Blues Band - Blues Band

  by Lisa Torem

published: 24 / 1 / 2013

intro

Lisa Torem examines recent reissues from the Blues Band of their 1982 fourth studio album, 'Brand Loyalty', and 1983 live record, ‘Bye Bye Blues’

The Blues Band, which formed in 1979, left a remarkable legacy as a hard working British ensemble that fused original, highly charged blues-based songs with traditional material. Their fourth studio album, ‘Brand Loyalty’, was produced in the summer of 1982. The quintet at that time consisted of singers Paul Jones and Dave Kelly, bassist Gary Fletcher, guitarist Tom McGuinness and drummer Rob Townsend. The sound quality throughout is superb with production duties overseen by Richard Dodd and the band members themselves. The opening track, ‘Seemed Like a Good Idea (at the Time),’ featured the crisp co-writing of McGuinness and Graham Lyle. ‘Rolling Log’ lowers the volume but not the intensity with soulful interplay between the heavenly vocals, guitar picking and wailing harp. The tune was adapted from a Lottie Beaman song. This band certainly knew how to research. ‘I Want to be Loved’ is a Willie Dixon treasure. The band retained the spirit that Dixon would have demanded in his own recordings. ‘Might As Well Be Me’ features the songwriting of McGuinness and Lou Stonebridge. The brilliant sax was contributed by John ‘Irish’ Earle. Kelly’s voice ranges from tolerantly tender to desperate. The payoff, “If you need somebody, it just might as well be me…” is reinforced by the other poignant lyrics. ‘What Do You Want’ is enhanced by the hefty horns of the Rumour Brass. The story is told and sung with an ample amount of rising aggravation. ‘Big Fine Girl’ is trad twelve-bar with salsafied turnarounds and the lyrics are top notch: “Really good looking, got great long wavy hair/That girl’s got something can’t find anywhere.” Mick Weaver’s Hammond rocks sinfully hard while the brass men spar. ‘Sure Feels Good’ is another song with whimsical lyrics: “Sure feels good under the hood where I like to be…” With a rousing 1950s style backing vocals and dynamic slide solo from Dave Kelly and tsunamic drums by Rob Townsend, they tease mercilessly until you relax for the sizzling outro where it all blissfully comes together. ‘Grits Ain’t Groceries’ has another charming hook: Imagine this: If - “Grits ain’t groceries /Eggs ain’t poultry and Mona Lisa was a man…” Gary Fletcher penned the bouncy ‘Funny Money,’ while Paul Jones, harp maestro, gave his all on vocals. The lyrics are also bittersweet: “My shoe leather’s down to a fraction of an inch…” ‘Take Me Home’ is oddly country flavoured, but somehow fits in. ‘Oo-oo-ee’ describes what happens when too much booze and a chance encounter lead to comical, but dire consequences. The five bonus tracks on this reissue are varied in terms of songwriting, tempo and theme, though these stories are more half empty, than half full. ‘That’s It, I Quit’ and ‘Bad Luck’ will give you a clue. The album ends with the riveting ‘Boogie in the Barnyard’, where all players get to rule the roost. This is a great collection and intelligent combination for those who admire the blues genre, but want a contemporary infusion. The Blues Band’s 1983 live album ‘Bye Bye Blues’ is being released in a thirtieth anniversary double CD edition, The first disc begins with the Stonebridge/McGuinness jam ‘Come On In.’ ‘Hey, Hey, Little Girl’ is loaded with sizzling energy and concise story telling. It is all leavened by wailing blues harp. The slide-soaked ‘Death Letter’ from their debut gets their audience wildly clapping to the beat. The aforementioned ‘Grits Ain’t Groceries’ when done live has an added kick that no studio release could consistently capture. ‘Flat Foot Sam’ is a high-wired vehicle and a great platform for feisty lyrics. ‘Don’t You Lie to Me’ finds the ensemble honouring the legend Chuck Barry, but injecting snappy vocal call and response. ‘Can’t Hold On’ is a more legato, but traditional tune. The spirit comes through loud and clear when the tag is heard: “Can’t hold on much longer, I feel like everything is down on me…” This Paul Jones tune is done with tremendous emotion, from the aching vocals to the breathtaking guitar and blues harp fills. ‘It Might As Well Be Me’ is the final Stonebridge/McGuinness cut on this disc. It successfully incorporated the talented Rumour Brass ensemble. The next Berry tune ‘Nadine’ fills in the gap that the solo artist couldn’t spackle. ‘Big Boss Man’ (Smith/Dixon) features scratchy vocals and swinging turnarounds. Next up is a cover of Dylan’s ‘Maggie’s Farm.’ At first it seems to be a stretch because it goes on for more than seven minutes – after all, the chord progression here is pretty simple – but the tug of war between the guitar and blues harp make up for this in a big way. Performed live, too, this version elicits and demands full audience interaction. ‘Treat Her Right,’ written by Roy Head and Gene Kurt, was definitely choice material for Ray Charles, while here it features booming horn and writhing dynamics. The second of the two discs consists of bonus tracks. It begins with the bouncing ‘Find Yourself Another Fool’ and then ‘Big Fine Girl,’ a Jimmy Witherspoon classic. The gems continue with ‘Someday Baby,’ by Sleepy John Estes. Dave Kelly’s growl doesn’t approximate that of the original artist, but it is a triple espresso laden substitute. ‘Rolling Log,’ also on the previous album, features wonderful slide which anticipates Kelly’s vocal gymnastics. ‘Green Stuff’ is Fletcher’s charmer. It’s about a guy who, forever broke, manages to wake up in the morning and survive the day. The frenetic pace continues with ‘Boom Boom (Out Go the Lights) and decrescendos with ‘Last Night.’ ‘Baby What You Want Me to Do’ comes alive with guest singer Jo-Anne Kelly. This Jimmy Reed cover adds additional luster to the line-up. Alexis Korner artfully enhances the final tune. ‘Spoonful’ is another Willie Dixon keeper. Ian Stewart’s keyboard fills take it to a whole new exciting level. These recordings trigger many emotions. It is a shame this talented band couldn’t keep producing albums and split up later on in 1983. While they have reformed many times since and still tour, these two albums have relentless creativity, truthful lyrics and a solid foundation in the blues genre. Though several songs do repeat on these albums, it is still fun to hear the varied versions. Both CDs are highly recommended.

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