​In 1964, the Dovells (think 'Bristol Stomp') recorded a few hot rod tunes, changed their name, and bingo: the Woofers were born. What resulted was a surprisingly strong hot rod album packaged in a bargain bin cover.

The album begins with an adequate rendition of 'Drag City' followed by the energized original 'Hot Rod Races'. 'Mister Hot Rod' utilizes the same backing track as John Zacherley's 'Surfboard 1-0-9' and is a humorous stab at the familiar dragstrip 'jock' image. The album's first instrumental is the jazzy 'Wailin' Wheels,' which admittedly strays from the California sound but does possess some car engine overdubs. Not a bad composition in its own right, 'Ridin' the Rails' borrows a great deal from 'Deadman's Curve' and reminds us of the perils associated with the sport. The song had initially appeared with different lyrics as ‘Ridin the Waves‘ on Parkway’s Everybody’s Surfin’ album. A cover of 'Little Deuce Coupe' is enhoyably one of the album's strongest moments. 'Bench Racer' is yet another fine original. One of the most underrated songs of the whole genre has to be 'Dragster on the Prowl', which was also released as a Dovells B-side. Another filler instrumental, 'Cool Bash' is actually rather enjoyable, though not completely necessary. Admittedly not the best closure to an otherwise strong album, 'Down By the River Side' is a rewrite of the gospel tune.

Excellent songwriting, clean harmonies, and the occasional falsetto save Dragsville from being just another cash-in job. The Dovells do a good job here making everything seem polished and well-executed; even the instrumentals aren't obtrusive to the overall package, making this one worth seeking out!