CD Review
Paul Mayasich with Benderheads
Times Is Hard
(No record label No cat #)
by Gordon Baxter
Review date: November 2005
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Paul Mayasich's musical career really began when he moved to the Twin Cities, back in 1987. As well as being an integral part of Big John Dickerson's Blue Chamber over the years, Mayasich has also had several other projects on the go, including recording with Benderheads. Their latest album, "Times Is Hard," picks up where its predecessor "Where You Been" left off.
Anyone unfamiliar with Mayasich's work will soon find out where he's coming from on the opening track, "Mainline." It starts out with some great heavy electric slide, matched with gritty vocals, and slowly fleshes out as the rest of the band sneak in. Scott Miller does a fine job on barrelhouse-style piano on a raucous number that will grab your attention. It is followed by the first of three covers,
"Bottle Up and Go" (unusually attributed here to Lightning Hopkins) where the band's sound is somewhat akin to the classic British R&B bands like Dr Feelgood in the Wilko Johnson era.
The moody and atmospheric "Be An Angel," sees Mayasich's guitar work sounding a bit like Ry Cooder, who wrote the next track "Down in Hollywood," which the band successfully deliver in a Meters style fashion. Although there is a southern feel underpinning much of the album (mostly N'Awleans), there is plenty of variation thrown into the mix to keep things interesting. Whilst thing get a little harder on "Roll With The Punches," it stands in stark contrast to the closing tracks. The first is an excellent reading of Blind Alfred Reed's "How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?" Again, there are shades of Ry Cooder and even Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac in their heyday. Mayasich's vocals are truly sublime on this one, and Miller does a fine job on piano. This is all followed by the closing opus that is "Troubled Blues," a 10 minute deep blues that never outstays its welcome, and rounds things off in style.
"Times Is Hard" is a very good album that rewards repeated plays. There is a lot of subtlety to the album that is not immediately apparent on first play. Mayasich is a first rate guitarist, and the Benderheads (Scott Miller on piano, Jeff Rogers on drums and John Wright on bass) offer excellent support throughout. If you like a southern (Louisiana, and especially N'Awleans) flavor to your blues, then "Times Is Hard" fits the bill nicely. Well worth investigating.
www.benderheads.com
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Copyright © 2004 Ray M. Stiles & Blues On Stage All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author. Blues On Stage is a ® Trademark of Ray Stiles.
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