I finally feel vindicated. After all the years of arguing with my daughters that this particular riff in this particular rap song was stolen from David Bowie's "China Girl", or the obvious rip-offs of the Stylistics and the Chi-Lites - among others - by the 90s boy bands like New Kids,etc., someone has finally gotten their wrists soundly slapped for musical theft.
The first few times I heard Blurred Lines my general reaction was: " Ah yes, another white dude stealing Motown riffs ". This would make me ruminate about the hundreds of old blues and R&B artists whose tunes are routinely stolen without them earning a dime (My favorite being the often repeated nugget that Bob Marley sold the rights to "I Can See Clearly Now" for $75) before reaching the conclusion that everybody steals from everybody else so that's that. The more the song started cropping up, the more I began getting seriously pissed , muttering "Marvin Gay" every time I heard it. It sounded just like "Got to Give It Up", which is a supremely funky, move your feets to the beat type get down party tune.This egregious rip off would be bad enough if it was just the beat itself, but Thicke sounds almost nearly just like Marvin Gay, which is why Gay's family apparently sued Thicke over the curious similarities - and won. True , it was buried alive in the news, an out of court settlement , but the point has been made.
Please note that I didn't say Robin Thicke was a bad singer or that some contemporary rappers routinely rip off choruses and never credit the original artist. The ongoing dialogue over copyright and sampling won't ever be easily resolved, but the issue here is credit where credit is due. In Privacy Law, you call theft of someone's name, likeness, or voice appropriation. This case, like so many others in the music biz, comes very close. I think of Bonnie Raitt's laudable efforts to help legendary blues giants like Sippie Wallace or Mississippi Fred McDowell get the recognition they deserve, or, at the other end of the spectrum, Chuck Berry's piano player suing the R & R legend because he claims he wrote a lot of Berry's songs.
Does this mean Marvin was so good that imitation really is the sincerest form of flattery ? Or does this mean that the technology of mixing, mashing, scratching, over dubbing and "skanking" is now comparable to - gulp! - music ?
Friday, January 17, 2014
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Bye Bye Phil
I guess I've always taken the Everly Brothers for granted, but ever since Phil Everly's death on January 3, 2014, I am beginning to realize how important Don and Phil were to rock and roll. One eye opener was a series of quotes from Paul McCartney about the impact the Everlys had on McCartney and John Lennon when it came to vocal harmonies, but that fact was trumped by Paul Simon revealing that he and Art Garfunkel modeled themselves after Phil and Don as well. Their influence has also been acknowledged by artists from Linda Ronstadt to Crosby, Stills and Nash and the Beach Boys to Vince Gill. Some commentators have pointed definitively to the Everly Brothers as the originators of so-called country rock.
The Everly brothers started harmonizing growing up in Iowa singing on their father Ike Everly's radio show and touring as the Everly family. It was after they moved to Nashville that the brothers formed a duo with the encouragement of legendary guitarist Chet Atkins, who got them an audition with Columbia, which resulted in a single that quickly tanked. In 1957, the Everly Brothers signed with Cadence Records, and recorded their first million selling single - "Bye,Bye Love". They toured with Buddy Holly in the early days, forming a lifelong friendship to the extent that Phil was a pallbearer at Holly's funeral in 1959.
The brothers quickly racked up a string of hits in the US and the UK, including: "Wake Up Little Susie," and "All I Have To Do is Dream". The Everly's biggest seller was "Cathy's Clown", which sold 8 million copies on when they recorded it for Warner Brothers in 1960, one of my favorites as well. The same era saw "When Will I Be Loved?" - immortalized in later years for the Baby Boomers by Linda Ronstadt - hit number 8 on the charts.Their stats are off the wall -36 Billboard Top 100 singles, the record for any duo in rock and roll history. The Everly Brothers were among the first 10 artists inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
When Phil Everly died in California - the cause attributed to lifelong smoking -he was just shy of his 75 birthday. He and his brother have a legacy that blended rthymn & blues, country and rockabilly, not to mention the unforgettable harmonies which trickled down to the Hollies , the BeeGees, and many many others.
