SPRING 2007 PLAY LIST
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1) The New Amen Corner “Live
at the Boom Boom Club Volume One & Two. NAC Records OK owning up time, you might think my objectivity has gone out
of the window, and in a sense you are right. Why else after all
would we record a band we didn’t believe in? In short, this
two volume unreconstructed retro effort, is the stuff that will
surely send a shiver down the spine of any self respecting live
music fans of a certain age.  CD two includes the swinging London & West Coast material including an old clever Radio One edit leading into Flowers in the rain” and Blackberry way by former stable mates The Move. The rest of the psychedelic drenched disc includes such classics as “Happy Together”, Californian Dreaming”, “Let’s Go To San Francisco and a caustic rendition of Cockers version of “With A Help From My Friends”. In addition there’s a classy slice of cool in the shape of “Blood Sweat & Tears’, “You Made Me So Very Happy” on which both the horns and superb new vocal star Glen Leon both impress. Together with five studio bonus tracks of the band’s hits, both volumes come unreservedly recommended. |
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2) Hans Theessink “Slow Train”
(Blues Groove)
Austrian based Hans Theessink is a Dutch Country
blues guitarist who has built an international reputation as a leading
practitioner of blues and American roots music. And on “Slow
Train” has expanded his blues roots to include Gospel and
World music genres to great effect. Hans’s yearning vocal style is one that has been honed in over 30 years of learning his craft and he brings an unhurried style of emotive phrasing to bear on some poignant lyrics that deal uncompromisingly with contemporary events. His sublime guitar playing is so subtle that you strain to hear every slight change in emphasis in tone while his sultry slide runs beautifully underpin some warm gospel accompaniment on ‘Run For A Long Time’. Together with a fine band and three wonderful gospel
singers nick named “Ramuda”, “Blessings”
and “Vuda”, Hans tackles songs about 9/11 and Iraq as
on “God Created This Land” and Mugabe’s Zimbabwe
as on “Thula-Oh Mother Don’t You Weep”, without
once pandering to sloganising. The biting lyrics are written as
if in the first person bringing an extra emphasis to the lyrics.
There’s a further beautiful blend of gospel blues on “Cry
Cry Cry another album highlight complete with sumptuous slide guitar
and deft use of handclaps. There’s also a JJ Cale feel to
the wistful “Let Go”, while “Love You Baby’
is a delightful joyous dobro outing, again with tasteful bv’s.
Ry Cooder would probably love to have written something
like this and perhaps the biggest compliment I can give this truly
superb blues album is that at the very end of the closing ‘When
Luther played the Blues’ you feel compelled to find out more
about an artist who has just cut one of the albums of the year. |
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3) Sue Foley/Deborah Coleman/Roxanne Potvin
“Timebomb” Ruf
Canadian Sue Foley, once an Antones recording artist
is the driving force behind a project that delivers three great
performances within the context of a Blues caravan. All three artists
play to their potential within an album that is a tribute to the
powers of focus and collaboration. There’s even room for a female take of James
brown’s funky strut “Talking Loud”, and wiith
the supporting cast of players underpinning the female triumvirate
beautifully, “Timebomb” works in just about every way
possible, and should be sought out for immediate purchase.
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4) Reel Big Fish “Our Live
Album is Better Than Your Live Album 2-CD/DVD Rykodisc Hailing from Orange County, California, Reel Big Fish offer a warped, hyper version of ska inflected, lightning fast pop tunes that deal with everything from personal relationships and societal ills, to over the top satire and in fact anything the band don’t like!
The between song on stage banter is pure Flo & Eddie from the Mothers ‘Live at the Fillmore East’ days and the eclectic musical turns have been mined before by bands such as Canada’s Moxy Fruvous. But what sets Reel Big Fish apart from their musical antecedent’s is the musical brilliance of the compositions that can in the space of three minutes shift from blistering rock song into triple time ska, fiery punk and reggae by turns. On top of that they find room for the occasional good hook. They also slip into some wonderfully arranged covers,
bringing a ska and punk feel The Cure’s ‘Boy’s
Don’t Cry’ for example and adding a dash of reggae to
Tracy Chapman’s ‘Talkin’ Bout a Revolution’
and they even parody A-Ha’s ‘Take on Me’. But
it is with their own songs such as the supercharged ’Beer’
which combines high energy rock and Skank, or the ironic horn-led
lovers lament ‘She’s Famous Now’ complete with
some lightning changes that the band stand out. |
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5) Ian Parker “Where I Belong”
Ruf Records
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6) Man “Diamonds & Coal
Point” Point
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7) Aynsley Lister “Upside
Down” Ruf Records
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8) Mark Ford “Weary &
Wired” Provogue
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9) Scott McKeon “Can’t
Take No More” Provogue
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10) Tangerine Dream “Madcap’s
Flaming Duty” Eastgate
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This
is an album to blow away all the sexual politics in the blues,
an album to lay to rest any doubts about woman’s place in
the contemporary blues field, and above all an album that delivers
great songs, superb playing, and blues with a real edge.
Where
I Belong' serves up further notice that Ian Parker is a thoughtful
song writer who is not afraid to use highly personal source material
to give full expression to his music. And on his new album he’s
heading in a soul direction that is well suited to both his evocative
singing, and the nature of the material that deals with intrapersonal
relationships. But before you head for the valium, check out an
album that combines passion, great playing and several radio friendly
hooks.
The
splendidly titled "Diamonds & Coal" is a surprisingly
good effort from the reborn veteran space rockers
"Upside
Down" is Aynsley Lister's first solo album since his successful
"Pilgrimage Blues Caravan" collaboration, and his first
with his new band and quite simply it represent a giant step forward
for him.
This
is a slow burner which refuses to sit easily with any of the usual
rock blues genres. Perhaps given Mark’s adventurous past
which included stints with the Black Crowes (twice) and Ben Harper
we shouldn’t be surprised. But from the slide led opening
of “Featherweight Dreamland” and the heavy riffed
“Don’t Come Around”, you get the impression
of an artist who seems happiest in a rootsy context that comes
close to say Tom Petty as evidenced on It’ll Be Over Soon”
and the radio friendly brace “Dirty Girl” and “The
Other Side”.
There
can have been fewer impressive debut albums than this. Scott McKeon
is a hugely impressive guitar player from the Bournemouth area
who together with his heavy duty trio sound for all the world
like they come from Texas. Think of Storyville, Indigenous, Chris
Duarte or more inevitably Stevie Ray Vaughan but then think in
terms of fresh new material rather than tired old rehashes and
you will have a clue as to the delight that awaits you within.
“Madcap’s
Flaming Duty” suggests old prog rockers or grandfathers
of electronic music such as Edgar Froese, don’t curl up
and die, but belatedly eschew their electronic muse for a more
straight ahead song writing sensibility. To be more accurate in
this case, Froese has made good use of 17th and 18th century Anglo/American
poets and combined them with the adaptable vocals of one Chris
Hausl, and the result is a startling late career break through
album from Tangerine Dream.Tracks are in Windows Media Player format, and should stream to your PC in CD quality if you have Broadband. Alternatively you may wish to right-click the download link which appears and save the clip as a file on your PC.
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