Randy McAllister - Grease, Grit, Dirt And Spit

Album: Grease, Grit, Dirt And Spit
Size: 123,0 MB
Time: 53:01
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1998
Styles: Blues, harmonica blues
Art: Front, back

1. Eat, Drink & Sleep (3:14)
2. When I Start Ta Trippin' (4:07)
3. Makeshift Molly (5:04)
4. You Ain't Barbie And I Ain't Ken (4:22)
5. One Paycheck Away (4:07)
6. Your Hands On My Neck (4:45)
7. Suzie Goldigger (3:51)
8. Porkchop (2:08)
9. Bullets For Breakfast (3:00)
10. When Does The Good Stuff Happen (4:40)
11. Duct Tape And Bailin' Wire (3:12)
12. Hook 'Em And Gig 'Em (3:48)
13. You Calm Me Down (2:49)
14. Do The Math Fool (3:47)

Here's a disc of rock-tinged urban blues, Texas style. In his second album for JSP, songwriter/harmonica player McAllister plays exciting harp in the electrified Little Walter style. His songs are filled with the smell of cigarette smoke and beer, and many of them, even the slow ones, have the hard-driving edge of a band determined to blow off the cares of the working day. They play mainly in the postwar style, with a couple of tunes reflecting the soul influences of the '60s and jump blues of the '40s. McAllister has a voice which can only be described as unique; it has a certain bottom to it that makes it sound like it belongs to a 300-pound man.

The leadoff tune, "Eat, Drink and Sleep," has the band doing a humorous line-by-line commentary on his vocals. Lines like "You must have been eating bullets for breakfast, 'cause you've been shooting off you mouth" underscore his humor, while "Duct Tape and Bailing Wire" is a salute to two of his favorite items from the hardware store, which help him hold things together. In "When Does the Good Stuff Happen," he bemoans doing right and having nothing much to show for it. All of this is fleshed out by Mike Morgan and Robin Slyer's guitar work and a tight band playing with rock sensibilities. /Sigmund Finman, AllMusic

(For personnel details, see artwork included.)

Grease, Grit, Dirt And Spit mc
Grease, Grit, Dirt And Spit zippy

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Randy McAllister - Double Rectified Bust Head

Album: Double Rectified Bust Head
Size: 134,5 MB
Time: 58:10
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1999
Styles: Blues, Texas blues, harmonica blues
Art: Full

1. Texas Thang (3:46)
2. He Was Him (4:02)
3. Baseball Bat (4:35)
4. Blues Colored Soul (5:25)
5. Ain't Like The Movies (4:18)
6. Nasty Little Day Dreams (4:21)
7. Out-Classed (4:23)
8. 'S' On My Chest (3:58)
9. Who's The Parent, Who's The Child (4:53)
10. $127.00 Sandwich (4:57)
11. What Make A Man (4:02)
12. The Last Goodbye (5:45)
13. Invisible Man (3:38)

Raised in the small Texas town of Novice, McAllister is a 5th generation Texan, whose father was both a fireman and musician. His father was a drummer in a band called, "The Flames." Randy sometimes went to his house parties and rehearsals and would sit in on the drums. He eventually bought his first drum kit in the 5th grade for $40.00 which he had earned mowing lawns. From that time on if he wasn’t fishing or hanging out in the country with his buddies he would be found locked in his room singing and playing, but the drums were just the beginning for Randy. McAllister found the harmonica in his early 20's while stationed in Massachusetts as a member of the U.S. Air Force.

Taking cues from Blues Legend "Earring George" Mayweather, a Boston resident and harmonica master, McAllister moved to Alaska in 1989 where he spent the next 3 years playing in various bands. He moved back to Texas in 1992, a strong, skillful harp player who was also establishing a reputation as a vocalist and a songwriter. When he moved back to Texas, he struck-up friendships with Mike Morgan, Andrew Jr. Boy Jones and Robin Sylar. Randy would occasionally front Mike Morgan’s band (The Crawl) playing harmonica and singing. Mike would also fill-in playing guitar in Randy’s band. Randy and Andrew Jr. Boy Jones (Charlie Musselwhite, Katie Webster, Freddie King) also worked together during that time.

