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Hollywood Fats

in Reviews

hollywood fatsHollywood Fats & The Paladins: Live 1985

Top Cat Records TCT-6082
Hideaway – She’s Fine – I Tried – Lawdy Lawdy Miss Mary – Whole Lotta Shakin’ – The Groove – Rooster Blues – Tear It Up – That Will Never Do – Let’s Have A Party – Mystery Train – Sidetracked – Goin’ To Get My Baby

On the paper, this cd promised to be a killer. Just imagine, Hollywood Fats, one of the best West-Coast guitar player teaming with The Paladins, one of the best rockabilly/blues combo, captured live on stage in 1985, just before Hollywood Fats joined the Blasters. The setlist was exciting too. Rockabilly meets jump blues with tunes by Freddie King, Amos Milburn, Junior Parker, and a couple of Michael Mann (Hollywood Fats) own songs. Sadly, once you put the cd in the player, it’s a huge disappointment. The sound has the quality of a poor bootleg. Worst of all, the tape doesn’t always seem to play at the right speed. With this acceleration, some solos sound goofy. That’s too bad, cause the performance is excellent, and you can hear that Fats and the Paladins are on the same wavelength.
There’s enough good music in that platter to recommend it despite the sound quality.
Fred “Virgil” Turgis

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Paladins (the)

Paladins (the) – Years Since Yesterday Alligator records – ALCD 4762 [1988] Years Since Yesterday – Good Lovin’ – Going

stone river boys

Stone River Boys (the)

The Stone River Boys – Love On The Dial Cow Island CIM016 [2010]Bluebonnet Blue – Can I Change My Mind

beverley stauber

Beverley Stauber

Beverley Stauber – Good Love / Oh Baby Pee Wee Records PWR1007 Beverly Stauber is not a great singer. She’s

Mad Tubes (the)

in Reviews

Mad Tubes (the) – Rockin’ Roots

mad tubes

El Toro [2010]
Up the Line – Little Mixed Up – Dust My Broom – Big Legs Woman – You Know You Hurt Me – T-Bone Shuffle – Wig Hat – Don’t Bug Me Baby – Black Brown and White – Don’t Be Gone Long – Love My Baby – Hot Tamales – Treat Me Right – Your Bite So Tight – Hot Road Blues

The Mad Tubes are an Italian trio that plays Chicago Blues with a rockabilly attitude similar to the Paladins or the Nervous Fellas. Next to their own numbers, the songs come from the catalogs of Robert Johnson, T-Bone Walker, and Little Walter. Both the guitar player and the bassist sing which adds diversity to their sound. It’s an enjoyable release played by three excellent musicians with solid originals. The guitar sound is OK too though I’d probably enjoyed a grittier and fuller production especially on the voices that sound a bit thin.

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

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Rossella Scarlet

Rossella Scarlet & the Cold Cold Hearts – The Day Will Come El Toro Records ET-15.128 [2019] You Were So

hollywood fats

Hollywood Fats

Hollywood Fats & The Paladins: Live 1985 Top Cat Records TCT-6082 Hideaway – She’s Fine – I Tried – Lawdy

Mitch Woods

Mitch Woods – Jukebox Drive El Toro Records Jukebox Drive – Drunk – Boppin’ The Boogie – Blue Light Boogie

Nervous Fellas (the)

in Reviews

Nervous Fellas - Born to be Wild - Nervous
Nervous Fellas – Born to be Wild – Nervous

The Nervous Fellas – Born to be Wild!

Nervous Records NERD056 [1990]
Real Gone Lover – Finally Met My Baby – Jealous Heart – I’ll Be Sorry – Get Outta this Town – Until You Came Home – Mon-Eyed – Born To Be Wild – Gimme Somethin’ Strong – Dateless Night – Evil Ways – Don’t Bug Me

This Vancouver quartet born out of the ashes of the Rockin’ Edsels and once featuring Ronnie Hayward on double bass released this album on Nervous records in 1990. The line-up at this time was Shaun Butch Murphy on Vocals, Mark Weldon on guitar, Pete Turland on doghouse bass and John Decan on drums. This is a very good and varied album, comparable in style to the Paladins, mixing powerful rockabilly (Real Gone Lover, Steppenwolf’s Born To Be Wild), Jumpin’ Rockabilly (Get Outta This Town, Jealous Heart, Until You Come Home, Dateless Night), heavy Blues (Finally Met My Baby, I’ll Be Sorry with tons of slide guitar), and some country tinged stuff (Evil Ways).
Though it’s never been reissued on cd, it’s possible to download it legally on musical platforms via Nervous.

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

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Skitzo

Skizo – Skitzo Mania Nervous NERD 028 [1987] Skitzo Mania – Doctor Death – Shipwreck Island – Witching Hour –

hollywood fats

Hollywood Fats

Hollywood Fats & The Paladins: Live 1985 Top Cat Records TCT-6082 Hideaway – She’s Fine – I Tried – Lawdy

Brian Setzer

Brian Setzer – The Knife feels like Justice EMI [1986] The Knife Feels Like Justice – Haunted River – Boulevard

