JOE LOUIS WALKER-JOHN EMMS/CD REVIEW-BETWEEN A ROCK AND THE BLUES

WALKER is the perfect blues/roots vehicle for any music label (in this case Stony Plain Records) because he offers listeners such a wide pallete of dazzling song options. Produced expertly by the legendary Duke Robillard Walker has no problem walking the line between the roots of blues with the healthy infusion of rock or soul.

Just check out the mule kick of I’ve Been Down, the whiplash stroll of I’m Tide and cross tie soul of Black Widow Spider.

There is a sense of urgency about this album that jumps out of your speakers. The hard driving If There’s A Heaven with the earthy tones of Kevin Eubanks and the spellbinding slow  minor chord blues of Hallways with it’s  gorgeous piano and guitar solo breaks reach far further into the passion of where many artists would even would dare to go. That is commitment folks!

Tell Me Why written by Duke Robillard is a ’serves you right to suffer’ barn burner that could be a Rolling Stones Exile On Main Street outake that Buddy Guy or Jagger/Richards would have killed to have recorded. An incredible vocal take by Walker both on the aforementioned track and on The Ray Charles penned Blackjack

The album ends with the wah wah rip of  Big Fine Woman and the acoustic Delta-ish vibe of Send You Back.

Walker is not stuck between A Rock and the Blues he’s  burning rubber at the Crossroads

 

 

p[assioonatealiking  So Long Cases i npoint are the sweatyking ofd roots tastePassionate playing,  well constructed material and

WHITNEY HOUSTON’S-JOHN EMMS CD REVIEWS- I LOOK TO YOU

For the past  seven years since her last cd much of Whitney Houston’s life has been pushed onto the front pages of every tabloid in the world. And usually not in a good way.

Maybe some of this has been self inflicted. Most of us will never know and nor should we want to.  It’s her life.

However when Houston  launches into the slow soul gospel of  her title track you know she means business. I dare anyone to turn this track way up, stand in the room and let her voice flow through your heart and not be affected.

It’s truly one of the finest vocal moments I have heard in the past few years.

 I’m not crazy about the whole album, but make no mistake there are enough vital tracks here that it will quantify what can be described as “Whitney’s Comeback”  Case in point is her cover of the Leon Russell chestunut A Song For You. Starting out slow and deliberate with strength Houston and her producers then turn the track into a Euro dance  number. Not a good idea to my ears.

But believe me, she still has the goods almost purely by her instinct to know what is good for her vocally and songwise.

 I love the fact she does not sing ballads all through the disc. The album statrts with the pumping bass line on the Alicia Keys written track Million Dollar Bill. and Houston commands her vocal range by not over singing on the  excellent Call You Tonight, and that goes for the AOR power of Worth It, a track I guarantee evcery couple will love. In fact, Houston sings ” I know somebody is gonna make love to this song tonight”.  She’s right.

After 170 million combined albums, singles and videos sold all over the world it’s not about money or how any homes you have. For most singers of this calibre it’s about  proving that her musical insight and talent is not hype.  On this return she proves that beyond any doubt.

gary moore-john emms cd reviews-the essential montreux-blues power”

Like his Irish colleague RORY GALLAGHER..GARY MOORE’S true spirit and soul comes to the fore at a “live” gig. This set of 5 cd’s from Montreux has some of the best blues guitar playing by anyone, anywhere at anytime. I’m often left shaking my head at end of one of Moore’s searing solos. The first cd is taken from 1990 the time when the Belfast native had just released his Still Got The Blues album.  Midnight Blues, the Otis Rush classic All Your Love and Cold Cold Feeling with guest Albert Collins are standouts. Disc 2 comes from 1995 and features a horn section on some tracks and 5 Peter Green songs. Green of course is probably Moore’s single biggest influence. Tracks like Long Grey Mare, Oh Pretty Women, and the slow blues of I Loved Another Women are simply killer. If that was not enough John Mayall’s Key To Love and Freddie King’s the Stumble blaze.

