BERNIE MARSDEN – Big Boy Blues And Green 1995-2005 [Cherry Red 4xCD Box Set] (2023)

British guitarist BERNIE MARSDEN rocked the world as member of Whitesnake co-writing the US No.1 single ‘Here I Go Again’, he also graced with his playing the likes of UFO, Paice Ashton Lord, Alaska, Cozy Powell’s Hammer, Babe Ruth – just to name a few. However his foundational roots are within the blues.
Marsden solo career has been solid too, with hard rock oriented albums at the beginning, and blues based later. Now Cherry Red Records is releasing ”Big Boy Blues And Green 1995-2005”, a 4-disc Box Set collection making a fair case for reappraisal of his bluesy side.
It takes in Green & Blues – 1995’s tribute to Peter Green – 2003’s Big Boy Blue, a disc of outtakes / alternate versions, and a February 2003 concert from The Granary, Buckingham that features a brass-drenched stomp through ‘Knock On Wood’ and ends with Whitesnake’s ‘Here I Go Again’, reworked as an acoustic strum with singer Sharon Watson working wonders on backing vocals.

A major influence on the young Marsden was the original Fleetwood Mac, and on ‘Green And Blues’ (CD1) he pays homage to his heroes, most notably to one of the musical world’s most influential and best-loved guitarists, Peter Green.
‘Green And Blues’ kicks off with Freddie King’s ‘Hideaway’, informed by the work of Eric Clapton with John Mayall’s Blues Breakers, but of the 15 tracks, Fleetwood Mac are the greatest influence, from Jeremy Spencer’s ‘My Heart Beats Like A Hammer’ to Green’s ‘Love That Burns’ and the poignant ‘Man Of The World’.
In the sleeve-notes, Marsden is keen to point out that his Green tribute preceded Gary Moore’s ‘Blues For Greeny’.

CDs 2 and 3 feature ‘Big Boy Blues’ and ‘Big Boy Blues: The Sessions’, which, as Bernie waxes lyrical about in the liner notes: “Throughout my professional career I have always tried to play music that moves people and makes them enjoy themselves. This is the kind of music that inspired me in the early days.”
Featuring original songs penned by Bernie, the album includes a further homage to Peter Green with ‘Loved Another Woman’. Marsden’s own ‘Working For The CSA’ and his lovelom ballad ‘Place In My Heart’ benefit from a lightness of touch, but when he gets earthier on a harmonica-led version of Sonny Boy Williamson’s ‘Do It If You Wanna’ there’s real fire.
CD3 contains many outtakes, demos and alternative versions from the same ‘Big Boy Blues’ sessions, being a highlight a languid stroll through Big Joe Turner’s ‘Someday After’.

CD4 sees Bernie take it on the road. Recorded at The Granary, Buckingham in February 2003, the set kicks of with George Jackson’s ‘Downhome Blues’, branching out from solely blues and R&B, with the band’s worthy covers of 60s standards, ‘How Sweet It Is’ and ‘Hold On I’m Coming’.
The set concludes with Bernie’s biggest hit, a duet with Sharon Watson on the Whitesnake classic ‘Here I Go Again’.

He’ll always be defined by his stint in Whitesnake, but Bernie Marsden might just be the greatest British blues guitarist of his generation. The music packed into this very good Box Set proves that.
Highly Recommended

DISC 1 GREEN AND BLUES (1995)
1 Hideaway
2 Don’t Want No Woman
3 If You Be My Baby
4 Little Girl
5 Rollin’ Man
6 Merry Go Round
7 Watchout
8 Snowy Wood
9 My Heart Beats Like Hammer
10 Shake Your Money Maker
11 Love That Burns
12 The Welfare (Turns It’s Back On You)
13 Steppin’ In
14 The Supernatural
15 Man Of The World

DISC 2 BIG BOY BLUE (2003)
1 Burn Your Bridges
2 Working For The C.S.A.
3 Man Or Mouse
4 Dream On
5 Downhome Blues
6 Lady Friend
7 Memphis
8 Funny People
9 Loved Another Woman
10 Pick It Up
11 Do It If You Wanna
12 Place In My Heart
13 Tone Down

DISC 3 BIG BOY BLUE: THE SESSIONS (2003)
1 Wiggin’s Wail (Alternate Mix)
2 Someday After (Alternate Mix)
3 Dream On (Session Outtake)
4 Working For The C.S.A. (Session Outtake)
5 I’m Tore Down
6 Pick It Up (Acoustic Demo)
7 Pick It Up Groove (Session Outtake)
8 Do It If You Wanna (Alternate Mix)
9 Place In My Heart (Alternate Vocal Mix Version)
10 Funny People (Alternate Harmonica Mix Version)
11 If You Be My Baby (Alternate Version)
12 Place In My Heart (Instrumental Mix)

DISC 4 BIG BOY BLUE LIVE AT THE GRANARY (2005)
1 Downhome Blues
2 I’m Tore Down
3 Funny People
4 Key To The Highway
5 Loved Another Woman
6 Knock On Wood
7 3 O’Clock Blues
8 Man Or Mouse
9 Place In My Heart
10 How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)
11 Hold On I’m Coming
12 Here I Go Again

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