The “Hurricane” part of Roger’s moniker undoubtedly refers to his blistering guitar playing. A superb guitarist with a wealth of styles in his locker Roger “Hurricane” Wilson is undoubtedly one of the hot shot players from the South. That said as “The Ohio” Connection readily makes apparent Roger is the kind of player who enjoys nothing more than building up a head of steam before sending out a volley of notes of such velocity that you would be hard pressed to remember what went before.
Listen for example to his two brief solo excursions on the shuffle led “Done Somebody Wrong” to hear how subtly he can slip from a mid paced groove to some real rock urgency.
I also have to declare an interest here, having promoted 6 or so “Hurricane” dates in the UK in the past. Having seen first hand just how explosive a player he can be, I can overlook the laid back feel of many of the songs here such as “Blinded By Your Smile”, knowing that at any moment Roger will up the stakes and take you on a monumental guitar solo. And therein lies a small problem, as Roger’s natural vocal timbre is in the low register and his material reflects that.
There are some tasty moments though, from the countryish “My Baby’s Coming Home Today”, complete with a derivative glissando opening. It’s a typical “Hurricane” piece, juxtaposing a laid back intro with a fine solo. Yet when the attack is duly delivered, it is country picking of the highest order, showing the full breadth of his fine playing ability. The following funky “Go Away” reverts to the big toned solo, underpinned by some angular rhythms.
In short “The Ohio Connection” although short of quality sings, will still appeal to guitar heads and Rock Blues fans alike, and confirms what we already know that Roger is a great player, revered by both the great Les Paul and bar room fans alike. On the closing cover of Dylan’s “All Along The Watchtower”, he nails his mast to the Hendrix legacy with his big toned guitar triumphing over a slightly uninspiring vocal and ponderous rhythm track. It’s a kind of little victory against the odds that acts as a suitable metaphor for the album as a whole.
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