Hello,
Welcome to this weeks main post, I'm going to be reviewing blues band Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band and their latest album "Goin' Home" that came out this April. This album delves deep into Kenny's inspirations as he re-creates some of his favourite songs by his heroes. The album features original songs from the likes of BB King, Bo Diddley, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Lee Dorsey.
The album starts off with a track called "Palace Of The King". An upbeat Freddie King number to get the record off to a positive and exciting start. Keeping in the style of Freddie King the guitar tones are noticeably similar in this record to how Freddie played. The horns are a great edition to the track and this whole recording sounds very full.
After that is a classic sounding Walter Jacobs (Little Walter) track that goes by the name of "Everything's Gonna Be Alright". Its got that real blues drive and shuffle that the genre is so famous for, it never gets old. This is the first track we really get a flavour for Kenny's guitar solo's and its certainly one to really get your ears listening. His tone makes it sound like a vintage guitar, but is recorded with the clear quality we have today. Kenny's voice suits this song perfectly.
Moving onto a Willie Dixon number called "I Love The Life I Live", again that real nice blues shuffle, but with a real blast from the harmonica. The tone from that harmonica has a real delta blues background to it, it sounds like its a recording from the 40's. I personally love a harmonica that sounds as bluesy as this, its one of my favourite instruments when played in this way. Though I found it a shame the harmonica wasn't used in the previous song being a Little Walter number. Though I can't complain too much with some classic blues shuffle done very well.
The track "The House Is Rockin'" is a fast-paced Stevie Ray Vaughan song with a lot going on in the complexity of the blues straight groove. A neat little number that is certain to get anyone up and dancing to at a live show with a nice little ending too. "Breaking Up Somebody's Home" demonstrates more of the groovy side to the Shepherd band and really getting the chance to hear the power Kenny puts into his voice. At times it overwhelmed me with the raw power he puts in, likewise with how Albert King does the same with his songs, a great cover.
To me, when "You Done Lost Your Good Thing Now" starts, you just know its a BB King track. It has that essence about it, that feel and the guitar solo at the start that Kenny nails. This is one of the stand out tracks on the album, the guitar licks are done to perfection and has one of the best piano solo's I've heard for a very long time. Throughout the first few verses you can hear the piano in the background with a few licks that are noticeable, but that solo...damn. As well as Kenny's impressive solo, this is the perfect homage one of the great blues legends.
"You Can't Judge A Book By The Cover" goes into more of the country/blues scene with a great Willie Dixon cover that again will certainly get your head boppin' and your feet tapping. I've found that each song on this album doesn't sound the same as the last song. This album proves that blues can be a very creative genre, a lot of people speculate blues to be just a 1,4,5 chordal system with a shuffle. Each song has been different in its own right which is great to hear and keeps the listener entertained with Kenny's impressive blues band.
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| Photo Credit: Mark Seliger (All Photos) |
"Looking Back" is as cool as you can get with a cover. A really nice simple blues structured song with a lot going on in the song, but with a great guitar solo's. Kenny's tone for his guitar solo's make them sound authentic, nobody else can get the sound he is getting from those guitars. His solo's are note for note perfect with each note clean as a whistle for the listener to hear.
"Born Under a Bad Sign" was another personal favourite because its one I play in my own blues/cover band 'The Delta Sons'. Singing away and I was really trying to see what Kenny had done with the song that was different from the original. The one thing I noticed is Kenny's laid back approach on how to sing the lyrics. He presents the lyrics how someone like BB King would, coming into the lyrics at any point, but still finishing off at the same point. Singing some words longer than others and really belting some notes out.
Kenny's reason for creating this album was to pay homage to some of the artists he grew up with and whom inspired him to start playing guitar. He and his band have done this and more. They have recorded some excellent covers, some of which really show off what those legends were about. Taking their presence in songs and re-creating them in the song, but in Kenny's own way. Some with grunge, shuffled blues or a simple 4/4 groove, each song has its own identity and can give a listener a real understanding of how diverse blues actually is.
"Goin' Home" by Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band is out now and I advise you all to have a listen if you want to get into blues. These are all classic tracks from legendary blues artists and its a great album to really understand what blues is all about.
If you enjoy Kenny's album then he has just announced a April 215 tour too. These are the dates:
Salisbury City Hall
Holmfirth Picturedrome
Glasgow O2 ABC
Aberdeen Lemon Tree
London O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire Wednesday April 15th
Thank you very much for reading and until next time.
Lewis
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