The Everly brothers started harmonizing growing up in Iowa singing on their father Ike Everly's radio show and touring as the Everly family. It was after they moved to Nashville that the brothers formed a duo with the encouragement of legendary guitarist Chet Atkins, who got them an audition with Columbia, which resulted in a single that quickly tanked. In 1957, the Everly Brothers signed with Cadence Records, and recorded their first million selling single - "Bye,Bye Love". They toured with Buddy Holly in the early days, forming a lifelong friendship to the extent that Phil was a pallbearer at Holly's funeral in 1959.
The brothers quickly racked up a string of hits in the US and the UK, including: "Wake Up Little Susie," and "All I Have To Do is Dream". The Everly's biggest seller was "Cathy's Clown", which sold 8 million copies on when they recorded it for Warner Brothers in 1960, one of my favorites as well. The same era saw "When Will I Be Loved?" - immortalized in later years for the Baby Boomers by Linda Ronstadt - hit number 8 on the charts.Their stats are off the wall -36 Billboard Top 100 singles, the record for any duo in rock and roll history. The Everly Brothers were among the first 10 artists inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
When Phil Everly died in California - the cause attributed to lifelong smoking -he was just shy of his 75 birthday. He and his brother have a legacy that blended rthymn & blues, country and rockabilly, not to mention the unforgettable harmonies which trickled down to the Hollies , the BeeGees, and many many others.
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Born Under A Bad Sign
I actually sang Albert King's "Born Under A Bad Sign" before I ever heard the original, back at the age of 19, lead singer with the legendary Phoenix Blues Band on the Vineyard, actually covering a cover of the original by the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. It wasn't until decades later cassette-diving in a mega music store closeout bin, coming up with the REAL "Born", which is actually a collection of his greatest hits, that I realized the extent of his talents. Albert's legacy ranks him as one of the "Three Kings" of the blues- BB King, Albert King and Freddie King.
The late bluesman cast a long shadow - literally. The guitarist stood 6' 4 " tall and weighed 250 pounds. His nickname was the " Velvet Bulldozer" , which stemmed - not from his size - but from the fact that he drove a bulldozer to earn money at different points in his career.
King was born Albert King Nelson in April 1923 on a cotton plantation in Indianola, Mississippi. His first exposure to music was singing in a family gospel group at a local church where his father also played guitar. King's professional career started with a band called "In The Groove Boys" from Arkansas. He spent time in Gary, Indiana and St. Louis, briefly playing drums on several Jimmy Reed recordings.
King's first "hit" was a tune by Little Milton - "I'm a Lonely Man" - which Albert cut in 1959, but his first major release went to Number 14 on Billboard's R & B chart in 1961, called "Don't Throw Your Love on Me So Strong". He had adapted the Gibson "Flying V" guitar as his trademark. King recorded with several regional labels, but his career took off when he signed with the legendary Stax label in Memphis in 1966. The guitarist cut several tunes with Booker T and The MGs, including "Crosscut Saw."Stax released "Born Under A Bad Sign" a year later, which was actually a collection of all the "sides" King cut for the label.
His signature tune has been covered not only by Paul Butterfield, but Cream,. Jimi Hendrix, Bad Company's Paul Rodgers and Homer Simpson (?). King was a superstar at the age of 44.
Albert King was also unique because of his linkage to San Francisco's legendary Fillmore Auditorium, as he played several gigs for Bill Graham,and cut a couple of live albums there. The legendary collaboration with Stevie Ray Vaughan also propelled King into the mainstream, Vaughan identifying King as his greatest influence. Ironically - to me, anyway - Albert King had an influence on Albert Collins - both of them do what I call blue collar blues. After all, King has a whole song about his baby cheating on him, by heading down to the laundromat to meet up with her lover, right up there with Collins' "The Lights Are On". Albert King also dabbled unsuccessfully in trying to sound like the African American Perry Como with mixed success.
