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| With Paul James being a lifelong disciple in the Church of Rockin� Blues, you would have to look closely for any signs of aging in this perpetual �rock and roll juvenile�. Unlike some of his peers, Mr. James has admirably stayed true to his love for �blackboard jungle� rock that traces its roots to old-time blues. Just as his CD�s title would seem to be a cross-reference to Edith Piaf�s well-known "La Vie en Rose", Paul covers many songs that have immortalized female names like Carol, Gloria, (Sweet) Virginia and Caledonia, while �sliding� in a new tribute to the fairer sex with his own composition, �Hey Now, Rosie�. It�s a mid-tempo foot-stompin�, hand-clapper along the lines of �Rollin� and a-Tumblin�� and features Paul on slide guitar that's neither lame nor overblown � a perfectly produced CD (and engineered by award-winning Alec Fraser). With slightly gruff vocals that fall somewhere between Bruce Springsteen, Wolfman Jack and Fats Domino, Mr. James is perfectly suited to sing either blues or rock. His obvious affection for Bob Dylan and his music is displayed in refreshingly transfused versions of �Highway 61 Revisited�, �It�s All Over Now, Baby Blue� (featuring Paul�s adeptness on harmonica, acoustic guitar and percussion) and �Like a Rolling Stone�. Speaking of Rolling Stones, that band is given a second nod with �(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction�. Richard Berry�s classic �Louie, Louie�, made popular by Tacoma�s The Fabulous Wailers (with the late Rich Dangel on guitar), follows �The Last Clean Shirt" (pronounced �Shoit�), written by Leiber & Stoller and recorded by Eric Burden with the subtitle of �Brother Bill�. This particular song, which also spawned a movie of the same name, is also credited to Johnny Otis, who apparently lost a co-authorship battle with Leiber & Stoller on the hugely successful �Hound Dog� (sung by Big Mama Thornton). An outrageously spooky but amusing version of Willie Dixon�s �Red Rooster� is recorded midway through the CD. Not to �hide under the covers�, even though they are flawless, Paul has included three other originals - the unnamed �Red Hot Mama� (the only r&b song I can think of that features a slide guitar); the funky �Take It Easy�, featuring Alec Fraser on bass, the horn arrangements of Sarah McElcheran on trumpet and Jim Bish on saxophone, as well as some rather tasty piano noodling by Gary Gray. These three musicians also shine on a hopped-up version of �Caledonia�. On the Bo Diddley-influenced �Gotta Gimme Some of It�, Alec gives a little too much on bass, if only in the volume level. Band bassist/background vocalist Brian Kipping and drummer/percussionist Adrian Vecchiola keep the grooves in place, with nary a �skip� in the beat, except when those necessary �spaces� in traditional rhythm and blues call for it. This CD is a must-have for those who truly believe that rock and roll will never die! Go to www.pauljamesband.com and check out this Juno Award-winning "Rock'n'roll Survivor" yourself! |
| LA VIE EN BLEU - PAUL JAMES BAND |
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