FEBRUARY 2005 PLAY LIST

Coming from out of nowhere and crashing in at number one, Topeka are all about the angular alt.Americana roots music of one Fletcher Harrington, the wonderful voice of Tanya Livingstone, and the multi instrumental talent of Brit Collins.
And if you can overcome the slightly nasal timbre of Harrington’s voice (often cleverly mixed into double vocal lines with Tanya), you will discover a wealth of impressionistic lyrics, musical textures and moods. Fletcher’s lyrics reflect a dark brooding psyche, the kind that was once explored by the likes of Loudon Wainwright, and might in contemporary times be almost best suited to a David Lynch style movie.

The songs themselves slip from a straight ahead folky feel as evidenced on the opening cut “Another Brilliant Day” and the very catchy Cymbaline, but in between there’s some of the most inventive, well crafted, delicate songs that its been my pleasure to hear for years. From the dense metaphors of “Sliding Scale” to the closing aching love songs “Ten Steps” there’s unrelenting craftsmanship at work. On top of that there’s also a clever inner structure at play with careful positioning of tracks based on tempo, feel, and pace.

The magnificent single “Winter 808” for example - complete with imposing repeated bass lines, percussion and echo reverb - hits a wonderful groove, and uses a late chord change to create a telling dynamic. The number is nicely juxtaposed by the edgy “Writing on The Wall”, and the sonorous “Like the Road That Rolls On by”. On the latter the accompanying restated chiming guitar riff, and beautifully muted trumpet manages to mirror the lyrical subject matter brilliantly.
Above all Fletcher is no ordinary song writer. His songs are undoubtedly based on a mix of personal experience, literary nuances, and personal melancholy that only he can really know about.
If you wonder for example exactly what he’s on, to come up with dense imagery of “Winter 808”, then he offers a teasing closing couplet to give you a part answer,

“Light a pipe, and cool your eyes,
Think like a panther on the prowl,
Drink another shot of Jim Beam
And drive a nail into your cross”.

Finally, a word about the band: If Fletcher with his delicate early Neil Young style vocals is the driving force, the band as I said at the outset is a very organic proposition with Tanya Livingstone adding haunting voice, and Brit Collins contributing intuitive guitar and keyboard parts.

Quite simply Topeka has produced a miniature classic. It could even be a macro monster but given Harrington’s weird take on things, he’s probably happiest with a micro success!

Here are some clips from Land Rush:	Broadband (CD quality)	Dial-Up (AM radio)
Another Brilliant Day
Winter 808
Like The Road That Rolls On By

Over a decade’s worth of the very best of Walter Trout, chosen by the man himself…

The passing of time was never better illustrated than on the last Walter Trout tour, when the powerhouse guitarist turned to his huge London audience and thanked them for the last 14 years. And with the turning of the New Year it will shortly be 15 years since Walter made his name in Europe in his own right.

For newer Euro Trout fans - and they grow by the day - .this album marks a timely pit stop in the ascendancy of one of the best blues rockers in the world. And while "Deep Trout" cannot draw any tracks from Walter's one album deal that led to very underrated "Tellin Stories", this collection (which mainly draws on the bulk of his "Provogue Years" is good enough.

Opening with a characteristic brusque blues rocker "Put It Right Back On You", the album takes in Walter multi faceted persona as the blazing guitarist, the reflective balladeer, the cutting edge blues man, even Trout the Latino rocker plus there is one off his earliest efforts as a 21 year old, which nicely follows his role a classy sideman for multi-instrumentalist chum Freebo.

Longer time fans will once again thrill to the Santana style grooves, and the poignant Jimmy Trap lyrics of "Sweet As A Flower", while the New Orleans groove of "Victor The Cajun" recalls one of many career highlights.

It's good to hear the now seldom heard, but one time stage favourite "Motivation of Love" and the Marie Trout/band effort that made "Fast Movin'Traffic" (both from "Transition") one of the stand out tracks on the original album.

Trout fans will have their own choices, but quite simply there is so much good stuff here, they will doubtless return to this timely compilation again and again.

Here are some clips from Deep Trout :	Broadband (CD quality)	Dial-Up (AM radio)
If You Just Try
Victor The Cajun

3) The Zombies "Live At The Bloomsbury Theatre" Redhouse Records
TheZombies.co.uk | ColinBlunstone.co.uk | RodArgent.com

Yes it’s the year 2005 and the spirit of the Zombies has been magnificently resurrected by Colin Blunstone and Rod Argent and their superb band. Chris White even gets a mention in the writing credits and there’s a real feel of historic continuity at play. Aside from the obviously greatest hits from “She’s Not There”, “Time of the Season”, and “Andorra” etc, there also the best of Blunstone’s solo career from “I Don’t Believe in Miracles” and “Say You Don’t Mind – all beautifully crafted by the band with occasional help from an on stage string quartet – to Argent’s own big hitters like “God Gave Rock & Roll To You” and “Hold Your Head Up” (bass player Jim Rodford played on both the originals). But it’s the newer material that holds the most portentous interest, and on the evidence of this set, it doesn’t disappoint.

