Song of the week - Black Pumas - (Sittin’ On) the Dock of the Bay (Otis Redding Cover)

Song of the week

 

 Black Pumas - (Sittin’ On) the Dock of the Bay (Otis Redding Cover)

he Deluxe Edition of the self titled Black Pumas debut album includes 11 bonus tracks (3 brand new songs, 4 covers, and 4 live recordings) and is available now in 2xLP, 2xCD and digital formats: http://smarturl.it/BPDeluxe 

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Smith/Kotzen- "Better days"

 

 

An ep in less than a year from the first full work, product of collaboration between Adrian Smith (IRON MAIDEN) and Richie Kotzen (WINERY DOGS). Does the ep has any value? Any reason to exist? For many reasons it has. The first contains four previously unreleased tracks, the heavier of them "Rise" with the participation of Mike Portnoy and a positive lyrical message regarding the Covid 19 situation worldwide (Thank God and science for the vaccine). The opener "Better days" has the Shrapnel/Mike Varney guitar dwelling we used to love in the Cacophony days,with the soulful vocals of Kotzen soften the final result and Smith giving his own tone at the backing vocals. A metal /soul track that grabs you by the throat and demand your ultimate attention.

 

 

“Got A Hold On Me”has the 70s smoking feeling all around from the opening guitar riff that could be in any MOUNTAIN, AEROSMITH, BLACK BETTY album or even pre 1984 WHITESNAKE. The neo classical bridge solo, just shows the versatility of both guitarists as players and composers.. Magnificent collaboration with great guitar pyrotechnics.“Hate And Love”is a more metallic, still groovy exercise with the great soul overtones by Kotzen's voice. An ep worth its value and existence , as it stretches the collaboration of these two great artists, conquering new heights.

7,5

 

Bernie Marsden- Chess

 

Mr Marsden continues his tribute to his musical influences covering songs from the Chess archives/αρτιστσ. Chess is the second album in Marsden’s “Inspiration Series,” . Chess sees Marsden offer two original compositions and 10 classics that were originally released on Chess Records by artists such as Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, Howlin’ Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson, Muddy Waters, and Elmore James.Raw, rocking, bluesy rock n roll with honky tonk overtones and his band tighter than Jenifer Lopez jeans and the result is an album to blow your speakers .From the opener "Just your fool" where harmonica steals the show to the laid back , Chess spirit is here with Marrsden on fire both in his playing as in his singing."Back in the USA" is a storming rock n roll tune ready to set the joint on fire and will make the original artist Chuck Berry smile up in the rock n roll heaven. More to the beat at Little Milton's “Grits Ain’t Groceries,”he lets the rhythm overflow and get the mojo working with the Hammond taking over.On Muddy Waters "I'm ready" he shows to each and everyone of us, that his ready for everything and he has the guts to prove it, in the laid back,steady blues track,where harmonica, once again gives the rhythm, before he takes the ead and bring the perfection through a few, but crucial and vital notes, on the pentatonic scale.

 

 

Another lively cover cones in "You can't judge a book" by Bo Diddley,where Marsden keep the rhythm alive and well. On 'I can't hold on' by Elmore James he just let the twelve bars get all over the place.Albert King’s “Won’t Be Hanging Around.” lets Bernie slow the engines and let the emotion step upfront and he does it in a true bluesy tradition with some excellent finger picking. "Fattening frogs for snakes" by Sonny Boy Williamson set the fret board on fire, in every possible way. Jimmy Rodgers 'That's alright" keeps the laid back, steady blues thrill, Marsden so colorful revives with this interpretations of these blues standards."Who s been talking" by Howling Wolf has the thrilling passion of BB King and Santana, the Latin feeling that makes the blues so attractive, in the Marsden version. The album’s two originals are “Lester,” a short, twelve bar , ballroom boogie and “Johnny,” a  groovier instrumental where Marsden's guitar steals the show with the phrases he spits to the astonished listener, a blues catalyst to release the good vibes of the blues.

 

8

"ELDOVAR: A Story of Darkness & Light" by Elder/Kadavar

 

"ELDOVAR: A Story of Darkness & Light" by Elder/Kadavar-

 

One of the most interesting side products of the Covid 19 quarantine was collaborations that fleurish out of nowhere. Stack in Berlin and meeting in studio,  members from US progers ELDER (Nicholas DiSalvo,  Michael Risberg and Georg Edert).and Berlins own children KADAVAR decided to collaborate and the result is a project equally extraordinary with what happened to the Western World these past two years. Imagine Ozzy period BLACK SABBATH meeting Danny Elfrman and HAWKWIND in a jam/trip over PORTISHEAD turns to understand the sonic equivalent of the project. Long duration songs that start mesmerizing build over a guitar riff and atmospheric sounds where vocals come in addition to the whole song and not as lead as we are used to. 

 

 

A tripy, doomy, gloomy, spacey depending on the song result ,claustrophobic, full of abandonment or gray shades as it was most of our life when the idea of a vaccine and a therapy was months away. ELDOVAR created a post rock/metal album where melody meets melancholy and metal meets atmospheric post rock , all in favor of art and self expression. Turn off the lights, light some candles and let the music warp you, thinking about the dark days ,till the morning sun releases you from the agony. A deeply esoteric album that demands listeners attention and pays back with vast emotions. An album to listen and think , an introspective album for modern rock lovers, without barriers where atmospheric post rock and stoner cross the barriers and create a new form of music self expression.

