Tag Archives: blues

You Still Got Me

4 November 2024 By in Music Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Beth Hart’s 11th solo studio album, the October 2024 release of ‘You Still Got Me’, follows up her 2022 Led Zeppelin tribute album with 11 original songs spanning the genres of blues, rock, pop, ballads, a touch of jazz, and a delightful tongue-in-cheek country nod to Johnny Cash. All songs are written by her, with a little help from Rune Westberg and Glen Burtnik.

While this may not be her best work—those honors go to her collaborations with the incomparable guitarist Joe Bonamassa—listening to the bluesy evolution of her throaty voice is a joy to be cherished and treasured; an album that captures the pure magic that is Beth Hart.

Source: AllMusic. Rock & Roll Muse with Martine Ehrenclou. Graphic: Album Cover and ‘Wanna Be Big Bad Johnny Cash, Provogue, Mascot, October 2024.

Ohio Players

30 September 2024 By in Music Tags: , , , , , , , Leave a comment

The Black Keys, with their new 2024 album, Ohio Players, haven’t confused their listeners this much since the critical acclaimed 2014 experimental acid trip, Turn Blue. This current collection of genre twisting songs suggests that the band has gone past peak Black Keys and wants to take their music into a new direction.

Ok, go down a different path but maybe it would be useful to pick one compass point rather than all of them at once. The record flows with currents of Neil Young and Cinnamon Girl, Paul McCartney’s post Beatles touch of sonic wonder, Ennio Morricone backing up Clint Eastwood, rap sexual crudities, and thankfully a bunch of album saving signature Black Keys blues and soul.

A confusing album but throw out the rap and it’s a decent contribution to the band’s oeuvre, not their best effort but enjoyable.

Trivia: The album title, Ohio Players, is a hat tip to Auerbach and Carney’s Ohio roots along with a tribute to one of the best funk-R&B bands from the 70s.

Source: AllMusic. Apple Music. Graphic: The Black Keys – Don’t Let Me Go, from Ohio Players, Easy Eye Sound and Nonesuch.

Slash

15 July 2024 By in Movies Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Slash’s 2nd solo studio album, Orgy of the Damned, a rockin’ blues compilation released in May of 2024, is his best effort since GNR’s 1987 release ‘Appetite for Destruction’.

Following closely in the concept album footsteps of Carlos Santana’s ‘Supernatural and Shaman’, the album contains 11 standards and covers written by a who’s who list of American bluesmen including Robert Johnson (‘Crossroads’), Aaron Walker (‘Stormy Monday’), and Chester Burnett (‘Killing Floor’) plus a new instrumental, ‘Metal Chestnut’ written by Slash.

Slash assembled some of rock’s great guitarists and vocalists to accompany him on the album including Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top), Brian Johnson (AC/DC), Steven Tyler (Aerosmith), Chris Robinson (Black Crowes), and blues vocalist Beth Hart.

Slash, with little memorable musical output since GNR, may have finally found his solo groove sans Axl.

Source: ALLMUSIC.com Graphic: Slash: ‘Orgy of the Damned’ albumcover, 2024, copyright: Gibson.

461 Ocean Boulevard

6 May 2024 By in Music Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

50 years ago, in 1974 Eric Clapton released his second solo album, the hugely successful 461 Ocean Boulevard. It topped the Billboard 200 weekly chart in the USA and reached the top ten in several other countries. It placed number 88 in the Billboard 200 year-end chart and was certified Platinum selling more than two million copies.

The album’s ten tracks run the gambit from hard rock to pop to blues-rock containing 3 new Clapton songs including the theme continuation of Derek & the Dominos, Keep on Growing: Let it Grow. The album’s number one hit, Bob Marley’s: I Shot the Sheriff was released as a single slightly before the album came out in July of 74.  Johnny Otis’s Willie and the Hand Jive, another hit from the album, was released as a single in October of 74.

The album was produced by the legendary Atlantic Records recording engineer, Tom Dowd who also produced the 1970 release of Derek & the Dominos album: Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs.

The album’s title: 461 Ocean Boulevard was the address of the house in Golden Beach, Florida where Clapton and the band stayed in will recording the album at Criteria Studios in Miami.

Source: All Music. Classic Rock Review.