I was very apprehensive about Robert Randolph Presents The Slide Brothers (Concord) and much to my surprise I really had nothing to worry about. See, Randolph is considered the prime-time slide guitarist around today and it would be hard to me to deny him that title. It’s just that he continuously makes flat, dull records.
That’s not the case here though as this is chuck full of energy. The Slide Brothers, Calvin Cooke, Chuck Campbell, Darick Campbell and Aubrey Ghent, are all either steel or lap steel guitarists. They are all members of The House Of God Church, where the Sacred Steel style of playing is commonplace.
While this album’s foundation is based in gospel and the blues, this has rockin’ soul all over it. Co-produced by Randolph, this is definitely one of those albums that defies categorization. What do you call gospel based blues, funk and rock?
Those guitars have a heck of a time playing over a who’s-who of bassists and drummers as well. These include drummer Chris Layton (Stevie Ray Vaughan) and Billy Cox (Jimi Hendrix) among others.
Now I’m not hating here but I’m willing to bet that co-producer John McDermott had a huge hand in this album’s sound, as from working with the likes of Buddy Guy, Otis Rush and Gary Moore. Randolph’s records never had this much energy or attitude as this one does. He does though get full boat props for getting this band and sound out to the masses.
Standouts include “Sunday School Blues,” “Don’t Keep Me Wonderin’,” “It Hurts Me Too,” “The Sky’s Crying,” a different take on George Harrison’s “My Sweet Lord,” and the killer instrumental “Wade In The Water” that’s worth the price of the CD alone.
Here’s a new release that caught my ear. The Virginmarys are a tight little trio that originates from Macclesfield and formed in 1996. They’re a throwback band from way back when, back to those good old days of alternative rock ala Nirvana and Mudhoney.
Their debut is King Of Conflict (Wind Up) and it’s a pretty darned good snappy record. Pretty simple stuff like a guitar, a bass and drum kit can make a ton of racket when played in the right hands. No synths here, just three guys beating the crap out of their instruments in time.
Led by guitarist/lead vocalist Ally Dickaty, he takes the band-written songs and really breathes life into them. They can play this type of rock, like they really mean it and as if have something to prove to someone. Closer look shows that Toby Jepson produced the album, but the album’s sound is prolly because it was mixed by Chris Sheldon who has worked with Foo Fighters and Radiohead.
On an album that really doesn’t have any clinkers and boasts a bonus track, standouts include “You’ve Got Your Money I’ve Got My Soul,” “Dead End Shoes,” “Taking The Blame,” “Lost Weekend,” and my favorite on the album, “Out Of Mind.”
Because of its late release date in February I couldn’t get this review in for Black History Month until this issue. Freddie King was a guitarist whose work was based primarily in the blues, though with his unique picking style, he stretched the boundaries of that genre.
His more popular, establishing work has never seen the light of digital day until now. The Complete King Federal Singles (RGM) is just that, a comprehensive compilation that has for the first time digitally re-mastered those original A and B sides of his recordings.
Recorded in the ’60s these singles were a major influence on the likes of British blues guitarists Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck, and later a major influence to American guitarists like Stevie Ray Vaughan. King was the first to mix the styles of both Chicago and Texas blues.
An energetic live performer, The Texas Cannonball as he was called, was a huge guy who made the Gibson guitar (his preference) in his arms look like a ukulele. He was also one of the first to work and tour with an interracial band.
Since his early, untimely death (42 years) in 1976, his back catalog has been in disarray with a great deal of his work unavailable on compact disc.
This set also includes some pretty cool hard-to-find pictures and a pretty darned good essay written by King expert Bill Dahl. Standouts include “Have You Ever Loved a Woman,” “Hideaway,” “San-Ho-Zah!” “I’m Tore Down,” “Lonesome Whistle Blues” and “Texas Oil.”
The celebration of what would have been Jimi Hendrix’s 70th birthday continues. Besides the excellent release of unheard material on People, Hell and Angels (reviewed last issue), here comes the re-issue of the first two Jimi Hendrix Experience studio albums in rare mono mixes.
Hendrix’s Are You Experienced was released in radically different versions in the U.S. and UK. The U.S. version omitted “Red House” and “Remember” and the UK version omitted “Purple Haze,” “Hey Joe” and “The Wind Cries Mary.” Both versions are now available for the first time in the U.S.
The Experience’s second album Axis: Bold As Love was released universally in the same configuration. All three albums are being released in 200gm mono vinyl, recreating the original art work and mono mastered. They are not available on CD. These are a must.
 

Freddie King – The Complete King Federal Singles (RGM)

Jimi Hendrix Experience – Are You Experienced

Printed Version (MATC Times)