7

Deep Purple - "Turning to crime"

 

Finally the time has come, or Covid 19 made it happen for DEEP PURPLE  to release a covers album. The band from their early days never was afraid of covering songs from other artists . "Hush" their first hit was a cover version by Joe South, but Covid 19 and touring abstinence gave them the time to go through the catalogue of influences and pick some not so obvious choice to interpret them. Well musically nobody could have the slightest doubt that 2021 DEEP PURPLE wouldn't make it. Steve Morse and Don Airey are in great shape and help the utmost as most of the songs are from the 50s, 60s. For the same reason Ian Gillan doesn't have to stretch his voice. On the contrary he looks like he enjoys the band choices to cover, as rock n roll is all around, one of his favorite genres (Gillan and the Javelins). As for the rhythms section they are steadier than Gibraltar rock and have a groove that suits more to men with one third of their age, working like a Swiss clock with African heartbeat. 

 

 

 

Now regarding the songs they pick to cover ,  Huey "Piano" Smith's "Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu, Little Feat "Dixie Chicken," Louis Jordan's  "Let the Good Times Roll,"  Bob Dylan  "Watching the River Flow" ,Jimmy Driftwood's "The Battle of New Orleans" are among the not so expected ones to cover, although Ian Gillan loves 50s music, Dylan would be a hard guess. Love's "7 and 7 Is" , `` Yardbird's "Shapes of Things,"Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels' "Jenny Take a Ride!", and CREAM's "White Room" are more obvious choices. It is the closing "Caught in the Act," where parts of of five '60s favorites - JJeff Beck Group"Going Down," Booker T. & the MG's' "Green Onions," Allman Brothers "Hot 'Lanta," Led Zeppelins "Dazed and Confused" and  Spencer Davis Group's "Gimme Some Lovin'" -in a big, smokey, organ driven, guitar loaded mostly instrumental present the powerhouse that DEEP PURPLE of today are and makes a tour de force among the survivors of their generation. 

 A covers album maybe, a one to be proud of.

 

 

7,5

 

 

Cody Jinks-"Mercy"

 

 

Country rock or Rocking country, or even better countryified Americana, terms that have nothing to do with Cody Jinks and his new work. An artist who is loyal to his country roots and his rocking spirit and uses both genres as a good gunslinger both his hands to make the best out of his guns. An artist independent in music and personal approach, who writes music and communicates it to his fans, avoiding publicists and  major record companies, is the exemption of all the rules in our days. Emotional, full of power, swagger and also melancholy and love he lets the music do the talking. When someone releases a song like 'Hurt you" in these years of political correct fascism and the AntiFa movement castrating civil rights, you know America and the world still have a chance to breathe and speak freely. An in your face song about all those who betrayed us and want to live and walk the same earth with no consequences. My favorite song of the year . 

 

 

 

On other news, Cody Jinks finds another chance to talk about the common denominator to most rock and country albums, whiskey at "When whiskey call the shots",  heartbroken, abandonment at "Feeding The Flames.” with a twist from CREAM,  country radio soft spot “I Don’t Trust My Memories Anymore” and frustration at “Nobody Knows How to Read,”“Shoulders,” and  “Dying Isn’t Cheap" . From heartbreaking country songs to more middle of the road rockers, Cody use his best tool, his voice through simple chords and orchestrations to take us to a journey deep the badlands of loneliness and isolation ,through the mountains of human harness to the rainbow at the end of the wasted days, colored by whiskey and true friendship and love. An album for those who like their music country enough with a rocking edge, music from the heart and well structured to keep the listener singing all along in his pick up truck.

7

 The Damn Truth- "This is who we are now"

 

Canada's new big hope in retro/traditional ,70s influenced hard rock comes on our turntables with "This is who we are now". The Damn Truth are Lee-la Baum (lead vocals/guitar), Tom Shemer (Lead guitars), PY Letellier (Bass0, Dave Traina (Drums). Their new album,their third, is  full of anthemic ,guitar driven hard rock in the vein of BAD COMPANY, PAT TRAVERS, LED ZEPPELIN, early HEART with the magnificent vocals of Lee- La Baum taking the lead and the harmonies where all the other members participate upgrading the final result. A touch of Anastasia meets Grace Slick gives a deep, soulful voice who commands in favor of the music and the songs ,letting the vocal extremities skip the landscape. "Tomorrow" could be easily on any Van Halen -Hagar period album as also at any Thunder album and been among the standing out ones.Powerful she helps the whole imagery come to reality. 

 

 

 

A bit psychedelic "Lonely", a bit rocking "The fire", a bit out of this world, melancholic and sensitive "Everything fades', the Zep-esque "Shot em" with its epic overtones, a song that could be at IV easily, they create muscular songs for those who like their rock unpretentious and sweaty,yet sensitive enough and most and above all trippy. Hippies in their heart, they finished the album during the pandemic and although six songs were produced by Bob Rock , the rest had to be finalized with another producer. Still the album is full of youthful enthusiasm and optimism like "Only love'. They love music, they love the world and all this comes out in every note, in every world. Embrace their music and love will conquer you.

7,5