| CD REVIEW |
| GOIN' PUBLIC - TIM "TOO SLIM" LANGFORD Reviewed by Diane Wells |
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| I'd say it is high time for this singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist from Spokane, Washington, to go public! Although I'm equally entranced when Mr. Langford is playing electric guitar with his multi-awarding-winning Too Slim & The Taildraggers band, I am really partial to his authentic-sounding acoustic blues. Tim formed Too Slim & The Taildraggers in 1986, with Tom "The Stomp" Brimm on bass (who recently retired and was replaced by Dave Nordstrom). They were joined a couple of years later by drummer John "Midnight" Cage) and remain a highly successful musical entity. Tim has been performing, since the age of 18, in bands which spanned a wide range of musical genres, including rock'n'roll & blues (The Wing Biscuits), country (The Hombres), rockabilly (The Studebakers), as well as jazz (The Jazz Society Orchestra - a brass-drenched big band outfit!). Too Slim's 1999 acoustic release, Pint Store Blues, remains a favourite of mine, and my acoustic collection is now joined by this newly-released live recording. Being well-aware of the numerous "magic tricks" that can be utilized to enhance electric recordings, the real proof of talent lies in acoustic performances (although Pint Store Blues does incorporate a tiny bit of high-tech wizardry). I have become a huge fan of the boogie-blues stylings of Sam "Lightnin'" Hopkins, thanks to Too Slim, and he is obviously a big fan as well, starting off this live CD, recorded on St. Patrick's Day, 2001, at Spokane's KPBX Public Radio (kpbx.org), with Sam's "What Is Wrong" and "Shinin' Moon". These two Hopkins compositions, along with "Goin' Back Home", "Little Sister Boogie", "Shake It Baby" and "Crawlin' King Snake" also appear on Pint Store Blues. Too Slim is joined here on harmonica by an old buddy from Mississippi - D.C. Black (formerly with Sam Langhorn) - and John "Midnight" Cage on percussion, and their team contributions are magnificent! Although the only original composition here is the Cajun finale, "Swamp Opera", from a very early Taildraggers CD of the same name, Tim adds to the knock-out repertoire with covers from blues legends Little Walter Jacobs, John Lee Hooker, Robert Johnson, Ledbelly, and even Bob Dylan's "Highway 51". There's absolutely nothing to dislike here, as the recording is crisp and clear, with excellent technical assistance from Patrick Klausen. Tim apparently uses Elixir guitar strings exclusively, and although I'm not sure whether this brand is available in Canada or not, I'd highly recommend them for the high-quality resonance he coaxes out of them. Although Tim Langford is gifted on harmonica as well, there is no hesitation on his part to allow other players to strut their stuff. Renowned harmonica player Mark Hummel does a great job on the Taildraggers' kick-ass original repertoire on King Size Troublemaker, but D.C. Black's style is perfectly suited for these more smoothly sensuous songs. I admit to a certain degree of obsession with Too Slim's irresistible vocals, which are not unlike those of ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons, whose tune, "Jesus Just Left Chicago", is also performed on this CD. I would highly recommend any of his recordings, with or without the Taildraggers, but for that extra intimacy obtained from a live recording, this is the cat's meow! An unknown female introduces them on their Bootleg Series Vol. 1 CD by saying "I just love these guys", so I guess I'm not their only hard-core fan! |
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