on 2008-10-01 Macavennie Said:

Rating: 8/10

Review:

on 2008-09-30 Macavennie Said:

Blues. A musical form I've always known I've loved. Just hear a few chords and you know you're listening to it. But for me the problem with blues has been that it rarely sounds fresh, or moreso that it's such a disciplined community that to be considered "authentic" a blues artist has to follow the long written rule book meticulously.

So, although i always love to hear it. I often feel i've heard it ALL before. And i usually drift back away from the blues again knowing that nothing has changed.

Its a real pleasure to find a true blues album that sounds just a little bit different. it follows ALL the rules in the rulebook, never deviating. but this IS just a little bit different.

I guess a lot of this is down to where this album originated.... ie Norway and The UK!!

I get the impression that although he's originally a yank he's currently so far away from the holders of the Blues' Rulebook (25 years in europe) that he doesnt feel so scared to tweak a few notes or to add a few chords here and there. There's nobody for a few thousand miles to tell him off

And also, the people that have been listening to this in the UK and Scandinavia are not blues officianados. just ordinary music fans enjoying listening to a real talent playing in lazy sunday pub sessions

This Blues has been allowed to breathe a little

Anyway, this album is not only a breath of fresh air in the world of blues but also a huge surprise here in the UK. We've always dabbled with the blues in this country, from the borrowed sounds of the Stones and Cream & Clapton to The Billy Childish brand of blues punk etc. But we've never come even close to hosting an artist as "genuine" as this before

His stories are told from a personal standpoint that can ring true for all of us and the chatter of Steve introducing the songs, talking of his old Hobo days and shuffling his chair on the floor between tracks all adds to the atmosphere

As does the additional input from Nick Cave and Grinderman

This was most unexpected, most welcome and an utterly enjoyably album

Welcome to the big time Steve!




"Beefheart took the blues and produced psychedelic nightmares; the Rolling Stones took the blues and produced raucous pop; Robert Cray took the blues and should have given it back; Seasick Steve takes the blues and produces the blues. Rock on."

The Sunday Times


from wiki:
Personalised Instruments


As well as an electric guitar and an acoustic guitar, Seasick Steve owns (and plays) a few obscure and personalised instruments such as these:

The Three String Trance Wonder
This is a normal guitar, but with only three strings. It has an old Harmony pickup added (with duct tape) and is played tuned to G, G and B using an E string in the A position, a D in the G position and a G in the B position. At his gigs, he often tells the story that he bought it for $75 in this condition in Como, Mississippi from a man named Sherman, who later told him he only paid $25 for it the day before. Steve vowed never to add another string, and that he would tour the world telling his story of how Sherman ripped him off.[7] All in good fun as Sherman is a good buddy. A lot of the time he also adds (while picking up or putting away the guitar) that it is the "...biggest piece of shit in the world, I swear". During recent performances, including his set at 2008's Latitude and also Leeds and Reading 2008, the guitar had only two strings.[citation needed]

The One Stringed Diddley Bow
This is a one stringed string instrument played with a slide (He uses an old screwdriver for this purpose). It consists of a 2 foot long 2x4, with a semi-loose guitar string nailed to it at both ends. It was made especially for him by James 'Super Chikan' Johnson.

The 'MDM', The Mississippi Drum Machine.
A small wooden box that is stomped upon, providing percussion. It is decorated with a Mississippi license plate, and a small piece of carpet.[8
Rating: 8/10