| CD REVIEW |
| This decidedly sexy and exciting collection of blues/rock music is destined to be played over and over again in whichever residence or venue I can possibly plug it! Not only is there not a single bad track on it, I'm having trouble deciding which is my favourite! From the beginning title track, seemingly inspired by the Allman Brothers, with the tremendously energetic slide guitar, prominent bass lines, and snappy drumwork by band founder, John "Midnight" Cage, straight on through to the melodically mellow instrumental "Rosado", there's more than enough to satisfy anyone who calls themselves a music lover. To me it's the perfect "courtship" CD. The only thing I would change is the order of the songs. As in any "conventional" courtship, you've got to start with some dancing. To get in the mood, I would have grouped all the mid-tempo boogie-woogie tunes first ("Just Like I Am", "I've Been Down", "I'm Gonna Blow", "I Get Real High"), then work up the tempo ladder with faster numbers like "King Size Troublemaker", throwing in a few sensual touches with the funkadelic "More Must Be Better", and the jazzy rhumba of "Crowbar Hotel". To get things heated up to fever pitch, there are three manic tunes like "Sam's Pit" and "Big Barn Boogie", but they're not for the faint of heart! To move in for the kill, there's "Potent 8", a sensual opus of weeping guitar and snake-oil charmer vocalization that no woman could resist! For the "after-sex-cigarette", I would keep "Rosado", with its Jeff Beck-like guitaring as the closing number. In addition to John Cage on drums, Tim "Too Slim" Langford on equally sizzling guitar and lead vocals, Tom "The Stomp" Brimm on bass (very similar style to Gary Boudreau of Toronto's Coldsweat), Mark Hummel (whom I now consider another of my favourite harpmen, along with John Mayall and David Rotundo) contributes throughout the CD on harmonica and co-producer Dave Cebert performs on piano, although he does a good job of disguising his contribution, as I am unable to distinguish on which tracks he participates - I guess that's what known as "filler". According to the liner notes I have (which are somewhat inadequate), Sam "Lightnin'" Hopkins performs as a special guest on guitar, and I'm assuming that, because the legendary blues guitarist Sam "Lightnin'" Hopkins has been deceased for 20 years, the person with that name on this CD is his son (or else some sampling has been used). They have recently completed a tour of Norway and Sweden and have previously played in Western Canada (Vancouver and Alberta). I'm anxiously waiting for them to tour mid-Eastern Canada (Toronto or Hamilton in particular). This is the 8th release by this highly popular, award-winning, Spokane band, who would appeal to anyone who loves the Allman Brothers, Z.Z. Top, early Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan and his musical mentor, Albert Collins, or basically anyone who loves their bluesadelia with a rock-steady groove. There certainly ain't no tail-dragging going on around here! |
| KING SIZE TROUBLEMAKERS - TOO SLIM & THE TAILDRAGGERS |
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