Bottom line, when King died December 21, 1992, musicians like Mick Taylor, Joe Walsh, Mike Bloomfield, Eric Clapton, Derek Trucks, Warren Haynes paid him homage along with numerous others proving convincingly that Albert King wasn't just Born Under A Bad Sign -he was Born Under A SUPERBAD Sign!
The late bluesman cast a long shadow - literally. The guitarist stood 6' 4 " tall and weighed 250 pounds. His nickname was the " Velvet Bulldozer" , which stemmed - not from his size - but from the fact that he drove a bulldozer to earn money at different points in his career.
King was born Albert King Nelson in April 1923 on a cotton plantation in Indianola, Mississippi. His first exposure to music was singing in a family gospel group at a local church where his father also played guitar. King's professional career started with a band called "In The Groove Boys" from Arkansas. He spent time in Gary, Indiana and St. Louis, briefly playing drums on several Jimmy Reed recordings.
King's first "hit" was a tune by Little Milton - "I'm a Lonely Man" - which Albert cut in 1959, but his first major release went to Number 14 on Billboard's R & B chart in 1961, called "Don't Throw Your Love on Me So Strong". He had adapted the Gibson "Flying V" guitar as his trademark. King recorded with several regional labels, but his career took off when he signed with the legendary Stax label in Memphis in 1966. The guitarist cut several tunes with Booker T and The MGs, including "Crosscut Saw."Stax released "Born Under A Bad Sign" a year later, which was actually a collection of all the "sides" King cut for the label.
His signature tune has been covered not only by Paul Butterfield, but Cream,. Jimi Hendrix, Bad Company's Paul Rodgers and Homer Simpson (?). King was a superstar at the age of 44.
Albert King was also unique because of his linkage to San Francisco's legendary Fillmore Auditorium, as he played several gigs for Bill Graham,and cut a couple of live albums there. The legendary collaboration with Stevie Ray Vaughan also propelled King into the mainstream, Vaughan identifying King as his greatest influence. Ironically - to me, anyway - Albert King had an influence on Albert Collins - both of them do what I call blue collar blues. After all, King has a whole song about his baby cheating on him, by heading down to the laundromat to meet up with her lover, right up there with Collins' "The Lights Are On". Albert King also dabbled unsuccessfully in trying to sound like the African American Perry Como with mixed success.
Bottom line, when King died December 21, 1992, musicians like Mick Taylor, Joe Walsh, Mike Bloomfield, Eric Clapton, Derek Trucks, Warren Haynes paid him homage along with numerous others proving convincingly that Albert King wasn't just Born Under A Bad Sign -he was Born Under A SUPERBAD Sign!
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Goodbye Lou
The first time I ever got close to Lou Reed was at the tender age of 17 or so, staying in an apartment on St Mark's Square in New York City. Across the street was a club called the Electric Circus with a semi permanent line waiting to get in, since it had just opened and was apparently hot. The headliners were The Velvet Underground.
I bought their first album with the zeppelin-sized banana, and decided that the key to the group was the mysterious Niko. She was mesmerizing, a cool blonde with a bottomless voice, especially on "I'll Be Your Mirror". Despite the fact that she could definitely sing, it became obvious that Lou Reed was the creative force behind the band. Songs like "Heroin" and "I'm Waiting For The Man" established Reed as a creative voice as well as unofficial documentarian of the Manhattan "scene" which, at the time, was dominated by Andy Warhol. Reed and Warhol bonded, Warhol creating the giant banana on the cover , inviting the listener/purchaser to peel off the outer banana only to reveal another banana underneath.
After the band fell apart, Reed went on to success in his solo career, probably capped by the album "Transformer" in 1972, which also featured his biggest "hit" - "Walk On The Wild Side". His sly, jaded vocal is underscored by a smooth sax solo as well as one of the most repeated choruses of the 20th Century:
"And the colored girls go: Dit,dit,dit,dit-ta-dit-dit..."