In the late 90’s while Andrew was signed with British label JSP Records, he approached label owner John Steadman about Randy. Randy was soon signed with JSP Records and went on to release 4 CD’s with the label. The first CD was produced by Andrew and also featured him on guitar. Randy also spent a lot of the 90’s playing with Robin Sylar (Doyle Bramhall, George Harmonica Smith and Stevie Ray Vaughn). Randy eventually went on to release CD’s on Severn Records (with Mike Morgan) and Reaction Records. Roustabout, maverick, spiritual, gritty, amazing, genius, wild, bad-ass, soulful... These are some of the words used to describe this Texas bonafide blue blood. A much revered, singer, songwriter, harmonica player and drummer. East Texas roadhouse soul by one of America's true blues/roots originals.

(For personnel details, see artwork included.)

Double Rectified Bust Head mc
Double Rectified Bust Head zippy

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Randy McAllister - Diggin' For Sofa Change

Album: Diggin' For Sofa Change
Size: 108,9 MB
Time: 47:05
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1997
Styles: Blues, harmonica blues
Art: Full

1. State Of Confusion (3:30)
2. Battle Cry (4:41)
3. Sofa Change (4:17)
4. You Got No Right (4:15)
5. Scary Women (3:11)
6. I Don't Like It (4:02)
7. Down In The Gutter (4:13)
8. Bob's Number Two (3:55)
9. Babe And Nan's Thing (3:29)
10. Actions Speak Louder Than Words (4:26)
11. Woman On A Mission (3:35)
12. I Got It (3:23)

Randy McAllister was raised in northeast Texas and exposed to music by his father, a house-party singer and drummer. He began singing and playing drums in his teens, and took up harmonica while serving in the USAF in 1979-80. He has led bands since the late '80s, based from 1992 in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

"I love all the old players", McAllister says, "but I believe in trying to make your own statement". In keeping with that credo, there's not a cover to be found anywhere on this album. Instead, Randy displays a talent for writing songs whose titles jump out at you. /Scott Ferman

(For personnel details, see artwork included.)

Diggin' For Sofa Change mc
Diggin' For Sofa Change zippy

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Randy McAllister - Power Without Power

Size: 115.5 MB
Time: 49:18
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2022
Styles: Acoustic Blues Rock, Harmonica Blues
Art: Full

01. Surprise!!! (5:12)
02. Face First (3:30)
03. (Somebody) Ease My Troublin' Mind (4:44)
04. Envy's Embrance (4:05)
05. Son (4:12)
06. Sweet Spot (3:36)
07. C'mon Brothers And Sisters (5:25)
08. Not Everybody Leaves (Her Words) (5:47)
09. Clear My Head (3:44)
10. Donnie Downer (4:40)
11. Like Nothing Else (4:16)

Rarely, in my opinion, has the title of an album fitted so well when you look at all the things that you use in a review in their entirety. The 'Corpus Delicti' in this case is the new disc “Power Without Power” by Texas musician Randy McAllister.

McAllister has been making music since the late 1980s and has since built a reputation as an excellent singer-songwriter with no commercial background. In addition, he is credited with exceptional ability on drums and harmonica.

The first thing I liked immediately was the wonderful black and white glossy cover. One recognizes immediately that this is an unplugged work and even the two completely black pages in the inner cover, which appear very unusual, still somehow seem appropriate. All relevant information can be found on the back.

If you then put the disc in the CD player and have the necessary listening sessions behind you, everything completes to form a coherent overall picture.

Even if the instrumental portfolio, in addition to McAllister's great singing, is roughly reduced to acoustic guitars and his harp, an enormous intensity develops. The protagonist and the two guitarists involved, Brandon Hudspeth (all tracks except 2) and Howard Mahan (track 2, rhythm on 6, 7, 10) let their full power roam here even without an amplifier.

