OH MY GOD!!!! ......................I was going to leave this review at that, as I'm not sure I could find adequate words to describe how much I enjoyed this amazing album.
Buck 69 have released a debut album full of soulful electric blues that grabs you by the scruff of the neck and just won't let go till the last note fades off. For a first album, this family led eight piece collective have so many talented members it just does not seem fair to other bands out there . The tight outfit is led by father Tom Clayson and guitarist son Alex who is joined by two other quality guitar playing talents, Buzz Anderson and guest John Sevilla, all three taking turns to give each track a fresh diverse feel.
The album opens , and I mean OPENS!!!, with the huge sound of 'T-Town', a Stevie Ray Vaughan feel rocker backed up by an amazing funked up rythmn section. This is electric blues played at it best and sets the rest of the album up to draw in the listener.
There are just so many highlights on this album that to pick one or two seams unfair but for a review I must. For me one of the best tracks is the deeply personal ballad 'Good Days Bad Days' about the singers own sibling loss, leaving the listener left emotionaly drained. The opening guitar weeping out to lay open the wounds of the subject material. Tom's vocals are at there best here, ladened with sadness but filled hope.
There are also some great light hearted songs like 'Sex Drugs Ur Mom and Me' a rockin' emotional manage a trio, with some great vocals reminding me of Robert Cray at his very best. Slim Harpo's wonderful 'I'm a King Bee' rocks for a magnificent 7.35mins draining both the listener and guitars with the shear power of the playing. 'No Time For Love' is another fantastics boogie down rocker, all about human need for materialism and alientation
Buck 69 are as talented a bunch of musicians working together any where and they have produced an awesome CD. There are so many good pionts running through this albums, from the soaring guitar work , the honey soaked vocals, the funky keyboards by B.J. Love even the arrangement of the CD itself works great, as the sequence of the songs runs great with no fillers just great great blues.
I must also mention the fantastic cover photo, like the cover for a cheap and sleazy pulp fiction novel. If I had to see this CD sitting on the racks of my local store I would have bought it just for that , how shallow does that make me. The genius responsible for the cover art is a guy called "Richie Fahey' check out his web page, for some great images.
If after reading this and you have the great fortune to be close to where these guys are playing, get down, buy the CD and take in what I think would be a mind blowing live experience.
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