No question that Reed's long career created the groundwork for punk, but he also influenced the "grundge" bands of the Pacific Northwest - Pearl Jam and Nirvana. Reed's tired vocals are a close parallel to Kurt Cobain, that same kind of world weary resignation. It's ironic that ,while the emerging San Francisco scene in the late 1960s emphasized peace,love,acid and rock and roll, the New York experience was the other end of the spectrum- dirty and scruffy and extremely real.
When Reed died on October 27 from liver disease at the age of 71, luminaries from David Byrne and David Bowie to Samuel L. Jackson to author Salmon Rushdie paid their respects. His hip contributions to the New York club scene stand on their own merits, Lou Reed capturing in his own unique way a slice of Gotham culture.
I bought their first album with the zeppelin-sized banana, and decided that the key to the group was the mysterious Niko. She was mesmerizing, a cool blonde with a bottomless voice, especially on "I'll Be Your Mirror". Despite the fact that she could definitely sing, it became obvious that Lou Reed was the creative force behind the band. Songs like "Heroin" and "I'm Waiting For The Man" established Reed as a creative voice as well as unofficial documentarian of the Manhattan "scene" which, at the time, was dominated by Andy Warhol. Reed and Warhol bonded, Warhol creating the giant banana on the cover , inviting the listener/purchaser to peel off the outer banana only to reveal another banana underneath.
After the band fell apart, Reed went on to success in his solo career, probably capped by the album "Transformer" in 1972, which also featured his biggest "hit" - "Walk On The Wild Side". His sly, jaded vocal is underscored by a smooth sax solo as well as one of the most repeated choruses of the 20th Century:
"And the colored girls go: Dit,dit,dit,dit-ta-dit-dit..."
No question that Reed's long career created the groundwork for punk, but he also influenced the "grundge" bands of the Pacific Northwest - Pearl Jam and Nirvana. Reed's tired vocals are a close parallel to Kurt Cobain, that same kind of world weary resignation. It's ironic that ,while the emerging San Francisco scene in the late 1960s emphasized peace,love,acid and rock and roll, the New York experience was the other end of the spectrum- dirty and scruffy and extremely real.
When Reed died on October 27 from liver disease at the age of 71, luminaries from David Byrne and David Bowie to Samuel L. Jackson to author Salmon Rushdie paid their respects. His hip contributions to the New York club scene stand on their own merits, Lou Reed capturing in his own unique way a slice of Gotham culture.
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Growing Up With Tom Rush
I remember vividly sitting in the Mooncusser Coffee House on Circuit Avenue in Oak Bluffs at the clumsy, awkward age of 15, spending my diminutive salary from the Chilmark Community Center on flavored caffeine drinks and seeing Tom Rush. The set would invariably end with "Wasn't That A Mighty Storm?" Imagine my surprise when I channel surfed past WGBH the other day and discovered Tom playing " Mighty Storm" just the way he did back in Oak Bluffs, sliding a knife up and down the guitar neck, belting out the chorus-" Wasn't that a MIGHT-EE storm in the mornin-now-" Except this time, he was backed by a string of musical luminaries including Jonathon Edwards and David Bromberg, not to mention several guitars electric and acoustic, violin, mandolin, bass,drums and two keyboards.Unbeknownst to yours truly, Tom is marking 50 years of being Tom Rush. He explained that "Storm" had been adapted by the legendary Eric Von Schmidt from a recording by the Reverend Sin-Killer Griffth on Easter of 1942 in a Texas prison.