Disc 3 comes from 1997 and is a rock set. Literally only an handful of  blues, and 9 of the 11 tracks are Moore originals When I’m in a blues mood it I will skip this cd.  However I have to say it is by far the most interesting cd in the pack and I will play it from start to finish. Disc4 is back to the blues with blues standards from Elmore James, Jimmy Rogers, Otis Rush,  Wilie Dixon and even a rockin’ cover of Jimi Hendrix chestunt Fire and a dazzling take on Thin Lizzy’s  Parisienne Walkways written with Phil Lynott

Disc 5 comes from 2001 bookending Moore’s astounding journey at the world reknown festival. Check out his take on Stormy Monday,  and B.B. Kings’; You Upset Me Baby. Then again in his  own songs Too Tired and How Man Lies are rough and ready blues rock. FOR THE GARY MOORE FAN-THIS IS ESSENTIAL

david gilmour-john emms cd reviews live in gdansk

someone had asked for this archival..here it is..this was the cd not the dvd which is mindblowing..i tried to make it bigger..but could not

john e.

jeff healey- john emms cd reviews-mess of blues review//also see songs from the road review

JOHN MAYALL-john emms cd reviews-TOUGH-Mayall gets heavy

THIS IS  HEAVY AND INTELLIGENTLY PLAYED BLUES ROCK.

Yes it took me by surprise.  I was thinking  something more mellower and tradtional along the lines of Road Dogs 2005 or In the Palace of The King 2007

This is believe or not Mayall’s 57th album and at age 76 this cd proves  his talent  is firmly intact. 

There are band changes this time out for Mayall. In fact, Mayall’s  replacement for the supereb axe of Buddy Whittington is ROCKY ATHAS,  and out of the box on NOTHING TO DO WITH LOVE  Athas  searing and intelligent fret work steps into the breach with killer results. Athas then  continues this all the way through the entire cd.

Elsewhere on Playing with Love as on opening song  Mayall’s biting Little Walter-ish harp work is smack dab in the mix with new bassist Greg Rzab’s groove bass and new drummer Jay Davenport  Not to be outdone Mayall swings on An Eye for An Eye and goes drop d tuning on the tough love of How Far Down.

Elsewhere the glue that holds Mayall’s band remains the excellent playing of organ/piano man Tom Canning

Canning is in fine form throughout. Check out the effortless drive of That Good Old Rockin Blues or the funk of Just what Your Looking For

This is cd a wakeup call for you young guns and blues rockers. JOHN MAYALL remains vital and engaged

THE BEATLES john emms cd reviews/ REMASTERES/must have

From sonic sparkle to warm reverb touches to almost the same but louder THE BEATLES REMASTERED catologue is a mammoth undertaking. I received a 32 track Sampler, Rubber Soul, Beatles For Sale, Help and The White Album

But before I start on the SOUND. Let me tell you the Historcial Notes,  Recording Notes,  the Limited Edition Packaging, and Mini documentary videos for your PC OR MAC are PRIMO

THIS IS WORTH THE PRICE ALONE.killer photos, superb historical facts all in one paakage

The crisp sparkle of  NO REPLY that opens  Beatles For Sale is staggering. The vocal work wil blow you out of the room and that goes ditto for John Lennon’s incredible vocal to Chuck Berry’s Rock N Roll Music and Paul’s gorgeous I’ll Follow The Sun  On other songs like Ringo’ s vocal on Honey Don’t it is not as startling.

The White Album retains extra packaging on deluxe paper and also the same poster (but smaller) from the original vinyl. Again sound-wise results are good to mind blowing. Disc One standouts are Lennon’s Glass Onion, Happiness is a Warm Gun and a very warm vinyl to Martha My Dear and the stupendous Blackbird from Paul.

 On Disc 2 the bass work of McCartney on Birthday comes out thumping, Lennon’s vocal work on Sexy Sadie is more in your face, and ditto for George Harrison’s Savoy Truffle, while Ringo’s Good Night with Orchestra arrangemt from George Martin may be the best remastered thing I hear on the whole disc. WOW..

Rubber Soul and Help offer more of the same but make no mistake there is sonic upgrade. I did not receive Sgt Pepper’s or Magical Mystery Tour which I can only think will blow your mind. Every track is mastered from the original stereo anaolog master tapes