Thursday, May 30, 2013


King KingStanding In The Shadows (Manhaton Records).

Glaswegian Blues rockers King King’s latest offering, Standing In The Shadows completely dispels the myth of the ‘difficult second album’. Opening with More Than I Can Take, a Southern States Blues rocker with a strident guitar solo they draw their line in the sand.  They follow up with the soulful Rock sounds of Taken What’s Mine, a cross between Free and Joe Cocker. A Long History Of Love is a lengthy ballad, emotion filled and with a powerful vocal. Alan Nimmo’s guitar playing is excellent as ever, with some of his best playing on offer here. Frankie Miller’s Jealousy has funky guitar with Bennett Holland ably backing up on organ. This is on the Soul side too.  The Joe Cocker comparisons resurface on What Am I Supposed To Do, a Soulful soft Rock where Nimmo climbs the peaks. One More Time Around has thumping drums, driving guitars and organ. A groovy Blues rocker, Free influenced with slashing guitar.  Can’t Keep From trying has happy sounds. Faster paced, it’s a bit out of place and may be too in the Pop mould for some. Coming Home (Rest Your Eyes) is soft blue-eyed Rock in the Paul Carrack mould with incisive guitar fills from Nimmo. Just to confirm the Free influences they throw in their piano based grinding rocker, Heavy Load and they round things off with the funky rocker, Let Love In. King King is a band that has it all, a good singer, a great guitarist and excellent self-penned songs in abundance.



David Blue.


Saturday, May 18, 2013


Mark Knopfler @ SECC, Glasgow 17/05/2013.

Mark Knopfler playing in Glasgow is like a homecoming for him and he certainly enjoyed himself. In fact, he had enjoyed himself on the previous night too at band member John McCusker’s birthday bash. If any of the band was under the weather then it didn’t show. A set of Celtic influenced solo songs and a dusting of classic Dire Straits tracks had the audience in the palm of his hands. Knopfler has surrounded himself with some of the UK’s top musicians and it was a pleasure to listen to the art of instrumentalists. The band were all multi-instrumentalists and could turn their hand to any genre as Blues, Jazz, Country and Rock were all served up with the same passion and dexterity. Songs from the latest album, Privateering, were well received with the eponymous title track and Gator Blood highlights. However, the best applause was saved for Romeo & Juliet, Telegraph Road and the final encore of Local Hero. It’s 35 years since I first saw Mark Knopfler play with Dire Straits and his prowess on the guitar has not waned one little bit. We were promised an ‘Evening With Mark Knopfler’ and that is exactly what we got.

 

David Blue.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013


Dave Arcari & The Hellsinki HellraisersWhisky In My Blood (Buzz Records).



If you’ve heard of Dave Arcari before then you’ll think you know what you’re in for. However, not everything is as it would appear. Known for his raucous, abrasive style and loved for it on the festival scene, Arcari has mellowed slightly in parts of this album. The Arcari of old is to be found on Heat Is Rising, where it’s just him and his guitar, Robert Johnson’s Travelling Riverside Blues, on which he slips effectively into his natural Scottish accent, and Preachin’ Blues with his manic growls and laughter and See Me laughing, a Delta influence Arcari style Blues. These are the Blues, Glasgow style. Highlights from the more mellow side are Rough Justice, which has some of his rough edges polished off, the Country Blues of Cherry Wine, Third Time Lucky, played with banjo and Jitterbug Swing. Other notables are the short and sharp Day Job, Tell Me Baby, which will be great live and the fractured, almost sentimental, sounds of Still Friends. This is an album to please fans, old and new.



David Blue.

Thursday, May 09, 2013


Chris While and Julie MatthewsInfinite Sky (Fat Cat Records).

BBC Folk Award winners, While and Matthews, are widely respected musicians and songwriters and this, their 8th studio album, gives indications as to why. Harmonies abound is tracks such as This Beautiful Life and Hope Springs, both on the cusp of Folk and Country. They move firmly into the realm of Country with Shaky Town, Broken Crash Barrier and Come On Over, the latter being the stand out track on the album. I Apologise and Half A World Away are both gentle and hypnotic and are prime examples of their excellent songwriting skills. There are some less successful songs with the slightly morose Nie Weider (Never Again) which has well-meant sentiments but just not for me and South America (Come Home Soon) which is a bit twee but the tight harmonies come to the rescue as they do on the patchy Inconvenient Hero. Gravity is too one paced and sounds a little bit like These Dreams by Heart but without the impact of the chorus. All in all this is a fine album by excellent musicians and top class songwriters. A good introduction into the world of While and Matthews.



David Blue.

Monday, May 06, 2013


Albany DownNot Over Yet (AD Recordings).

Not Over Yet is the follow up to their 2011 debut South Of The City. The Blues are represented on the strong opener, Back Again, the contemporary Travelling Blues and the epic You Ain’t Coming Home. Straight out rockers such as Take The Town, You’d Better Run and The Working Man pepper the album. Throw in Middle Eastern themes on the beefy She’s The Light and the Country Rock of Man Like Me and the diversity shines through. Paul Muir is a true Rock singer and Paul Turley’s guitar is formidable; expansive in places, lightning fast elsewhere. I hear Steve Earle, Joe Bonamassa and Dr Feelgood but no doubt, they are their own men.

 


 

David Blue.