"Panama Limited", the other show ending virtuoso slide tune that I remember from the Circuit Avenue era, had to do with two lovers, the man waiting for the train with the woman, who keeps begging him not to part. Rush would create different sounds witn the strings, at one point imitating the sound of sticking your ear on the rail to hear the train coming, another duplicating the engine slowing as it pulled into the station. Bo Diddley's classic "Who Do You Love?" was yet another Mooncusser favorite brought back to life in the 2013 concert, Tom's sardonic vocal -"I walked 47 miles of BARBED WIRE - Got a brand new house on the ROAD SIDE - Made outta RATTLESNAKE HIDE!" - and precise picking complemented by a rocking back up band, blending into a few choruses of "Hey Bo Diddley" in the mix.
The emotional high point that evoked a plethora of memories was Rush's mostly solo versions of "No Regrets" - "Rockport Sunday" - taking me back to many long solo rides down endless interstates fleeing dead relationships. The emotional content of the fragile chords and understated vocal wasn't lost on the immediate audience as well. His playing has always been measured and just about flawless, so each languorous chord seemed to hang effortlessly only to be replaced by the next, a lonely yet somehow reassuring melody, Ever since I started writing about the song two days ago, I have been unable to get it out of my head. I remember when this music was my companion, alone in my prep school garret, or driving around aimlessly during the twelve hour stretch of weekend that was typical of my alleged radio career, evoking pleasing images of afternoon sunlight glinting on blue fall ocean, of gentle but rocky North Shore coastline, of two pairs of footprints on a broad swath of sand.
I wouldn't be fair to Tom Rush if I didn't also mention "Joshua Gone Barbados" , his Caribbean flavored blues song that also dates from the Mooncusser days, the story of a labor organizer who abandons striking sugar cane workers on the island of Saint Vincent, with its' sad, sad refrain: "Joshua gone Barbados / Just like he don't know / People on the island / They got many a sad tale to tell." Another personal favorite of mine has always been "On the Road Again", no relation to the country anthem, but an understated road hymn to traveling musicians.
I realize now that there is very little continuity in my life, so hearing Tom Rush 50 years after the fact was strangely reassuring, providing my own kind of internal unity, linking past and present. His music may not be as well known as the Beatles or Bruce Springsteen, but Tom Rush's impact on the folk music scene was just as powerful and just as lasting.
"Panama Limited", the other show ending virtuoso slide tune that I remember from the Circuit Avenue era, had to do with two lovers, the man waiting for the train with the woman, who keeps begging him not to part. Rush would create different sounds witn the strings, at one point imitating the sound of sticking your ear on the rail to hear the train coming, another duplicating the engine slowing as it pulled into the station. Bo Diddley's classic "Who Do You Love?" was yet another Mooncusser favorite brought back to life in the 2013 concert, Tom's sardonic vocal -"I walked 47 miles of BARBED WIRE - Got a brand new house on the ROAD SIDE - Made outta RATTLESNAKE HIDE!" - and precise picking complemented by a rocking back up band, blending into a few choruses of "Hey Bo Diddley" in the mix.
The emotional high point that evoked a plethora of memories was Rush's mostly solo versions of "No Regrets" - "Rockport Sunday" - taking me back to many long solo rides down endless interstates fleeing dead relationships. The emotional content of the fragile chords and understated vocal wasn't lost on the immediate audience as well. His playing has always been measured and just about flawless, so each languorous chord seemed to hang effortlessly only to be replaced by the next, a lonely yet somehow reassuring melody, Ever since I started writing about the song two days ago, I have been unable to get it out of my head. I remember when this music was my companion, alone in my prep school garret, or driving around aimlessly during the twelve hour stretch of weekend that was typical of my alleged radio career, evoking pleasing images of afternoon sunlight glinting on blue fall ocean, of gentle but rocky North Shore coastline, of two pairs of footprints on a broad swath of sand.
I wouldn't be fair to Tom Rush if I didn't also mention "Joshua Gone Barbados" , his Caribbean flavored blues song that also dates from the Mooncusser days, the story of a labor organizer who abandons striking sugar cane workers on the island of Saint Vincent, with its' sad, sad refrain: "Joshua gone Barbados / Just like he don't know / People on the island / They got many a sad tale to tell." Another personal favorite of mine has always been "On the Road Again", no relation to the country anthem, but an understated road hymn to traveling musicians.
