern Style. Great guitar slinging & backup from the band. Catchy lyrics that’ll keep you smiling. You only get this kind of work from someone who’s well seasoned in the blues. Thanks Gene!

Customer Submitted Reviews for Mean Guitar

 You have to live it to write it, and Mississippi is the birthplace of blues
Reviewer: Mike Barrios - Okla. City
I have the first and this is another addition to his great talent and experiences. I would buy every CD he produces. This is the best style I’ve heard since ZZ Top.

 If this doesn’t move you, you’re dead !
Reviewer: Ken Masten
Gene Kelton is a really great guy. Besides that he has issued two great CD’s of hard pounding Texas Blues. If you like real music, no matter what part of the country you’re in, get a copy of Mean Gene Kelton and the Die Hards I can’t imagine you will be sorry.

 Awesome footstompin Blues!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Reviewer: Jeff Segers
The best of Texas blues is spreading far and wide. Up here in Washington state not a day goes by when we don’t listen to Mean Guitar.

 Really mean guitar
Reviewer: Richard Amery Kenora Daily Miner and News
Houston’s best kept secret, Mean Gene Kelton is a great blues guitarist and isn’t afraid to tell you so right from the title track of his CD, Mean Guitar. He amplifies it tenfold. In addition to being a fantastic guitarist, Mean Gene, backed by his band The Die Hards, also has a way with a keen turn of phrase and unforgettable melody. He approaches well worn subject matter (falling in and out of love) from out of the world angles, like the UFO imagery on the super singable Sweet Mother Blues, or fairy tale frogs on Prince of the Blues. If Everybody Loved The Blues makes an excellent point, perhaps there would be no more war if everyone was having so much fun listening to the blues. It is no surprise Mean Gene sings I Love My Job. I would too if I were him. He has an excellent selection of uptempo rockers (I Love My Job, Give Blues A Chance, Two Thangs all stand out) and slower material, but either way, the listener doesn’t mind if These Blues Are Kickin’ My Ass. It is a sweet listen. Mean Guitar came out in 2003, let’s hope Mean Gene will have new music for us soon. Check him out on cdbaby.com.

 I love this CD ~ Great Stuff Mean Gene
Reviewer: Tami in Vegas

 I love it!
Reviewer: Joe Vitale of www.MrFire.com
I love it! This stuff rocks and roars and sets my soul aflame. I’ve been looking for a new guitar slinger and a new band to follow and rave about. Here it is!

From Texas Monthly Magazine, February 2000
by Joe Nick Patoski, Editor

“…Mean Gene Kelton’s Most Requested (Avatar) offers fifteen scorching boogie and blues tracks, including the signature “My Baby Don’t Wear No Panties” from the journeyman Houston bar warrior, with his two sons as his rhythm section…”

Houston Press
February 10, 2000
by Roger Woods, Music Editor

“…You’ve heard of shock rock, shock art and shock radio, right? But shock blues? Try to imagine a Southern Howard Stern, wringing solos from a Telecaster over a deep groove, growling “My baby don’t wear no panties / Ask me how I know…” that’s just one of many salacious songs on Mean Gene Kelton’s latest disc.

A 60-minute plus set of 15 originals. They get your attention on first listen…

…while none of the other tunes have received the same hype as “My Baby Don’t Wear No Panties” (a favorite on a couple of local radio stations), rest assured there is plenty more… where that came from.

Kelton knows how to make deliciously gritty blues music and write extensive lyrics…”

Amazon.com
Customer Reviews
5 Star Rating for Sales and Customer Satisfaction

” …A pleasant surprise indeed! After seeing it mentioned through Living Blues magazine I requested a copy and was surprised by the diversity of music on one cd. A little Funk “Little black dress”, “Let me pump your gas”, Rock-Blues “Big Legged Mama” and deep feeling Blues “Tears on my Guitar”, “Leaving Paradise (goodbye, Louisiana)”. Even though the title of the song “My Baby Don’t Wear No Panties” attracted me to the cd, the rest of the music won me over! Play him often on The Crazy Coyote Blues and Jazz Power Show 1490 KOTY in southcentral Washington state…”

Rockzilla World Magazine
by David Pilot

“… The songs are lyrical genius, phrases twisted to wring every possible meaning from what started as simple words on paper. There’s not a song on the disc that doesn’t make you stop at least once and think, “Did I hear that right?” In effect, Gene Kelton takes the storied history of the blues and its musical heritage, combines it with the Southern penchant for turning a phrase, and lets loose with Texas music that deserves its own spotlight… ”

Blues On Stage
October 2002
by John Taylor

Mean Gene Kelton’s “Most Requested,” a fifteen-slice all-original platter, is aptly titled; liner notes claim it’s Gene’s recorded response to fan requests. It’s easy to understand why these are favorites, as most are obviously influenced by better-known artists.

