One of the earliest of British blues bands, Savoy Brown helped launch Great Britain’s blues-rock movement that paved the way for such acts as Led Zeppelin.
The band recorded their first singles for Mike Vernon’s Purdah label in 1966 and quickly followed up with the landmark album "Shakedown." Singer Chris Youlden joined the band in 1968 and many classic records appeared with songs such as "I'm Tired" and "Louisiana Blues" becoming radio staples. Blues-rock and boogie music always was the band’s calling card and they captured, forever, the spirit of the music on the live side of 1969’s "A Step Further" with a twenty minute boogie "The Savoy Brown Boogie" dedicated to fans in Detroit.
By 1971, Youlden had departed on a solo career and band members Dave Peverett, Roger Earle and Tony Stevens had left to form their own group Foghat. Simmonds rebuilt the band using former members of the blues band Chicken Shack and vocalist Dave Walker. After the successful run of the early to mid-1970s Simmonds moved operations to the America and continued making the kind of records he wanted to make with a succession of lineups.
Now, in the year 2000, the band line-up includes singer/bassist Nathaniel Peterson, and is led as always by Simmonds. Joining this group on "The Blues Keep Me Hanging On" is guitarist Duke Robillard, harmonica slinger Paul Oscher, bassist Leo Lyons and drummer Roger Earl.
Every track works well here and the latest from Simmonds and Savoy Brown travels smoothly into the new millennium.
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This review is copyright © 2000 by Matt Alcott, and Blues On Stage, all rights reserved.