Rod Argent was always a fine song writer and he excels himself on the quite beautiful “Sanctuary”, which in a different age would be as big as anything the Zombies did before. There’s also a more straight ahead rocker in “Keep On Rolling" which acts as a conduit for “Hold Your Head Up”. Colin meanwhile extends his vocal range and is at the top of his vocal powers on the sublime “In My Mind A Miracle”. In fact its only when you realise they didn’t play for example “As Far As I Can See”, the rocker “Time To Move” or the jazzy piano led “Only The Rain”, that you realise just how safe The Zombies legacy is with the hands of the original creative duo at the helm.

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4) Los Lonely Boys "Los Lonely Boys" Or Records
LosLonelyBoys.org

It is well over 15 years since Los Lobos brought Tex Mex music to the fore to North American and European audiences, and its over 35 years since Carlos Santana first crossed over Latino Rock. And while The Mavericks went on to add a dash of Latino to their Country Roots, Los Lonely Boys go a step further combining all the above influences with more traditional Conjunto beats to come up with a hugely catchy style that has seen them described as The Mexican Beatles!

In fact the three Garza brothers, comprising Henry on guitar, Jo Jo on bass and Ringo no less, on drums – hail from San Angelo, Texas and offer a slightly new take on Chicano rock.

The two salient features here are the searing vocals that recently led to a Grammy award for Best Pop Award for Vocal Duo or Group, and the confident solo’s from Henry who while obviously influenced by Carlos Santana as on the percussion and guitar filled “Onda” and the and the excellent guitar fuelled “Real Emotion”, also tips his hat to Stevie Ray Vaughan on “Crazy Dream”.

While older Tex Mex influences permeate the material with echoes of the Sir Douglas Quintet and Freddy Fender, the brothers combine sparkling, crystal vocals with some fine songs, and occasionally slip into some “Spanglish” as on “Dime Mi Amor”. Songs such as “More than Love” have an inner structure and booming harmonies memorable enough to chart the band.

On the fine vocal led “Hollywood”, the brothers sound vocally almost like a mid career Hall & Oates, evidence if it were needed that this Latino outfit have the songs and commercial bent to dent the record buying public’s consciousness, while retaining their core roots feel.

Here are some clips from Los Lonely Boys :	Broadband (CD quality)	Dial-Up (AM radio)
Real Emotions
Crazy Dream
More Than Love

 

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5) Ripley Blues "The First Five Years "
RipleyBlues.com

Promoter Andy Herrington celebrates five years of putting on some cracking rocking blues in Yorkshire with a superb collection of the best on the circuit.

The standard is immediately set above the bar, by the great Nicky Moore whose throaty vocals shadowed by the some nice slide from Tommy Allan. Detroit’s Marcus Malone adds some classy guitar led blues, and proves to be as good a song writer as he is a fine guitarist.

The lesser known Giles deliver an impressive wah wah led piece complete with a big in the mix drum sound. The Blues band adds horns on an excellent reading of Paul Jones’s self explanatory “Got To Be The Blues”.

And while not every effort is strictly in the blues mode – notably Ian Parker’s delicate slide led “She Cries” and the catchy retro feel of Nine Below Zero’s album closer “Go Girl”, there’s much evidence here of what the club has to offer the discerning music fan.

Here are some clips from The First Five Years:	Broadband (CD quality)	Dial-Up (AM radio)
Resting In The Blues - The Blues Corporation
She Cries - Ian Parker
Strange Feeling - Derrin Nauendorf
You Can Talk - The Norman Beaker Band

 

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6) Paul Cox "Good To Me" Note Records
Note-Music.co.uk/paulcoxbandinfo.html

Greater London music fans have long known that Paul Cox is the eire apparent to Chris Farlow with a stunning voice, physical on stage presence, and a cracking band. All that has been lacking down the years has been the elusive hit, and some memorable core material to help him ascend the ladder.

“Good To Me” goes a long way to rectifying the situation, and while I doubt today’s radio will find much room for this excellent vocalist, this is a fine album worth looking out for all lovers of classy soul tinged rock/blues.

The first four tracks alone are as good as it gets. “Weekend Blues Man” is a rousing opener complete with a fine gritty performance by Cox, backed by a tight band and some excellent horn parts.

The following “Middle of Nowhere” is the kind of soulful piece that would grace any Delbert McLinton album, while Paul offers some magnificent phrasing on the languid opening of “Dangerous Mood”. Roger Cotton adds a delicate piano accompaniment, before the band kicks in to a heavy duty big band style blues. “Who You Gonna Lie Too” is also a well crafted ballad well suited to Paul’s powerful voice.

Bad Influence lead vocalist Val Cowell doubles up the vocal attack on the rather obvious cover, but superbly delivered “634 57893, while “Fly” is a more pop friendly effort worthy of a single release.

