Rob Orlemans & Half Past Midnight, are certainly a real eye-opener of true rock/blues talent, in it's purest, most enjoyable form! Rob and his awesome band hail from The Netherlands, which is to me a mind-boggling and highly musical bit of bluesy reality. Rob's vocals and hearty guitar energy remind me vividly of a young Rory Gallagher, from his mid-1970s best!
The moment this monumentally live CD hit my player, I knew it was something special. (I felt it when I ordered it too, to review!) The energy contained here in this live performance of Rob and his fine band, Half Past Midnight, is only equaled by the unrestrained, ecstatic (and well-deserved) applause from Rob's adoring fans! What better locale to record a live blues album in, than in the blues hub of the world, Chicago, Illinois? No better place anywhere … and a band that can do that illustrious, and iconic piece of Illinois real estate true blue(sy) justice!
This truly excellent live CD, starts with a short but fiery guitar solo by Rob, on the classic "Going Down"; (I remember Jeff Beck doing the same, decades ago), followed by his scorching guitar rhythms and raunchy, raw vocals. Drummer Yuri Yeryomin's talent on the skins, must make many rock drummers envious when they hear Half Past Midnight live or on CD! Piet Tromp's wild 'n heavy bass lines add the appropriate body to the band, that helps it soar to the astounding heights it reaches. Refreshing and reassuring in these says of Hip Hop, 'samples', etc.
"Give That Thang (Straight Back) To Me" has everything in it that'll for sure raise the dead … even if they're not dead yet! Sweet guitar leads and rousing percussion makes this one a must at any party! The party mood continues with "Indian Machine". This is one of the rockinest dance tunes around. Rob's guitar riffs create the feel of 'machine rock' -- much the same as was done to perfection decades earlier, by rock gods, "Deep Purple"! Rob's 'at-his-wit's-end-to-be-heard' vocals, speak loudly of the power that rock has, to invigorate and restore one's higher realm of consciousness, in this weird and wonderful world we live in.
Jake Dawson is the special guest on guitar and vocals, on "Got My Mojo Working". Ya just gotta have this one on your set list, if you're playin' live in Chicago … and these guys truly are live, without a doubt! Rob's lead guitar riffs echo his approval of Jake sitting in on this one! Yuri's melodic drumming shows his wildly percussive side here! Everyone in the band seems to get a lot of fun outta "Mojo"! I envision iconic Muddy Waters groovin' along with Rob et al, with his own 'mojo magic' … and maybe Sonny Boy ll, too … snappin' his fingers to Rob's groove, (and of course playin' his immortal harp riffs along with 'em!)
"How Blue Can You Get" is class 'A' slow blues all the way, with Chicago's own Tommy McCracken singing some of the best classic blues around. Tommy wails of "being downhearted … ever since the day we met", with true soul and conviction in every word radiating from his born-with-the-best vocal chords! When his words sing out "I love you - I love you" they echo the extreme pleasure it is to hear such fine singing like his! The only regret I have is that I wish I saw McCracken sing it live! I must say that Rob's lead guitar riffs on "How Blue…", and Piet's bass lines, are some of the best I've ever heard -- and I've heard a lot!
"The Devil Told Me", has some very SRV overtones to it's feel, in Rob's exquisite guitar work. He's well supported by Yuri on drums and Piet's pumpin' bass lines … 'devilish'!!! "Strange Things" starts with Yuri's drum solo - then goes into a very Bo Diddley-like rhythmic guitar beat. Rob's vocals are raw and 'strangely' piercing, with lyrics like "Frankenstein … the Vampire's comin'"! Another drum solo by Yuri seems to captivate the crowd's interest again.
"Buzzin' King Bee" ("buzzin' around your hive") evokes the sensuality of the blues in Rob's emphatic vocals and guitar leads -- along with echoes of approval from Yuri's skins technique, and Piet's heavy duty bass lines. There's some real rockin' blues 'insanity' on "The Harley Song". Rob and the boys cry out "We Love Our Harley", with conviction - Rob's leads on "Harley .." are power rock at it's best!
"Mean Green" is a medium tempo blues excursion. One of those meditative 'higher realm' winners, that speaks from the true soul of the blues! A tune like this either makes or breaks a blues musician - in this case Rob's vocals soar with sorrow, as does his guitar work, and the supreme talents of the others in Half Past Midnight! Rob's leads are so definitive they can bring tears to the eyes, if extreme control is not exercised! 'Brother John' Kattke's Hammond B3 solo sneaks in with added tears of emotional joy due to his talent on the ivories. Mean and sorrowful blues, this is - Rob is in firm control with his other-worldly leads … take it away Rob!!!! Orlemans ends this one, letting us know "everyone's lookin' for that 'mean green'" (except him)!!!
Some special guests join Rob and the boys on the encore to this incredible blues performance. The totally appropriate and respectful (to its composer, Willie Dixon) "Hootchie Coochie Man" takes control - Rob screams musically out to the audience that "the whole world's gonna know what it's all about … well I'm here … everybody knows I'm here - I'm the Hootchie Cootchie Man". McCracken joins in again, singing "I'm gonna make love to ya baby", complemented by the pulsating exactness of Piet's bass inventiveness and Yuri's percussive genius! Jake and Rob both channel some hard-to-believe guitar licks through their bluesy souls, that leave us in need of no more than the perfection heard here from them. Rob's a great host to the band, as well as to his legion of die-hard blues fans. He went out of his way to introduce the members of his awesome band a few times during this definitive, high-energy blues/rock concert. Rob Orlemans & Half Past Midnight truly are in a super-rock/blues class of their own, that should be seen and enjoyed truly live! But until then, we can all enjoy and revel in rock/blues at it's awesomely definitive best, here in 'Rob Orlemans & Half Past Midnight: Live In Chicago'!!!!! You can't go wrong with a CD this live and this good!!!!!!
** I want to express a special thanks to Rob and his lovely wife Rosie, for supplying me with a replacement CD (all the way from The Netherlands), when my original copy got stolen along with my bike, across the street from Toronto's landmark El Mocambo blues club. You both are the best - as is this very fine and very live in Chicago CD!!!
Artist: Rob Orlemans & Half Past Midnight
Label: Savage Records # SA-200214
Website: http://www.savagemusic.com/
Email: info@halfpastmidnight.nl
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