Cowboy Junkies – 200 More Miles, Live Performances 1985-1994
A fitting end to the band’s career with the RCA label (they moved to Geffen in 1996), this collection spans a number of years and musical styles, performed with a surprising amount of energy considering the Cowboy Junkies’ notoriously laid-back style. The song choices epitomize the heart and soul of this band, whose languid, dark tones are rooted as much in rock as they are in traditional country & western music. Vocalist Margo Timmins’s wonderful renditions of Patsy Cline’s “Walking After Midnight” and Hank Williams’s “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” are enough to bring the listener to tears; Robert Johnson’s “Me and the Devil” and John Lee Hooker’s “Forgive Me” conjure some funky blues; haunting covers of Bruce Springsteen’s “State Trooper” and the Velvet Underground’s “Sweet Jane” transport the listener to completely different terrain. There are plenty of originals as well, including an especially moving version of “Sun Comes Up, Tuesday Morning.” –Lorry Fleming
Humble Pie – Smokin’ (1972)
This was Humble Pie’s first post-Peter Frampton album. Co-founder and blues shouter ‘par excellence’ Steve Marriott was thoroughly in charge here, and the result was the band’s best-selling album. The idiom is basic, straight-ahead, blues-rock, with occasional forays into Led Zeppelin -style riffage. Highlights include dramatically slowed down versions of Eddie Cochran’s C’mon Everybody”, Junior Walker’s “Road Runner”, and the wah-wah laden slow blues “The Fixer”. “You’re So Good for Me”, which begins as a delicate acoustic number, ultimately mutates into a full-bore gospel music rave-up, an element that would later influence bands like The Black Crowes. Alexis Korner guests on the track “Old Time Feelin’”, Marriott’s vocals take a back seat on this number as the main vocals are provided by Greg Ridley and Korner who also plays a Martin Tipple, mandolin-type guitar, the sound is reminiscent of their song “Alabama ‘69″ appearing on their first album. Stephen Stills of Crosby, Stills & Nash guests on “Road Runner ‘G’ Jam” (the title is a nod to the band’s habit of developing songs out of jam sessions), playing some incredible Hammond organ fills and his backing vocals were over-dubbed on “Hot ‘n’ Nasty” a slow-burning and then dynamic R&B song, after he strolled in after recording his own sessions next door. Marriott insisted on producing the album himself, he wanted to face the challenge of running a compact R&B sound to the rules of a high-tech 24-track mixing board. Marriott collapsed with exhaustion in February. New Musical Express (NME) reported at the tim: “Following intense recording sessions with Humble Pie, Steve Marriott collapsed with nervous exhaustion and doctors told him to rest”. With this album the group arguably defined themselves as the undisputed leaders of the boogie movement in the early 1970’s. — Wikipedia
Mary Fahl – From the Dark Side of the Moon (2003)
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Mick Fleetwood Blues Band feat. Rick Vito
Mick Fleetwood, the iconic co-founder of Fleetwood Mac, is celebrating his blues heritage with his new band, The Mick Fleetwood Blues Band. As well as their own material, the band pays tribute to the original Fleetwood Mac, the all-male blues band that started it all in 1967. Bringing together four stellar Blues and Rock musicians, Mick Fleetwood presents a live album which is as current as it is nostalgic. At the front of the group is Rick Vito, veteran Bluesman and former Fleetwood Mac vocalist and lead guitarist. Rick adds his personal touch while staying true to the styling of early Fleetwood Mac front man Peter Green. “A lot of guys can play the licks but Rick has the tone and that’s so important in real blues,” says Mick Fleetwood. With Fleetwood anchoring the band on percussion, the “other half” of the rhythm section is Lenny Castellanos on bass guitar. As Mick points out, “I’ve played with John McVie for 40 years, any bassist who plays with me has big shoes to fill.” – Lenny does a great job filling those shoes while complimenting Mick’s unique and revered drum style. Mark Johnstone ties everything together on the keys and backup vocals, infusing a vibrant energy to the group. The band is led, of course, by the legendary Mick Fleetwood, providing a backbone with his unmistakable power-house percussion and persona. The band pays tribute to the Mac’s early days, when it drew heavily on American blues music and produced hits such as “Albatross,” “Oh Well” and “Black Magic Woman” (which was covered by Santana).– Artist website