Blues Strike The Rock

As you walk downtown St. John's you might be privileged enough to hear a faint sound in between the usual Irish ballads and traditional Newfoundland songs that we grew up listening to and love. If your lucky enough you may be able to hear a sound from the deep south coming out of the Fat Cat. Its the sound of legendary blues musicians Scott Goudie and Denis Parker. The two of them are engulfed in the blues, setting the guitar on fire. They have been playing the blues for years and are world renowned for their talent and reputation in the blues community. They have knocked elbows with greats such as Albert King, Muddy Waters, Bukka White, Skip James, etc. I was extremely fortunate to have discussions with Denis and Scott after meeting them at The Pub where they established as a great watering hole after a performance the both of them had at the Garrick Theater. I only wish I had a better setting for a conversation than at work where when someone wanted a drink I had to rush away and grab what that person wanted, being the bartender obviously it was my job but it made for quick conversations and bits and pieces of experiences they both had. At first meeting Scott he handed me a signed copy of his new album Acoustic Live, hearing that I was a blues enthusiast he was more than happy to give me the album.
Out of any genre of music I have to say the blues strikes me as the purist, truest, calming music there is. It gives fullness to the soul, you can hear a blues song written by someone who is not in it for the money or the fame. He writes it cause its his expression of himself. He takes a guitar or harmonica and plays a song that sounds so simple but no one can play it like he played it cause its his song/soul. That is why the blues is so hard to play, because you can't just strum the chords and sing the song, you really have to feel it and make the audience feel it as well which is sometimes the hardest thing to do. On this album Acoustic Live Scott Goudie makes you feel it, his guitar work is second to none. He has flawless guitar picking on his spanish style guitar work on Santana's El Farol and his own song Renata is simply wonderful, I can hear influences from Santana and Carlos Montoya in the song. His renditions of the late great Robert Johnson song's Preachin' Blues, Love In Vain, and Last Fair Deal are a sure testament to his talent and understanding of true blues purists, not alot of people can take Jonhsons songs and make it their own, The Stones overdid it with Love In Vain in the 60s with Jaggers wine being a little too much, but here Goudie gave proved that he was one of the greatest slide guitarist alive today. Elmose James' Yonders Wall is a showcase to his slide guitar work. You can also hear a tad bit of influence of Leo Kottke and Ry Cooder on songs like Louise (Leo Kottke's version i've been listening to for years and can't get enough of), Blind Willie Mctell's Delhia, and The Rolling Stones No Expectations. Probably the most stunning and favorite song of mine on the album probably because I never heard it before was Tony Joe White's Rainy Night In Georgia which is a mixture of blues and soul, a fine mixture indeed. I can't say enough good things about this album and if your a true blues fan like I am there's no way you can not like this well put together live performances of Scott Goudie's great acoustic work. Hes a treasure to Newfoundland performers and I am happy and privileged to have met the man. So now alongside my Skip James, Rev. Gary Davis, Bukka White, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Robert Johnson and Howlin Wolf albums there now sits Scott Goudie with his head held high.

Muddys Birthday

Today is the great Muddy Waters birthday. The innovator of the electric blues, up there with T Bone Walker. Muddy has done more for the blues in Chicago than any other musician there is, rival of Howlin Wolf and friend of Willie Dixon, he has exploded the careers of Johnny Winter, Little Walter, Jimmie Rogers, and James Cotton. Growing up he would go to shows and learn from the greats such as Son House, Robert Johnson, Big Bill Broonzy, etc. His career would flourish and drop from the 60s to the early 80s. Ups and downs ravished Waters but he never said die, he even taken his music to a whole new level after joining up with Johnny Winter in the 80s and releasing two great albums. Muddy passed away on April 30, 1983 but his influences are immense, millions have covered his songs from Led Zepplin, Humple Pie, Bob Dylan, Allman Brothers, Jeff Beck, Cream, Jimi Hendrex, just to name a few. Even the Rolling Stones named their band after the Muddy Waters hit of the same name. Even The Beatles reference him in their song Come Together. There's no denying Muddy's influence in not only blues but rock from 40 years ago to today. He shall never be forgotten and his great contribution to music will forever be appreciated.

Make You Satisfied

Austin Texas has always been a home away from home for musicians. From Stevie Ray Vaughan to Daniel Johnston. Playing gigs like Austin City Limits to South by Southwest. Today a new talent has struck the scene with a force. A blues/folk musician by the name of Scott H. Biram. As soon as you hear his slide you can be taken back to the days of Robert Johnson or Elmore James. He's striped down and as rough as they come but that is what makes him great. Using the traditional neck of a glass bottle to slide his guitar his sound is that matching any classic country blues singer. Biram started his music career in a punk band. He always grew up on blues constantly listening to old Leadbelly, Mance Lipscomb or Lightning Hopkins. His style of blues has that blues fell to it but he adds the punkish attitude. Biram was highlighted in the documentary movie The Folk Singer with Posessed By Paul James. The movie chronicles their travels through the honkey tonks and dive bars around Texas and Louisiana. It put Biram on the music map and showcased his talent. I can't wait to see more from Biram and see what new music he comes up with, stick to the roots. Its what made us and should never fade.