Paul Cox has for too long been admired by fellow muso’s and has never really been on the end of any high profile promo, save for Paul Jones’s promptings. This album on Note records augers well for the future, and hopefully will bring the beam of the spotlight on to arguably the UK’s leading vocalist.

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7) Eddie Martin "Play The Blues With Feeling" Blueblood Records
EddieMartin.com

The title says it all really. This guy plays real blues with real feel and intuitive playing, and is both a master of the guitar and harmonica. And while we are at it, his songs are so good that the opening cut “Someone’s Making Money” has got him into the final of an International Song writing Contest.

On guitar he plays some genuine down home slide and bottleneck as on “Selfish Guy”, and “My Black Mama”. On the horn shaped big band outing “Bubble Blues”, Eddie chips in with a New Orleans feel, and some BB King style vibrato. On “Bristol Shakedown” he switches to harp and swings with alacrity, and adds some flighty toned harp on “Tell Me Why”. It’s back to big toned slide guitar on the album’s best track “Barbed Wire” which narrowly pips the one man effort “One Man Band Rag” as the album highlight.

This album is probably his most authentic blues effort so far, comprising mainly down to the bone blues that will strike a chord with all blues fans. But in a world where the majority of blues players are desperately trying to cross over, you suspect that Eddie will remain his own man, and as his album titles concludes, he will continue to ignore the slings and arrows of the contemporary music market and Play the Blues With Feeling.

Here are some audio clips from Play The Blues With Feeling CD:	Broadband (CD quality)	Dial-Up (AM radio)
Selfish Guy
Play The Blues With Feeling
Barbed Wire

 

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8) Climax Blues Band "Big Blues:The Songs Of Willie Dixon" Houndog Records
ClimaxBluesBand.co.uk

One of the few British bands such as Savoy Brown who managed to retain their blues roots even when they enjoyed Transatlantic chart success, Climax Blues band have done what 9 Below Zero and The Feelgoods did when they finally ran out of new material and recorded some blues classics in their own way.

In the case of Climax some of the material has been a staple of their set for several decades, notably the re recorded “Seventh Son”. So if you are looking for something new you won’t find it here, but what you do get is well crafted blues by an experienced band, still on top of their form.

Band leader, sax and harp player and basso profundo vocalist Colin Cooper remains a heavy weight talent and has a real feel for the blues. He plays authoritatively throughout and even though the whole album could have benefited with a better mix, there’s enough good stuff here to keep long time fans happy.

The accompanying liner notes from Colin are well researched (though there must be an element of doubt over claiming “Big Boss Man” as a Willie Dixon effort as opposed to Jimmy Reed). But overall the band play well, with guitarist Lester Hunt adding some fine licks, and Colin throws is some grainy toned sax as the band saunter rather than blaze their way through Dixon’s back catalogue.

“Wang Dang Doodle” for example could have benefited with more of Cooper’s vocal to the fore, but then again he brings a fresh take to “I Love The Life I Live”. And in a sense there’s the redeeming feature with too many elder statesmen hammering old songs rather than leaning in to them. The Climax Blues band has seen off most of its contemporaries, and this album is perhaps a rallying call back to Climax’s blues roots.

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9) Scott Henderson "Live" Mascot Records
MascotRecords.com

And so to the incredible playing talent that is Scott Henderson.

The former Jean Luc Ponty, Joe Zawinal, and Chick Corea guitarist has spent the best part of a decade fronting his own excursions into spontaneity with his outfit Tribal Tech. And now, comes this effort to try and break the Rock Blues market, albeit from the outer fringes.

The trio who comprise Scott on guitar, drummer and gruff vocalist Kirk Covington, and bass player John Humphrey, hit some incredible grooves, dive down technically impossible alleys, and head out as far as their musical acumen will take them before occasionally returning to a bluesy theme. At times as on the opening “Slidin” it works well, and on “Well To The Bone” the band almost relax in shuffle mode. But given the harsh vocals of drummer Covington, and the hyper intense playing of Henderson, it sometimes leaves the audience gasping for breath – as much due to sheer claustrophobia as to their undoubted appreciation of the band’s awesome technique.

On “Tacos Are Good” the solo guitar intro gives way to a fiery rock piece that finds Scott exploring all his colourful aural textures on guitar as the rhythm section lay down the tightest accompaniment. Were such a piece to be heard on its own it would be stunning but in the context of two cd’s worth of high octane guitar pyrotechnics it all begins to pall a little after the hour mark.

Yet there’s some stunning playing, and underneath all the virtuoso playing and extended drum solos a hidden bluesy vibe. If you can seek that out you will enjoy the rest.

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10) Nelson Norwood "Nelson Norwood with Swamp Buck & The Kid: Live at SXSW, Austin, Texas" Guapa Records
NelsonNorwood.com

	Here are some audio clips from Live at SXSW:	Broadband (CD quality)	Dial-Up (AM radio)
	Take You Home
	Dixie Cup
	Feel So Good

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