Tommy Johnson

in Reissues

Tommy Johnson – 1928 – 1929

Tommy Johnson


DOCD-5001
Cool drink of water blues – Big road blues – Bye-bye blues – Maggie Campbell blues – Canned heat blues – Lonesome home blues (take 1) – Lonesome home blues (take 2) – Big fat mama blues – I wonder to myself – Slidin` delta – Lonesome home blues – Boogaloosa woman – Morning prayer – Black mare blues (take 1) – Black mare blues (take 2) – Ridin` horse – Alcohol and jake blues
Probably because he doesn’t have the same romantic aura around him as his homonym Robert, Tommy is not the Johnson that history, or more exactly the medias, remember.
His recording career was brief, only 17 titles all available here, but the quality was constant.
During two sessions, one for Victor (songs 1-8) and the other for Paramount (9 to 17) he recorded one of the most interesting, rich and unique work in term of Delta Blues, that’ll influence many generations after him (Howlin Wolf, Houston Stackhouse…). He was also one of the first to come with the “crossroad mythology”.
His voice is full of intensity especially on autobiographical pieces like “Canned heat Blues” or “Maggie Campbell Blues” (named after one of his wife) and can turn into a high pitched falsetto, sometimes close to yodel. He supports it with a solid guitar style inspired by Charley Patton. Some sides show him backed by a second guitar (Charlie McCoy) or a clarinet and a piano on Black Mare Blues.
Maybe the Paramount sides compared to the Victor recordings don’t fit your quality standards, which is not a surprise from the label (Paramount not Document), but make the effort and you’ll be rewarded ten times by the quality of the music you’ll hear.
Sadly Johnson’s bad temper and his alcoholic habits didn’t allow him to build a “serious” career, which I guess lead to more alcoholism. He lost his royalties gambling and drinking and died in extreme poverty in 1956.
His musical legacy is a must have for anyone who’s interested in Delta Blues and Blues in general.
Available here
Fred “Virgil” Turgis

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hollywood fats

Hollywood Fats

Hollywood Fats & The Paladins: Live 1985 Top Cat Records TCT-6082 Hideaway – She’s Fine – I Tried – Lawdy

Mad Tubes (the)

Mad Tubes (the) – Rockin’ Roots El Toro [2010] Up the Line – Little Mixed Up – Dust My Broom

Nervous Fellas (the)

The Nervous Fellas – Born to be Wild! Nervous Records NERD056 [1990] Real Gone Lover – Finally Met My Baby

Kokomo Kings (the)

in Albums/Contemporary artists/IJKL/Reviews

The Kokomo Kings – Too Good To Stay Away From The Kokomo Kings – Too Good to Stay Away From

 

Rhythm Bomb – RBR5848 [2017]

Too Good To Stay Away From – The River Turned To Steam – The River Turned To Steam – I Can’t Go Home Looking Like This – She’s Stealin’ Candy – Pillow Of Gold – When I Tried To Think – Girl From The Moon – I’m Your Plumber – Silicone Brain – Standing In The Cold Rain – A Wasted Day Is Forever Lost – You Need A Little Dirt (To Make The Grass Green)

Our favorite bluesmen from Scandinavia aka The Kokomo Kings  are back, not only with a new album but also with a new singer since Harmonica Sam more or less retired from the road. But don’t worry, the new boy Martin Abrahamsson perfectly fills the void and Sam is still present on this this album, singing three songs and playing harmonica too.

Well, what can I say about this band that you don’t already know ? The twelve songs, all originals written by bassman Magnus Lanshammarn, are all excellent with clever lyrics (I’ve seen her picking pockets in the welfare line / Stealing from the poor makes her feel fine / Tonight she’s going out for a special treat / Gonna feed the neighbour’s dog with poisoned meat) or more profound (You make in a day what you spend in a year (…) It doesn’t matter how much you have in the bank, you’ll die when you get too old.)

The music is top notch and groovy as hell, a perfect blend of Louisiana blues, swamp rock, Chicago blues and a dash of Rock’n’roll here and there.
This excellent album comes in a beautiful gatefold sleeve perfectly illustrated by Henrique San.

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

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Phil Trigwell

Phil Trigwell – Boogie Woogie Cowboy Rhythm Bomb Records – RBR 5643 [2005] Phil Trigwell is an Englishman who lives

hollywood fats

Hollywood Fats

Hollywood Fats & The Paladins: Live 1985 Top Cat Records TCT-6082 Hideaway – She’s Fine – I Tried – Lawdy

Mad Men (the)

Mad Men (the) – Rhythm And Sin RBR 5647 Rhythm Bomb Records RBR 5647 Rhythm and Bomb Records Dig This

D.D. Kid Combo

in Reviews

DD Kid Combo
DD Kid Combo

D.D. Kid Combo

Martin’s Garage ‎– STR-MGV-005 [2017]
Bad Luck Baby / Goodbye Baby

Coming from Martin’s Garage the label that gave us the excellent Star Time Playboys, here comes the D.D. kid Combo.
How do you like your blues? If you like it wild, mean, dirty and raw, if you like Hound Dog Taylor or modern artists like Pat Capocci, jump on this brilliant single (by the way, two songs are way too short).
With a full frontal attack of DD Kid’s guitar aptly supported by a excellent slide, an acoustic guitar and drums, these guys take no prisonners.
There’s quite a few excellent rockin’ blues combo on the scene right now, and judging by this single, DD Kid Combo are at the very top; I’m eagerly waiting for more stuff from this band.

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

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hollywood fats

Hollywood Fats

Hollywood Fats & The Paladins: Live 1985 Top Cat Records TCT-6082 Hideaway – She’s Fine – I Tried – Lawdy

Mad Tubes (the)

Mad Tubes (the) – Rockin’ Roots El Toro [2010] Up the Line – Little Mixed Up – Dust My Broom

Nervous Fellas (the)

The Nervous Fellas – Born to be Wild! Nervous Records NERD056 [1990] Real Gone Lover – Finally Met My Baby

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