These blues will rock ya so much it will make you Seasick

He's been tearing up the blues scene all over Europe. Keeping the old world blues tradition. With an old junk shop personality and look he plays the blues like no one else can, keeping your feet stomping and heart thumping. There's always hands clapping and people smiling when Seasick Steve starts strumming his 3 string broken down guitar and a wooden box he carries around to every show with a Mississippi license plate nailed on the front that he calls the Mississippi stomp box, he kicks with his foot and heal with every force like it was his last show. Its amazing that a old man like Steve can still make it in a world of multi million dollar rock stars with concert hype and budgets to support a small town for life. But hes finally made it after all the hoboin around the world with his trusty guitar and dog pal, playing the street corners like the true blue blues singers of yesteryear. Son House, Leadbelly, Blind lemon Jefferson, Robert Johnson, etc they all didn't have million dollar contracts, or even a place to live. They all started in the streets like Steve. Most blues singers never lived to see their true potential to reach the masses, to be respected by millions and envied by billions. Seasick Steve made it like all those blues legends of the 30's and 40's so i saw congrats and i suggest everyone to take the time and listen to a true talent that brought himself up from the gutter and make something of himself and his music.

The Son Is Shining

One man has a spot on top of the blues world. He’s not a multi millionaire like Eric Clapton. He’s not covered by millions like Robert Johnson or Willie Dixon. He’s not considered the greatest guitar player to ever live like Jimi Hendrix or Page. In retrospect he didn’t see much fame at all until in his later years and not much then.  His name is Eddie James House Jr., more commonly known as the great Son House.

House was born on March 21, 1902 in Riverton Mississippi. By the age of 7 he and his mother left his father and moved to Tallulah, Louisiana. There a young Eddie House was determined to become a Baptist preacher and by the age of 15 he began his preaching career. He rejected the church’s firm stance against blues music; House was attracted to it and taught himself the guitar by his mid-20’s. Inspired by a traveling musician named Willie Wilson, Son House traveled around Mississippi and Tennessee with such legendary blues musicians such as Charley Patton,  Robert Johnson, Willie Brown and Fiddlin’ Joe Martin.

To give House more of a blues credibility he spent 2 years at the Parchment Farm State Penitentiary. He spent all of 1928 and 1929 in the prison after allegedly killing a man and receiving a 15 year sentence. The story goes Son House was working a juke joint one night when a man came in and started shooting everyone. House got shot in the leg then shot and killed the man. It was self defense but Son still did the time.

Son’s early recordings can be heard on Paramount in the 1930’s and later he was recorded by Alan Lomax for his Library of Congress recordings in 1941 and 1942.

After that he faded into black. He was rediscovered in the 1960 after the huge country blues revival. He was found after a long search in the Mississippi delta region by Nick Perls, Dick Waterman and Phil Spiro. They could not find him in the delta but later found him in Rochester, New York where he has lived since 1943. He had been working for the New York Central Railroad there and hasn’t played music in years. He had no idea that so many great musicians had been listening to his early recordings and built a career from his style.

He toured frequently in the US and Europe as the revival was growing and growing. Playing the Newport Folk Festival alongside of Mississippi John Hurt, Rev Gary Davis, Bukka  White, Skip James, Mississippi Fred Mcdowell, etc. They were loved everywhere they played alongside such amazing artists as Bob Dylan, Pete Seegar, Joan Beaz, Dave Van Ronk, etc.

The success of the touring took a toll on House. He started having a drinking problem and it showed at the Newport Folk Festival one evening. A dear friend of his and great blues musician Howlin' Wolf was performing on stage. Son was horribly drunk and making a lot of noise off stage to a point where Wolf stop playing to tell House that all he cared about was whiskey. Also that he could have had a great career but he threw it all away.

Drinking really distorted his style and had an effect on how House played. He couldn’t play like he did on those field recordings by Alan Lomax. To help him out Producer John Hammond Sr. asked Canned Heat guitarist Alan Wilson, who was a huge Son House fan,  to teach Son House how to play like Son House. So Alan went to work and the result was the Columbia recording The Father Of The Delta Blues – The Complete 1965 Sessions.