Jack McAllister (tracks 1 and 6) and Heather Newman on “Donnie Downer” add subtle background vocals, and a few percussion noises can also be heard on the latter song. Otherwise there is purely acoustic blues with all its facets, which is often given a subliminal rocky and soulful touch through Randy's strong voice, which repeatedly reminds me of Malford Milligan ( Storyville , Big Cat , etc.). In the solo parts, filigreely played acoustic guitars often duel with a lot of slide and McAllister's wildly blustering harp parts.

In the end, with "Power Without Power" by Randy McAllister, you get an entertaining, authentic, never-boring, dynamic and energetic long player, which you would also like to hear later in an electric version. A clear tip for blues fans! ~Sounds Of South

PS: Although the higher frequency is 16.5 KHz, this a CD RIP.

Power Without Power MP3
Power Without Power FLAC

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Randy McAllister - Paperbag Salvation

Size: 108.9 MB
Time: 46:39
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2021
Styles: Texas Blues, Harmonica Blues
Art: Full

01. You're Like Mashed Potatoes (3:44)
02. No Conductor (6:55)
03. Most Irritating Person In The World (5:25)
04. South North South (4:24)
05. Catch Up Later (4:33)
06. I'm Doing All The Heavy Lifting (4:07)
07. Personal Pinata (3:31)
08. Relax Watch The Crash (3:50)
09. Waiting Bones (5:53)
10. Best Patch Of Grass (4:12)

Roustabout, maverick, spiritual, grit§, amazing, genius, wild, bad-ass, soulful… These are some of the words used to describe this East Texas bonafide blue blood. One of America’s most revered and critically acclaimed, true blues/roots originals. An award-winning artist who plays driving drums and a world-class harmonica, wrítes incredible songs and has one of the most amazing and soulful voices. He’s been flying in the face of convention his whole career. No smoke, no mirrors, no choreography, no industry machines. Just a much deserved reputation built on hard work, years of developing his craft and bringing his one of a kind show to every corner oí the map. Raised in the small Texas town of Novice, McAllister is a sixth generation Texan. Following in his father’s footsteps, Randy started on drums at age 9. McAllister found the harmonica in his early 20’s while stationed in Massachusetts as a member of the USAF taking cues from Blue’s Legend “Earring George” Mayweather, a Boston resident and harmonica master. McAllister moved to Alaska in 1989 where he spent the next 3 years playing in various bands. By the time he returned to Texas in 1992, a strong, skillful harp player who was establishing a reputation as a vocalist and songwriter. ln 1997, McAllister signed with JSP Records releasing three highly acclaimed CD’s before going on to issue recordings on Severn Records (with Mike Morgan) and Reaction Records.

Paperbag Salvation MP3
Paperbag Salvation FLAC

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Randy McAllister - Double Rectified Bust Head

Size: 137,3 MB
Time: 58:43
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1999
Styles: Texas Blues, Harmonica Blues
Art: Full

01. Texas Thang (3:49)
02. He Was Him (4:05)
03. Baseball Bat (4:38)
04. Blues Colored Soul (5:28)
05. Ain't Like The Movies (4:21)
06. Nasty Little Day Dream (4:24)
07. Out-Closed (4:25)
08. 'S' On My Chest (4:01)
09. Who's The Parent, Who's The Child (4:56)
10. $127.00 Sandwich (5:00)
11. What Make A Man (4:05)
12. The Last Goodbye (Live!) (5:48)
13. Invisible Man (3:38)

Personnel: Randy McAllister (vocals, harmonica, drums 2nd snare on 1,5,10) , Robin Syler (guitar on 1,4) , Hash Brown (guitar on 3,5,10) , Smokey Logg (guitar on 12) , Texas Slim (guitar on 2-5,7-10,13, backing vocals on 4,5) , Jim Suhler (guitar on 2,5,8,9,13) , Mighty Paul Young (guitar on 11) , Chuck Rainey (bass on 3-5,10) , Bill Cornisch (bass on 1,2,5,7-9,11,13) , John Street (piano on 8, organ on 2-8,13) , Oliver Mowatt (piano on 4) , Johnny Mack (washboard on 10) , Bobby Baronowski (drums on 1,3-5,10,13) , Danny Cochran (drums on 2,5,7-9,12)Robin Banks (backing vocals on 4,5).

