BLINDSTONE – Blues-O-Delic Celebration (2017)
Speaking about heavy-blues, Danish outfit BLINDSTONE are one of this blog favorites. The boys are back with a new album 2017 titled “Blues-O-Delic Celebration“, this time a collection of covers amounting to a tribute to the blues. It’s not easy to re-done some classics with a modern feel – read some hard rock groove – but these Scandinavians are masterful at it.
Kicking off the album is a cover of BB King’s ‘Rock Me Baby‘. Now a cover can be two things. A carbon copy of the original or a band’s interpretation. Personally I prefer the latter as it’s interesting to listen to a song from a different angle so to speak. The original is a laid back track, while this is more forward, leaning more to blues-rock which actually gives this track some balls!
Second up is ‘Blood Stream‘, originally released by Rocky Hill, brother of ZZ Top bassist Dusty Hill. Straight away this grabs you with wailing guitar, and energetic rhythm section, this is Blindstone putting their stamp on it.
Next is Freddy King’s ‘Pack It Up‘ covered by Bonamassa on Blues Deluxe which is more of a direct version but as I said earlier, I prefer things getting a little twist or two. This is once again adding that that distinctive Blindstone blues rock stamp, which makes it more of a foot tapper in my book.
‘Me And My Woman‘ is next on the bill from the criminally underrated Shuggie Otis. The Blindstone version thankfully manages to retain elements of that New York funk groove with the underlying blues elements.
‘Old School‘ is a track unknown to myself and was originally recorded by the wonderfully named Guitar Shorty. An appropriately named track for sure as it is quite simply old school blues.
The next track ‘Something’s Got A Hold On Me’ is based on the Gales Brothers song. A slow blues number, low down and dirty with a wonderful guitar tone. Great stuff indeed.
You can’t really have an album in tribute to the blues without certain artists being covered. And so we have Howlin Wolf’s ‘Built For Comfort‘, a song which I’ve always loved for it’s lyrics. Blindstone have transformed it into what sounds like early ZZ Top, so another box ticked for me.
I’m really enjoying the selection of artists being covered on this album, people not normally covered. The next track is Leslie West’s ‘By The River‘, another southern soaked blues rock extravaganza which sounds more full bodied than the original, rocking indeed.
Having mentioned that ‘Little Old Band From Texas’ ZZ Top earlier we now arrive at a cover of the band’s ‘Bar-B-Q‘, originally to be found on Rio Grande Mud. Martin J. Andersen has nailed the sound of Billy Gibbons’ guitar. Just over three minutes of musical bliss and sharp riffs.
We re-visit the legendary BB King with ‘The Blues Come Over Me‘, the guitar riff just gets your foot tapping and your hand starts to wander into air guitar mode!
Then there’s Slim Harpo’s ‘Finger On The Trigger‘. I can see why this appears as the original is quite a funky blues number and I know Martin is rather partial to a bit of funky guitar.
Slowing things right down is ‘Stone Crazy‘. Again from a blues legend, Mr Buddy Guy. Blindstone have for want of a better phrase, thickened out the sound, giving it almost some angst, but not taking away the essence of the song.
I’m not in the slightest bit surprised which artist is being covered on the last track on the album. Blindstone wouldn’t be Blindstone without some Jimi Hendrix in the mix somewhere.
The Hendrix track chosen to close is ‘Hey Joe‘. Well I’ve never heard the band do a poor job when it comes to playing anything by Hendrix and this is no exception. What’s really great is Martin’s son Magnus Andersen, and Jens Andersen, his dad, are both guesting on guitar.
If you’re already a Blindstone fan then you’ll enjoy “Blues-O-Delic Celebration”. And if you like your classic rock / blues spiced with a certain hard rock groove then you’ll love this as well.
To sum up, if you want to hear a covers album that isn’t ‘covers-by-numbers’ then this is the CD you’ll need to hear this weekend.
Highly Recommended
01. Rock Me Baby
02. Blood Stream
03. Pack It Up
04. Me and My Woman
05. Old School
06. Somethin’s Got a Hold on Me
07. Built for Comfort
08. By the River
09. Bar-B-Que
10. Finger on the Trigger
11. The Blues Come over Me
12. Stone Crazy
13. Hey Joe
Martin J. Andersen – Guitar & vocals
Jesper Bunk – Bass
Sigurd Johnk-Jensen – Drums
Magnus & Jens Andersen – guest Guitar
BUY IT !
www.grooveyardrecords.com/blindstonebluesodeliccelebration.html
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