Time: 41:27
Size: 94.9 MB
Styles: R&B, Rockin blues
Year: 2018
Art: Front
[4:15] 1. Running Out Of Time
[2:54] 2. Baby Please Don't Go
[3:54] 3. Help Me
[3:28] 4. She Can Fight For Herself
[2:56] 5. Come Love
[4:29] 6. Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City
[2:24] 7. Crocodile Walk
[4:41] 8. Can't Find A Job
[4:28] 9. One Room Country Shack
[2:32] 10. Talkin' 'bout You
[3:15] 11. A Change Is Gonna Come
[2:06] 12. Under Canvas
Backed by The Claim and recorded at Ranscombe Studios in Kent the dozen songs, four originals and eight cover versions, are gritty, raw and steeped in the blues and R&B. Some were originally written and recorded before the decade that label owner Prangnell takes his inspiration from; many of these songs were born before the sixties took shape.
As soon as the album kicks off (and kick off it does) with a Jim Riley original, ‘Running Out Of Time’, it’s obvious that the producer has paired up with the right band to capture the authentic R&B sound that he was aiming for. The songs were recorded live with minimal overdubs and it shows. The sound is far from lo-fi. In fact it’s as sharp as a brand new Stanley blade. The band is so tight, and Riley has managed to capture not only an intimate and live sound but also the obvious pleasure this group of musicians felt while recording these tracks. ‘Running Out Of Time’ thunders in, Riley’s waling harmonica and his surprisingly powerful vocals immediately grabbing the listener’s attention. This R&B stomper brings the 60's strain of this genre kicking and screaming into 2018. Just try standing still to this cracker as it’s a Friday night classic. Despite an inspired choice of covers it’s the originals and especially this opening shot that will stay in your mind and draw you back to the album; just one indication of how brilliant this band is and why an album of originals must surely be their next move.
The covers that Riley has chosen tend to be familiar songs that have already been covered by many bands and artists through the years such as, for example, ‘Baby Please Don’t Go’; for all the excellent versions of this song it’s the one by Them that most are familiar with so do we really need another take on the song? There are those who are much more qualified than this scribe who can explain why such an age-old familiar song sounds like it’s had a blood transfusion and gained a new lease of life while not really diverting too much from the version we grew up to and have loved and lived with for decades. All I know is that, as with the other covers on ‘A Very British Blues Explosion’, Riley and company have added an edge, at times both raw and polished, to these songs which lend them a contemporary sound. Sonny Boy Williamson’s oft covered ‘Help Me’ is dominated by Riley’s harmonica and again his vocals are a revelation. While the contributions from David Read on lead guitar, David Arnold on rhythm, Martin Bishop sitting on the drum stool and Stuart Ellis on bass should not be underestimated, this song really is a showcase for the talents of Riley; he really is a soul singer of no little worth and his touches of Hammond are almost as compelling as his harmonica playing.
As soon as the album kicks off (and kick off it does) with a Jim Riley original, ‘Running Out Of Time’, it’s obvious that the producer has paired up with the right band to capture the authentic R&B sound that he was aiming for. The songs were recorded live with minimal overdubs and it shows. The sound is far from lo-fi. In fact it’s as sharp as a brand new Stanley blade. The band is so tight, and Riley has managed to capture not only an intimate and live sound but also the obvious pleasure this group of musicians felt while recording these tracks. ‘Running Out Of Time’ thunders in, Riley’s waling harmonica and his surprisingly powerful vocals immediately grabbing the listener’s attention. This R&B stomper brings the 60's strain of this genre kicking and screaming into 2018. Just try standing still to this cracker as it’s a Friday night classic. Despite an inspired choice of covers it’s the originals and especially this opening shot that will stay in your mind and draw you back to the album; just one indication of how brilliant this band is and why an album of originals must surely be their next move.
The covers that Riley has chosen tend to be familiar songs that have already been covered by many bands and artists through the years such as, for example, ‘Baby Please Don’t Go’; for all the excellent versions of this song it’s the one by Them that most are familiar with so do we really need another take on the song? There are those who are much more qualified than this scribe who can explain why such an age-old familiar song sounds like it’s had a blood transfusion and gained a new lease of life while not really diverting too much from the version we grew up to and have loved and lived with for decades. All I know is that, as with the other covers on ‘A Very British Blues Explosion’, Riley and company have added an edge, at times both raw and polished, to these songs which lend them a contemporary sound. Sonny Boy Williamson’s oft covered ‘Help Me’ is dominated by Riley’s harmonica and again his vocals are a revelation. While the contributions from David Read on lead guitar, David Arnold on rhythm, Martin Bishop sitting on the drum stool and Stuart Ellis on bass should not be underestimated, this song really is a showcase for the talents of Riley; he really is a soul singer of no little worth and his touches of Hammond are almost as compelling as his harmonica playing.
A Very British Blues Explosion mc
A Very British Blues Explosion zippy