“Most Requested” stands, for the most part, quite well on it’s own merits. The opener, “Texas Honey,” comes straight from the school of Z.Z. Top; “Too White To Play The Blues” rides a Muddy stop-time groove to good effect. “If This Guitar Could Talk,” with it’s snarling lead, owes a little of its sinewy structure to Santana; “Tears On My Guitar” sounds much like a Gary Moore tune, complete with strings (although here they’re obviously synthesized). “Goin’ Back To Memphis” is an irresistible slice of rockabilly, with Gene contributing some fine acoustic harp; the background vocals are a bit much, but thankfully are limited and not too much of a distraction. “Cruisin’ Texas Avenue” is a breezy slice of pure pop; that pop sensibility reappears with “Leaving Paradise (Goodbye Louisiana),” strongly reminiscent of Brook Benton’s immortal “Rainy Night In Georgia.”

Things get bawdy toward the end, from the comparatively mild “Tight Black Dress” and the light-hearted “My Blow Up Lover” to the stone country of “Texas City Dyke” (”her real name is Bertha/but they all call her Butch”), and the grinding “My Baby Don’t Wear No Panties,” a call and response number that again borrows from Muddy, though with considerably more Texas-style grease in the groove.

“Most Requested” is a family affair, with Gene’s sons Jamie and Sid contributing bass and drums respectively, Gene proving himself both a competent vocalist and top-notch string-bender.

With fifteen tunes clocking in at just over sixty-six minutes, Gene keeps things pretty tight. …it’s a pleasant and enjoyable listen, with several cuts guaranteed to liven up a party.

Most Requested, May 16th, 2007, 11:38 AM

Reviewer: Anonymous

ROCKS!!!!!!!!

Eopinions.com
“Cause His Baby Don’t Wear No Panties!”
by Gamblinfamily
February 04, 2002

Mean Gene Kelton - Cause His baby Don’t Wear No Panties!
Feb 04 ‘02

The Bottom Line Excellent guitar work, stage presence.

Mean Gene Kelton put himself on the map with good music, naughty guitar and lyrics. He’s not all naughty though. He can be looking back, in love and blue oh so blue as well. What stands out upon first listen is his voice. As deep and course as Mississippi mud. Whether it comes naturally or from all the smoke and tokes going on during his performances, I don’t know.

Mean Gene’s stomping grounds are the same as mine. He does blues but not in general. His songs range from country, electric blues, americana, blues rock and so much more. Taking a look into Mean Gene’s guitar of course means taking a look into his music. I’ll break down some tracks for you.

Naughty Song
My Baby Don’t Wear No Panties Right away this song brings in the guitar. Heavy, lush licks follow this whole song from onset to finish. Mean Gene comes in with his voice that could melt a few panties to begin with. The song of course is pretty self explanatory right? Sure, but I’m going to break it down anyway. Mean Gene takes you on a naughty romp with his woman, who likes that natural feeling. The real tickler in this song is the audience.

Mean Gene says :

My baby don’t wear no panties, ask me how I know
The audience says :
How do you know? How do you know?

Now bear in mind that this song is rooted in the bars where it originated from. A biker jumped up during one of Mean Gene’s performances and told Gene the title of this song. The audience actually responded with, “How do you know!” The woman proceeded to prove to the bar and it’s patrons that she indeed wore none. All in all an excellent song. It surely proves why he is so popular in the bars, and festivals. The song ends with :

Rip them drawers off mamma, cause daddy’s coming home!

Funny Songs

Blow Up Lover Opens up with a catchy drum beat, and a guitar somewhat hiding in the background. Calm guitar in this song, but trust me it fits. This song is pretty much what it implies. Mean Gene tells us all about his 4 ply nylon, free patchkit and 40k mile money back guarantee lover. Hilarity ensues.

