Rod Stewart - Every Picture Tells A Story
Rod the Mod finds his solo footing, headed for stardom, with the Faces in his wake.
6:00 AM GMT 22/06/2011
Features Disc of the day
Albert Collins, Robert Cray, Johnny Copeland
Showdown!
(Alligator, 1985)
Guitar supergroup that actually deserved its prefix. Goddamn!
While the concept of the ‘all-star’ album has been around since the advent of recorded music, the truth is that few of them deliver what they promise on paper (Dylan & the Dead, anyone?). Clashing egos, creative disagreements and sheer apathy are just some of the reasons such ventures are often ill-fated. Showdown! is one of the glorious exceptions to the rule, a triumph of like-minded creativity and musical prowess. While its combative title suggests an old fashioned Texan ‘head-cutting’ guitar war, this award-winning record is more a showcase than a showdown, a testament to the past glories and future possibilities of the blues as a genre.
Bolstered by a healthy competitiveness, the deep musical kinship between veteran axe-slingers Collins and Copeland and the rising star Cray is instantly apparent. From the first notes of T-Bone Walker’s T-Bone Shuffle, to the sign-offs at the end of Blackjack, there is a synergy and cohesiveness that can only be achieved by friends intent on collaboration rather than individual grandstanding. While Collins hogs the lead breaks, the others get ample opportunities to display their talents, backed by a rock-solid crew from Albert’s group The Ice Breakers. Copeland unleashes his throaty growls to perfect effect on the raucous Lion’s Den and the slow-burning blues of Bring Your Fine Self Home, which features some steamy harmonica work from Collins.
Cray’s soulful vocals are the perfect counterpoint to his companions’ gruffer tones, lighting up the simmering lust of The Dream and the bouncing groove of She’s Into Something. As you would expect, the album offers up a feast of passionate and inspired blues guitar from all three – a tribute not only to the mutual respect these men had for one another, but to the vitality and beauty of the music that drew them together in the first place.
Ange Tsibogiannis
Posted by Ross_Bennett at 6:00 AM GMT 05/12/2008
Further Listening
Albert Collins – Don’t Lose Your Cool (Alligator, 1983)
Robert Cray – Bad Influence (Hightone, 1983)
Johnny Copeland – Texas Twister (Rounder, 1983)
Previous Disc of the day
-
-
Earl Brutus - Larky
Last salvo of Ginsters Pasty-Warholism from Britpop ramraiders.
12:04 PM GMT 08/06/2011
-
Loudon Wainwright - T-Shirt
An overlooked small wonder from an unpredictable career.
6:00 AM GMT 03/06/2011
-
Landscape - From The Tea-rooms Of Mars… To The Hell-holes Of Uranus
Dry computer club Futurists, upon hitting implausible chart paydirt.
6:00 AM GMT 17/05/2011
-
-
Causa Sui - Summer Sessions Vol 1-3
Epic Danish jams, for when the neighbours get you down.
6:00 AM GMT 12/05/2011
end of body content back to top
Footer
Join us on:
© Copyright Bauer - all
rights reserved.
Reproduction of this
website, in whole or in
part, in any form or
medium without express
written permission from
Bauer is prohibited. All
use is subject to our
Terms of Use
|
|
Comments
Comment on this post
Comment on this post