Robin Sylar – Tricked Out (Topcat Records).

This is a 2004 release from Topcat but deserves current look. Vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Sylar opens with You’re Gonna Miss Me, a frenetic blues-based alternative rocker. This highlights his excellent guitar playing and his great experience shines through as the song comes to a cacophonic finish. He has played with some of the best in the business including Stevie Ray Vaughan, Doyle Bramhall, Big Joe Turner and Eddie ‘Cleanhead’ Vincent and was also a member of Canned Heat in the late 70s. Shaking All Over is the old Johnny Kidd classic and Robin rocks this up big time. This is music with attitude and a real echo-fest. Another classic song follows, this time in the form of Iko Iko. Apart from the phased vocal and a strange film dialogue at the end this is just a standard version of an oft recorded track. Hollywood Millionaire leans towards Country with some blues influences but allows Sylar to show his expertise on guitar. If anything, this is just a little too fluid, deconstructed, in parts. The Jagger/Richards song Heart Of Stone is classic 60s R&B with machine gun guitar and Little Walter’s Pretty Girls is given a rocking treatment with standout stinging guitar. Sylar throws in some Texas blues on Short Time but the spoken lyric, whilst ok, doesn’t really do the song any favours.

Back To Iuka is a storming blues with superb guitar again from Sylar and the vocal is the best on offer. This is the big standout of the album with a top performance from all of the musicians. Sylar doesn’t write too many songs on this album, in fact, Surf Puppy is the only original. This sounds like the theme tune to some dodgy 60s TV show but it is an interesting experiment in different sounds and colours – good fun. Willie Dixon’s Can’t Judge A Book is turned into a funky blues and is very organic, as much of Robin’s work is. One thing can’t be hidden is that Robin Sylar certainly enjoys his music and his enthusiasm is infectious. Pulp Fiction sounds abound on Misirlou and this is a great version with Sylar’s guitar the star. The great tracks keep on coming with Sugar Bee and when he sticks to the normal routes he is as good as anyone. His prowess on the harmonica shines through on this and you’ll feel like getting up to dance. The well known and oft covered Hand Jive is given a fair play and is no better or worse than many of the other versions that I’ve heard. I recently reviewed Tom Principato’s version of Wine Spo-Dee-Odee and Sylars great rocking version is another good attempt. A fast version of a good time song. Sylar finishes with a classic 60s guitar instrumental, Pipeline. This is an excellent version with various tones and speeds building up the song throughout.

Robin Sylar is on the unconventional side of the fence but it’s always good to have a trip over there every now and then.

http://www.topcatrecords.com/

David Blue.