Mean Gene sings :

She stays in the closet, till I get home. She don’t watch soap operas or run up the phone. She don’t talk back, she never complains, but she speaks every language if you know what I mean!

He even makes puffing sounds, as if blowing her up. How’s that for realism? The song not the lover of course. Gene’s voice is a real gem here! He sings like a man in love, but still has that fine gravel voice.

Texas City Dyke
If you live near Houston chances are you have heard of the title of this song. The tough women who could knock your block off before checking in for work at one of the many refineries. Mean Gene tackles this subject with humor and of course his guitar. A 50ish style guitar opens this song about a titty-tattooed, calloused hands, woman. Who is a little bit of both, but not enough of either. She’s known across South Texas as a Texas City Dyke.

Tough, and mean she’s a welder in this song. The voice Gene uses here is quite nice. Gruff, and tough just the way I like. Course most have called it his “best Johnny Cash impression” I really like the licks hit on this song. Oh boy that truly had no PUN intended. The guitar licks are phenomenal. This is one of the tracks I heard playing in a bar in Pasadena on the juke. I just HAD to know who it was. Credit this song with my finding of Mean Gene. This is a great track. My favorite line :

She keeps her vibrators on a gun rack.

Don’t blame me for the adult nature. I’m only working with what Gene is giving me here.

Recollection Songs
Cruisin’ Texas Avenue Is a really great song that shows Mean Gene’s reflective side. Texas Avenue was the street that his school sat on. A harmonica really makes this song. It adds to the reflective nature of this song. What teenager didn’t cruise around on a dollars worth of gas, and your favorite tunes on the radio? Mean Gene I know is singing this song about his teen life, but he might as well be singing it about mine. Restless and young, and so on fire. This might well describe his work! Mean Gene would love me calling him a youngster I bet!

This is a really GOOD track with a impressive guitar solo right about the 2:10 mark. Strong vocals, strong guitar. You will want to feast your ears upon it.

Going Back To Memphis Takes Mean Gene back to his roots. There are two versions to this song. Then 1986 one is more country in nature. The other one is more fun loving and Elvis vocal in nature. I love both versions, and how it shows his ability to do both types of songs. This is a guitar and piano rich songs. It ends with a slide of the ivories.

The song just talks about going back, where it all started for Mean Gene. A sort of recapture the magic kind of track.

Country-Esque Song
Last Teardrop Opens with heavy guitar kicks, and twirling guitar. I really love Mean Gene’s country voice. He can do it really well. Don’t think country slow either. Mean Gene can’t do slow to save his last teardrop. This still has a fast-paced dancing beat. The guitar is amazing as well. There are some licks that sneak in when you least expect it. Heartache, and tears perfect country song material! The last few licks toward the end are exceptional.

Blues Song
Sinking Deeper Into The Blues A medley of drums, bass guitar, and electric fight for tops. Mean Gene is sinking deeper into the blues with his guitar. His voice is deeper and more gruff than on other tracks. This is a great show of his talent for guitar and blues. Right about the 2 minute mark is when Mean Gene and his guitar just go off on you. It’s a delightful tingler.

One Of My Faves, Funny Songs Aside
If This Guitar Could Talk Many a blues man has said it isn’t what’s in your pipes, but rather it’s what’s in your fingers. What you can do with your guitar. Mean Gene opens this song with impressive deep vocals first. He of course will bring the guitar in to back up his playing. First he lays down the story. About his travels, bar room fights, and the likes. Worth the wait for the guitar, truthfully.

What I Think
Being a local that just feeds off Mean Gene and his performances. I’d have to recommend him hands down. He gives a great show. And I will honestly tell you that the best performances I’ve ever seen have not been in huge mega, corporate named stadiums. NO. They have been in tiny hole in the wall bars. Where the performers are there because they stay close to their roots, and never forget where they come from. Sure they venture out and do bigger gigs, but ultimately it is the small settings that draw them back.

Mean Gene is one of those guys. I have had the fortunate luck of being able to see him in his natural setting. For those of you that can’t do that, I suggest getting your mouses over to either of the following to hear him : www.genekelton.com

BlueCountry Blues
Southeast Queensland
by Eric Black

…Most Requested is a top notch Texas blues album with heaps of scorching guitar playing and can be heard …highly recommended….