I realize now that there is very little continuity in my life, so hearing Tom Rush 50 years after the fact was strangely reassuring, providing my own kind of internal unity, linking past and present. His music may not be as well known as the Beatles or Bruce Springsteen, but Tom Rush's impact on the folk music scene was just as powerful and just as lasting.
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Tunes For Trayvon - Or - Where's the 21st Century Bob Dylan?
Yesterday I heard Steel Pulse' " Put Your Hoodies On" which says, among other things:
I'm go break it down-I don't understand it really - Imagine that was me -
That was walking with my hoodie
Another young life straight-Taken from a bullet - or should I say bully?
Trayvon attacked him? But how could he?
When all the evidence never added up fully...
Ain't no doubt in Jim Crow's South
Won't shut my mouth - its all about the hoodies"
It was written by singer David 'Dread' Hines as a "..plea for justice" who goes on to say:" We sensed the result but despite the outcome of the trial, the truth remains the truth and the ghost of justice will haunt this town of Sanford,Florida-forever."
I still remember the impact a young Bob Dylan had on me in the Sixties with " Oxford Town", documenting the state of Mississippi's staunch determination to keep James Meredith from getting a college degree, Bob pointing out:
Oxford town-Oxford town
Everybody's walkin' with their heads bowed down
Don't even know why we come
Better go back to where we come from
So where are the protest songs of today - the ones documenting the environmental mega-disasters like Exxon Valdez or BP in the Gulf, or bemoaning the fact that we are still in Afghanistan or complaining about the NSA surveillance program ? True, there are some gangsta rap songs that bitch about not having enough bling or a pimped out ride, but it seems the long standing American musical tradition of "social commentary" songs is dying out. The Dust Bowl laments and workingman's tunes of Woody Guthrie or Pete Seeger seem quaint compared to flash mobs and cyberattacks.
As far as tributes to Trayvon are concerned, Stevie Wonder says he'll no longer perform in any state with "Stand Your Ground" laws, Bruce Springsteen dedicated "American Skin" to Trayvon at a concert in Ireland, and both Beyonce and Jay Z met Trayvon's mother at a New York rally. The weirdest musical moment connected to the verdict happened in California when 73 year old Lester Chambers of the legendary Chambers Brothers was attacked onstage when he dedicated a song to Martin. According to eyewitnesses, a forty three year concert goer in Hayward, California jumped onstage , screaming "It's all your fault" before hitting Chambers.
Protest songs are not entirely dead; they will always be alive and well in coffeehouses and the small venues that still support folk music. I'm just waiting to see who is going to fill Bob Dylan's shoes
I'm go break it down-I don't understand it really - Imagine that was me -
That was walking with my hoodie
Another young life straight-Taken from a bullet - or should I say bully?
Trayvon attacked him? But how could he?
When all the evidence never added up fully...
Ain't no doubt in Jim Crow's South
Won't shut my mouth - its all about the hoodies"
It was written by singer David 'Dread' Hines as a "..plea for justice" who goes on to say:" We sensed the result but despite the outcome of the trial, the truth remains the truth and the ghost of justice will haunt this town of Sanford,Florida-forever."
I still remember the impact a young Bob Dylan had on me in the Sixties with " Oxford Town", documenting the state of Mississippi's staunch determination to keep James Meredith from getting a college degree, Bob pointing out:
Oxford town-Oxford town
Everybody's walkin' with their heads bowed down
Don't even know why we come
Better go back to where we come from
So where are the protest songs of today - the ones documenting the environmental mega-disasters like Exxon Valdez or BP in the Gulf, or bemoaning the fact that we are still in Afghanistan or complaining about the NSA surveillance program ? True, there are some gangsta rap songs that bitch about not having enough bling or a pimped out ride, but it seems the long standing American musical tradition of "social commentary" songs is dying out. The Dust Bowl laments and workingman's tunes of Woody Guthrie or Pete Seeger seem quaint compared to flash mobs and cyberattacks.
