Wilko Johnson - I Keep It to Myself: The Best of Wilko Johnson

  by Spencer Robertshaw

published: 3 / 4 / 2017

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Review

In my opinion Wilko Johnson is the one of the best guitar players out there. He has a guitar style which involves playing both rhythm and lead at the same time, which is no easy task as any guitar player will tell you. His sharp, staccato riffs cut into the tracks adding vital energy and verve. His technique of not using a plectrum is also unique as it is liable to leave the player's hand bloody and his finger tips shredded. He claims in fact that his use of a red and black Fender is to "hide the blood." It is a style he developed from watching his guitar hero and the world class guitarist Mick Green. Wilko's past musical ventures have included a fruitful term with Dr Feelgood whose style has been said to of influenced and helped start many of the past punk bands we know today. There is not a decent musician or band who can't reference Dr Feelgood or Wilko Johnson as being the start of that kind of style and, to quote Jean Jacques Burnel of the Stranglers, as being "the bridge from the old times to the punk times." The Feelgoods sub three minute songs are also a measure to which many bands including the Ramones would try to keep to as a template to punk performance. The outstanding Blockheads bassist Norman Watt Roy adds a jazzy/funky touch to these blues and rock and roll tracks. The beats are supplied by Dylan Howe who has his timing aligned with the atomic clock in the way he keeps the band's heartbeat going. This is also a landmark purchase as Wilko had a big battle with a massive tumour successfully removed in a groundbreaking operation. Having an up to date catalogue of his playing is, therefore, the perfect way to celebrate this extremely talented man and his band. It would not be fair to try and pull out a particular track as each track on this 'best of' has its own high merits, but I will mention ‘She Does It Right’ for it s guitar riff which once heard is never forgotten, ‘Roxette’ for its infectiouslyrics and ‘Back in the Night’ for its catchy verses. This is a twenty-five song album, all the songs of which were re-recorded between 2008 and 2012, so you get a complete fine-tuned performance of each track making it be the best value music purchase your going to make this year. I was fortunate enough to seen Wilko live on the first tour after his operation which at the end had four encores. Nothing had jaded his amphetamine-like jutting and strutting performance which saw him moving around the stage with the same vigour and steam as he applied in the early Feelgood days. This double album is best turned up loud. Try it once and you will see why. it comes very highly recommended.

Track Listing:-

1 Roxette
2 She Does It Right
3 I Keep It To Myself
4 Ice On The Motorway
5 Back In The Night
6 Turned 21
7 Paradise
8 Barbed Wire Blues
9 Dr Dupree
10 Sneaking Suspicion
11 Living In The Heart Of Love
12 Some Kind Of Hero
13 Twenty Yards Behind
14 Out In The Traffic
15 Cairo Blues
16 The Hook
17 Keep On Loving You
18 All Right
19 When I'm Gone
20 Come Back And Love Me
21 She's Good Like That
22 The Beautiful Madrilena
23 Underneath Orion
24 Down By The Waterside
25 I Really Love Your Rock 'n' Roll

Band Links:-

https://www.facebook.com/WilkoJohnsonB
http://wilkojohnson.com/
https://twitter.com/wilkojohnson