Kim Simmonds has a long history of rocking blues based music, with his band Savoy Brown, so anyone putting this CD in the player will most likely be suprised at the laid back acoustic songs presented here. Much like Clapton did his unplugged thing, Kim Simmonds has done a complete CD with minimal acoustic instrument backing. This CD certainly is perfect for those laid back times when you need something less that a full-on guitar assault. Vocally this CD reminds me of a cross between Tinsley Ellis and Bob Dylan/Tom Petty but way better vocal ability than Dylan. This is a very tasteful CD of acoustic songs. If this were a live performance at a local club, I think everyone would leave with a smile on their face. One of the marks of a great entertainer is that he can strip the songs down and sucessfully do them. On this point Kim Simmonds suceeds totally. Nine of the 12 songs on this CD were self penned by Kim Simmonds.
'Struck By Lightning'- The opening song discusses how awareness sometimes comes to you like being struck by lightning. It's a medium tempo song with a real folk feel to the rhythm backing.
'Last Train Has Gone'- This song has a real Dylan or Tom Petty feel to it both musically and vocally. As the liner notes state, this is a train song and has a beat that reminds me of the sound of the tracks.
'The Truth Comes'- This song opens with the trademark lick from Hendrix's Road House, and follows in a similar vein except in a slower acoustic blues format. The lyrics cover various perceptions of the truth and how it's manipulated by the press and popular opinion.
'Ain't No Free'- This song, originally done by the band NRBQ is comes across as a mixture of a shuffle and something Jimmy Buffet might play. It has a great flowing feel to it.
'Road Tramp Blues'- Another slow blues with a real Dylan feel to it vocally. This song dates back to the 1920's and has a real rootsy sound to it.
'So Glad Your Mine'- This is a Arthur Crudup song that has an early rock & roll feel to it that was covered by Elvis Presley in the 50's. I like this version better.
'My Home Is A Highway'- Another slow blues with the 12 bar classic format.
'Like An Angel'- This song has a great little funky feel to it, even tho it would clearly fall into the blues arena. The syncopated, almost jazzy guitar work is very good here.
'Don't Know Who To Talk To Anymore'- This song gets into the bluesy jazz arena, semi laid back and sounds like something from a smoky blues/jazz club. The acoustic piano backing providing small fills throughout the song really adds to that feel. The guitar solo clearly falls into that jazz feel also. This is a very cool song.
"Living In New York'- A medium tempo blues song, again based upon the standard 12 bar format.
"Talking Bout New Orleans'- This song jumps back to a Dylan feel again, using a similar style of "talking" lyrics.
'Struck By Lightning Reprise' - This is the original demo of the opening track. This song sounds like it could have been recorded in the 20's or 30's as it has that basic rootsy stripped down sound to it.
Bottom Line: I feel that you will like this CD more as you listen to it. If you insist on hot rod guitar on your music, then you might look elsewhere, however, you could listen to a lot of heavy guitar CD's that don't come up to the class of this one. I give it three out of five stars.
Kim Simmonds - Guitar & Vocals
Mark Nanni - Piano
Dennis Cotton - Drums & Percussion
Pat Desalvo - Acoustic Bass
Web sites: www.savoybrown.com
Management & Booking:
www.oztalent@aol.com
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