As far as tributes to Trayvon are concerned, Stevie Wonder says he'll no longer perform in any state with "Stand Your Ground" laws, Bruce Springsteen dedicated "American Skin" to Trayvon at a concert in Ireland, and both Beyonce and Jay Z met Trayvon's mother at a New York rally. The weirdest musical moment connected to the verdict happened in California when 73 year old Lester Chambers of the legendary Chambers Brothers was attacked onstage when he dedicated a song to Martin. According to eyewitnesses, a forty three year concert goer in Hayward, California jumped onstage , screaming "It's all your fault" before hitting Chambers.
Protest songs are not entirely dead; they will always be alive and well in coffeehouses and the small venues that still support folk music. I'm just waiting to see who is going to fill Bob Dylan's shoes
Thursday, June 6, 2013
The Real Ironman
Most of you have never heard of Michael Burks, who died a year ago in May. In his short 54 year long life, his debut album - called Make It Rain - was named one of the Top 200 greatest guitar recordings of all time by GuitarOne magazine. Burks also won the Sonny Payne Award for Blues Excellence in 2006 from the Delta Cultural Center and Living Blues magazine 2004 Critics' Award for Best Guitarist, releasing three overpowering CDs on Alligator. He had developed a legend as a "roads" scholar, who wracked up thousands of miles driving his own van from gig to gig, pretty much a necessity if an artist wants to connect to the pockets of blues aficionados scattered across the country.
Burks comes to life on Tommy Castro's Legendary R & B Review with his overpowering 10 minute virtuoso cut "Voodoo Chile". His rough voice sails soulfully from one intense verse to the next, accompanied by the monstrous sound of his guitar, spinning off riffs that sound like Jimi Hendrix or Smokin' Joe Kubek at times. but really just showcase Burks' incredible range on the instrument. The song starts out slowly and innocently like most good blues tunes do, carefully building to a spine-straightening crescendo.
One article I read on the " prestigious Internet " (Thank you for that phrase, Al Franken ! ) attributed a "blue collar" work ethic to Burks' relentless touring schedule, which made me think of Albert Collins, since his lyrics - like "The Lights Are On" or "Too Many Dirty Dishes" - reflect "workingman's" concerns, making me wonder if there really should be a new category called "blue collar blues". Check out "Make It Rain" or " I Smell Smoke" and - of course - "Ironman" , and see what you think.
Like so many other performers, Michael Burks died on the job, collapsing at the Atlanta International Airport after touring Europe, suffering a heart attack. His spirit and his stinging guitar riffs - luckily - live on.
Burks comes to life on Tommy Castro's Legendary R & B Review with his overpowering 10 minute virtuoso cut "Voodoo Chile". His rough voice sails soulfully from one intense verse to the next, accompanied by the monstrous sound of his guitar, spinning off riffs that sound like Jimi Hendrix or Smokin' Joe Kubek at times. but really just showcase Burks' incredible range on the instrument. The song starts out slowly and innocently like most good blues tunes do, carefully building to a spine-straightening crescendo.
One article I read on the " prestigious Internet " (Thank you for that phrase, Al Franken ! ) attributed a "blue collar" work ethic to Burks' relentless touring schedule, which made me think of Albert Collins, since his lyrics - like "The Lights Are On" or "Too Many Dirty Dishes" - reflect "workingman's" concerns, making me wonder if there really should be a new category called "blue collar blues". Check out "Make It Rain" or " I Smell Smoke" and - of course - "Ironman" , and see what you think.
Like so many other performers, Michael Burks died on the job, collapsing at the Atlanta International Airport after touring Europe, suffering a heart attack. His spirit and his stinging guitar riffs - luckily - live on.
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