Nick Moss and The Flip Tops "Live At Chans" is a happening new CD . I gotta tell ya out of the shoot it is a smoker. Kinda like that guitar aint gonna stop, just keeps drawing ya back in for more. I could listen to this stuff all the time. Holy freakin Moley that Nick Moss can play guitar. Reminds me of a Thursday evening at the front porch stage a few years ago at the Chicago Blues Fest when I first heard these guys. They are Awesome.
"Eggroll Stroll" kicks off this bad boy in front of a live audience at Chan's. They started off their first live CD with a song they made up on the spot. How cool is that, to start off their first live CD ? "Check My Pulse" showcases the fantastic keyboards of Keyboard Willie. That man must have a lot of property because he owns every one of those keys. This song is also on Sadie Mae
One of Nick Moss's hero's is Freddy King, well I've heard some Freddy King guitar and oh my gosh, Nick Moss lives right up to toe the line. It's unbelievable. "Love The Woman", a King song, is just something else all together, the guitar was outstanding and just makes me want to shout. The whole dad gum album bleeds Chicago Blues, but they recorded it in Woonsocket, Rhode Island.
Woonsocket, Rhode Island? They put some of the best Americana Blues in its smallest State. What were they thinking; with this type of sound they could have blown Rhode Island into international waters. I just wanna scream out listening to this band. "Hellena Yeah !"
What falls in between is raw, indescribable by words, Chicago Blues at it's current centaury best !
#8 "It's Good in your Neighborhood" and # 9 "The End" are very groovy tunes, they have the Memphis sound of Booker T and The MG's. Nice touch guys and some wa wa's to get ya movin and swayin'. Yousa Yousa ! This is out of this world stuff , I can't believe my freakin ears. Danger, don't listen to this while you are driving, speeding hazards and other things that, unless on open road, are not conducive to driving and acting sanely.
Big Band, Swing and dancing follows with "Win-O-Baby Boogie". A real nice follow up to the previous song. Nick Moss says , in the liner notes, that most of the musicians are multi instrumental. He also says , to paraphrase, "rather than have a routine play list for the night, he'd rather rely on his knowledge of his band mates and the love of the music." That in itself should tell you to buy any CD you can get your hands on by these guys.
The last song, "Move Over , Morris", is an original inspired by Magic Slim, it's a great way to end a set, CD or Album. It's another instrumental like the first one was. It simply says, Thank You and good night with lots of style. There is a Clearance Gatemouth Brown touch to the feel of the end of this release.
Live At Chan's is wrapped very nicely with song selection, placement and energy that will leave you like a Jelly Donut . "It's arrival brings you pleasure and it's departure only leaves you wanting for more". You must get your paws on this one, but don't take mine because I'm looking forward to many hours of listening to this.
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