Hadden Sayers – Hard Dollar (Blue Corn Music).
Once described as Houston’s best all-around rock guitarist, Hadden Sayers has had more than the average number of troubles to overcome throughout his musical career. In 2004, he was feted by record labels but bad deals followed, along with other mishaps, and he found himself out on his own. It took a final turning of his back on music and a subsequent meeting with a retired stonemason who turned up to help on a project to rebuild an old fishing shack to get him back on track. He’s now signed with Blue Corn Music and his debut opens with the good old Texas Country Rock of Take Me Back To Texas. The sleeve notes say he was thinking of Freddie King, Joe Ely and Asleep At The Wheel but mainly about home. He keeps the Texas Country Blues but slows it down for All I Want Is You. His drawl fits in perfectly although it does make it a little derivative of the style. Stabbing guitar compliments well. Back To The Blues highlights that Sayers does not have a classic Blues voice; that lies firmly in the Country genre. However, Ruthie Foster guests and turns it into a sophisticated, glitzy Blues and there is some fine guitar playing in there too. The intriguingly named InsideOutBoogie is a straightforward Country Boogie, nothing new but has the band on good form. The offbeat Lap Of Luxury follows and has an overall Blues feel to it, much like T-Bone Walker. It lumbers along effortlessly and the seamless guitar adds a touch of fluidity. I knew that we’d get a song about a car, now all we need is one about trains or prison and we’re set. Seriously, this laconic Country tune is not out of place on the album.
Sweet Texas Girls is a slick modern Country song that will challenge those who say that they don’t like Country music and make them sit up and listen. Sayers’ drawl is evident on Crush On You, an old time Country offering with a Willie Dixon Blues bass line, which is delivered in a contemporary way. If Country and Blues could get funky then it would sound like Ain’t Comin’ ‘Round No More and some of the best guitar work, with thoughts of Hubert Sumlin, on offer makes for a bit of a highlight. Hippie Getaway brings us back to Sayers’ forte, Country Blues, and this slick one is replete with punchy guitar and a fitting tribute to Lightnin’ Hopkins. He remains in the genre for the mid-paced Burnin’ Up. He strolls his way through this one with occasional fills from guitar and harmonica along with a few Howlin’ Wolf ‘hey, hey’s’ thrown in for good measure. The penultimate track, Room 155, is a slow Blues and shows that there may well be a Blues voice in there after all. This gritty epic, written to honour Sean Costello, is over 7 minutes long but time goes by very easily with scything guitar and everything going deliberately discordant at times. He closes with MoneyShot, which almost ventures into the Jazz Blues arena and he may leave himself open to accusations of trying to put too many genres on one album. Having said that, the classic Hammond organ/guitar combo, played exquisitely, makes for an excellent instrumental finish. See if you can pick out three keyboards players here.
Is there a place in the highly competitive world of modern Country/Americana music for Hadden Sayers? I think there might just be.
http://www.haddensayers.com/
David Blue.
Once described as Houston’s best all-around rock guitarist, Hadden Sayers has had more than the average number of troubles to overcome throughout his musical career. In 2004, he was feted by record labels but bad deals followed, along with other mishaps, and he found himself out on his own. It took a final turning of his back on music and a subsequent meeting with a retired stonemason who turned up to help on a project to rebuild an old fishing shack to get him back on track. He’s now signed with Blue Corn Music and his debut opens with the good old Texas Country Rock of Take Me Back To Texas. The sleeve notes say he was thinking of Freddie King, Joe Ely and Asleep At The Wheel but mainly about home. He keeps the Texas Country Blues but slows it down for All I Want Is You. His drawl fits in perfectly although it does make it a little derivative of the style. Stabbing guitar compliments well. Back To The Blues highlights that Sayers does not have a classic Blues voice; that lies firmly in the Country genre. However, Ruthie Foster guests and turns it into a sophisticated, glitzy Blues and there is some fine guitar playing in there too. The intriguingly named InsideOutBoogie is a straightforward Country Boogie, nothing new but has the band on good form. The offbeat Lap Of Luxury follows and has an overall Blues feel to it, much like T-Bone Walker. It lumbers along effortlessly and the seamless guitar adds a touch of fluidity. I knew that we’d get a song about a car, now all we need is one about trains or prison and we’re set. Seriously, this laconic Country tune is not out of place on the album.
Sweet Texas Girls is a slick modern Country song that will challenge those who say that they don’t like Country music and make them sit up and listen. Sayers’ drawl is evident on Crush On You, an old time Country offering with a Willie Dixon Blues bass line, which is delivered in a contemporary way. If Country and Blues could get funky then it would sound like Ain’t Comin’ ‘Round No More and some of the best guitar work, with thoughts of Hubert Sumlin, on offer makes for a bit of a highlight. Hippie Getaway brings us back to Sayers’ forte, Country Blues, and this slick one is replete with punchy guitar and a fitting tribute to Lightnin’ Hopkins. He remains in the genre for the mid-paced Burnin’ Up. He strolls his way through this one with occasional fills from guitar and harmonica along with a few Howlin’ Wolf ‘hey, hey’s’ thrown in for good measure. The penultimate track, Room 155, is a slow Blues and shows that there may well be a Blues voice in there after all. This gritty epic, written to honour Sean Costello, is over 7 minutes long but time goes by very easily with scything guitar and everything going deliberately discordant at times. He closes with MoneyShot, which almost ventures into the Jazz Blues arena and he may leave himself open to accusations of trying to put too many genres on one album. Having said that, the classic Hammond organ/guitar combo, played exquisitely, makes for an excellent instrumental finish. See if you can pick out three keyboards players here.
Is there a place in the highly competitive world of modern Country/Americana music for Hadden Sayers? I think there might just be.
http://www.haddensayers.com/
David Blue.
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