Raised in the small Texas town of Novice, McAllister is a 5th generation Texan, whose father was both a fireman and musician. His father was a drummer in a band called, "The Flames." Randy sometimes went to his house parties and rehearsals and would sit in on the drums. He eventually bought his first drum kit in the 5th grade for $40.00 which he had earned mowing lawns. From that time on if he wasn’t fishing or hanging out in the country with his buddies he would be found locked in his room singing and playing, but the drums were just the beginning for Randy. McAllister found the harmonica in his early 20's while stationed in Massachusetts as a member of the U.S. Air Force. Taking cues from Blues Legend "Earring George" Mayweather, a Boston resident and harmonica master, McAllister moved to Alaska in 1989 where he spent the next 3 years playing in various bands. He moved back to Texas in 1992, a strong, skillful harp player who was also establishing a reputation as a vocalist and a songwriter.

When he moved back to Texas, he struck-up friendships with Mike Morgan, Andrew Jr. Boy Jones and Robin Sylar. Randy would occasionally front Mike Morgan’s band (The Crawl) playing harmonica and singing. Mike would also fill-in playing guitar in Randy’s band. Randy and Andrew Jr. Boy Jones (Charlie Musselwhite, Katie Webster, Freddie King) also worked together during that time. In the late 90’s while Andrew was signed with British label JSP Records, he approached label owner John Steadman about Randy. Randy was soon signed with JSP Records and went on to release 4 CD’s with the label. The first CD was produced by Andrew and also featured him on guitar. Randy also spent a lot of the 90’s playing with Robin Sylar (Doyle Bramhall, George Harmonica Smith and Stevie Ray Vaughn). Randy eventually went on to release CD’s on Severn Records (with Mike Morgan) and Reaction Records.

Roustabout, maverick, spiritual, gritty, amazing, genius, wild, bad-ass, soulful... These are some of the words used to describe this Texas bonafide blue blood. A much revered, singer, songwriter, harmonica player and drummer. East Texas roadhouse soul by one of America's true blues/roots originals.

Double Rectified Bust Head

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Randy McAllister - Crappy Food, No Sleep, A Van... And Some Great Songs

Size: 125,1 MB
Time: 54:11
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Harmonica Blues, Modern Electric Blues
Art: Front

01. Bat And A Gun (4:35)
02. Digging For Sofa Change (4:12)
03. Eat, Drink And Sleep (3:08)
04. The Last Goodbye (5:44)
05. One Paycheck Away (4:02)
06. Ain't Like The Movies (4:18)
07. He Was Him (4:02)
08. Scary Woman (3:06)
09. Blues Colored Soul (5:24)
10. Who's The Parent - Who's The Child (4:52)
11. Spastic (2:43)
12. You Got No Right (4:10)
13. Suzi Goldigger (3:47)

To coincide with a new burst of international touring this set puts together 12 of Randy's acclaimed 1990's studio recordings and one new bonus track.

Randy McAllister is well known in the U.K. although he's Dallas / Fort Worth based. He's an accomplished harmonica player and singer but it's the songwriting which sets him apart- 'Scary Woman',' Bat And A Gun', 'Suzi Goldigger', 'One Paycheck Away', 'Who's the Parent, Who's The Child' are just a few of the titles on this set which are as interesting to hear as the titles suggest.

Crappy Food, No Sleep, A Van... And Some Great Songs

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