House later moved to Detroit, Michigan where he retired once again in 1974. Ill health plagued him and House died as a result of cancer of the larynx on October 19, 1988. The Detroit Blues Society performed benefit concerts to raise money to raise a fitting monument on his grave. RIP.

The influence of Son House can be seen everywhere in the music world. From Gary Moore to Andrew Bird to The White Stripes to Warren Haynes and Govt Mule. Lynyrd Skynard’s song  Swamp Music was a  tribute to Son House.

Long live the memory of the greatest blues musician to ever sing of love and pain. To ever write of whiskey and murder.  Be it belting out field hollars or Gospel tunes or just deep and dirty gut wrenching blues. The master of the slide guitar with just using a broken bottle neck as well as a great a capella  singer as heard in John The Revelator and Grinnin In Your Face. He could do it all before anyone knew what it was.

Get Yer Ya Ya's In The Record Player

Yesterday I took my weekly (at least) visit to the local record store The Record Exchange. With a huge supply of beautiful albums they never fail to impress me. I was looking through the usual Neil Youngs and Lenard Cohens but I was so drawn to the Stones today for some weird reason. There I picked up an album that I was totally surprised I didn't already have, Get Yer Ya Ya's Out. This is the first full length live album done by the Stones and they done it well. Recorded in Maryland in '69 and later in New York in '70 they ripped though their usual set on this album leaving the crowds happy and full filled without the tragedy that was Altmont. That's always a good thing.

At the beginning of the album they were introduced with screams blaring in the background. The screams were silenced with Jagger's own screams with the help of Richards' screaming guitar on Jumpin' Jack Flash. They picked the right song to open up with, killing the crowd with an amazing riff from one of the greatest songs ever written.

Next they cover one of their major influences Chuck Berry. Carol got the crowd dancing in the aisle's with a great twangy sound to it. The Stones really do Chuck Berry well as is heard on this live set. Then, later on the tour had Chuck replace BB King which must have been an honor.

Stray Cat Blues flows in next. One of the Stones' attempt at a deep down dirty blues song. It wasn't a huge hit for them but it did have a great guitar riff throughout it, Richards really did shine on this song like he did on Exile On Main St.

Next comes in one of my favorite songs of all time. Another cover by the Stones, Robert Johnson's Love In Vain. It has been done a million times by different artists., but one of my favorite covers come from the Stones. Done acoustically with just Keith and Mick at first it had that singing on your front porch feel to it. Then later the drums chime in with Keith switching it up with an amazing slide piece which goes really well with the blues. I'm a huge Robert Johnson fan and love hearing his influence in classic rock. You can really hear it here.

To end out the first side the Stones break in with one of my favorite songs by them The Midnight Rambler. Keith Richards has got to be the riff king. He powers his way through this song with an amazing solo, you can faintly hear Mick blowing the harp in the background but there's no way hes playing over Keith's gritty guitar. An amazing song from an iconic group.

Starting off Side two you can hear some silly girl yell out Paint It Black, the Stones didn't listen and started off with one of the most haunting of their songs Sympathy For The Devil. I've heard better versions of this song live but you just the fact of denying that girl at the beginning makes the song even that much greater. They start off slow like a lot of their songs and start getting more into through the middle. Keith's solos are always great and this one does not disappoint, he kills the song just like they kill Satan, or do they?

They come in next with Live With Me, one of their lesser known songs. Lesser known doesn't really mean bad. This song is great. With backing vocals from Keith, Mick kills they lyrics while Keith kills the strings. They rampage through this song, it sounded great and is better song live than on the album.
Next is another Chuck Berry cover song Little Queenie. It does have the twangy Berry feel to it, although I liked their version of Carol better, they seemed a little less impressed with this song and kind of walked through it. I wasn't at all impressed with it and think its one of the lesser songs on this album, hey 1 out of 10 ain't bad.

At the beginning of Honky Tonk Women Mick praises Charlie Watts because of his greatness on the drums though out the whole album. Honky Tonk Women is one of the Stones' most famous songs but really isn't my favorite in the studio or on this album.

They end the album with Street Fighting Man which left the crowd wanting more and more. Its one of those songs that can really get a person riled up and amped. They achieved what they wanted in giving everyone a great show, great album Stones.

This album was great, I've got the original copy with heavy vinyl which really makes a guy think he's right there. Nothing sounds as good as a great clean vinyl. Plus the cover alone was worth the money. Charlie Watts jumping in the air with two guitars in his hands and a huge smile on his face on one side of the road with a donkey with a drum set strapped to  its back and a guitar, pair of binoculars and a camera around its head. Which was inspired by Bob Dylan's lyrics from Visions of Johanna. The album Get Yer Ya Ya's Out was inspired also by the blues legend Blind Boy Fuller's song Get Yer Ya Yas Out.