Reviews by Jan the Lazyman
September 20, 2002
| The Gourds
- Cow, Fish, Fowl or Pig - Munich records
When you are in Austin Texas you
have to go to one of the show of the Gourds. This band got everything because
it's a journey in the musical history of American folk music. Those guys
got Alan Lomax in their blood and I can tell you how that is when you are
on one stage with The Gourds. The sound of this album is so great that
I want in the studio and copy this. My Name Is Jorge is maybe one of the
best opening songs I ever hear in my live. Roll & Tumble make me dance
and even cry in the same time. The power of Jimmy Smith and Kevin Russell
is that they stay on your tail the whole album. Max Johnston is for me
the angel in the band and when you hear the songs from his hand you need
a drink and say cheers. The album got two parts and it look like a fairy
tail and it bring me back to the Land of Yahoo. In the middle there is
a rap from the Short Guy From Chi-Town and that is a trip on his own. There
is also a special guest on the album. Dollar! Bill Johnston wrote Smoking
Bend and believe there are only a couple of songs in the world who got
this feeling. Doug Sahm's Texas Me, Ewan McColl's Dirty Old Town and now
Dollar Bill's Smoking Bend give you a reason to feel good. With this album
the Gourds are for me the best of the rest. No I don't forget Keith
and Claude because they are the cream on the cake. Cheere-o boys and don't
forget us here on the other side of the water.
|
Slobberbone
- Slippage - Blue Rose Records
There is something in Texas and now I go to Denton Texas what is after Austin maybe the second town where music is a live style. Slobberbone back with a new album and they rock like no other. Brent Best is fabulous with his pen and he made songs you never forget. His other Slobberboys Brian Lane, Jess Barr and Tony Harper got the final touch and they are Slobberbone. This rocking sound is look back to Barrel Chested a little but don't look back when you need to looking forward. The music is honest and that is how they are. Slippage is a record who is the little brother of Neil Youngs album Ragged Glory so play it loud. There is a cover on this album and it bring you back to the brothers Gibb from their sixties period. To Love Somebody is more than okay. I believe in this band from Denton and with Slippage they proved that they are the new gold rush. |