Duane Eddy - still twanging after all these years

Twangy guitar hero Duane Eddy has seen a big revival in his career in the last couple of years. His recent album Road Trip was recorded in Sheffield and produced by Richard Hawley of Pulp and suddenly he is hip once again. And not before time!
I caught him at The Anvil in Basingstoke - part of his own musical road trip of the UK - and he played several numbers from the newish album, but it was mostly his early two minute guitar masterpieces that really rocked. He was backed by Richard Hawley's band, including a great sax player, and the sound was just right. Twangy and hard!
Duane kicked off with a string of his Lee Hazlewood produced early hits - the surf guitar flavoured Movin' and Groovin', Yep, The Lonely One and Shazam - all performed to perfection - before risking one of the new numbers - the rather undistinguished Bleaklow Air. He continued with more of his twangy stuff, including Ramrod, the slower 3.30 Blues, 40 Miles of Bad Road, Cannonball and the emotive First Love First Tears, before attempting another rather dull number from the new album - Attack of the Duck Billed Platypus. He dedicated his huge 1960 hit Because They're Young to Johnny Walker, who made it his theme tune on pirate radio, before moving to two more tracks from the new album - Road Trip and Curveball - both of which were far more reminiscent of his early material. Duane finished off with a rousing Peter Gunn and, as an encore, another pretty good track from the Road Trip album - Mexborough Ferry Boat Halt - and a final Hard times from his early days.
Now aged 74, Duane is clearly as good as ever and long may it last. It's just fantastic to see a hero of my youth still at the top of his game.