Ruf Records, 2014
By Phillip Smith;
February 21,
2014
Keeping with tradition, Kim Simmonds and Savoy Brown has returned once again to the studio to record another
batch of hot electric Blues for our listening pleasure. The album is called Goin’ to the Delta, and alongside of Simmonds, is bassist Pat DeSalvo and drummer Garnet Grimm.
What I really like about this
disc, besides the music itself, is the cohesiveness of the songs, all penned by
Simmonds, by the way. This is album-oriented music, which is best
heard from beginning to end, unlike the music popularized with the MP3
generation, where the song is the final product, and not the album. Simmonds takes us on a journey fit for
the Blues, which passes through the realms of infatuation, rejection,
loneliness, desperation, and reconciliation.
Simmonds
sets everything up with the first track, “Laura Lee”. It’s fast-paced with a hint of rockabilly. This
is roadhouse Blues at its best.
Following with “Sad News”, he brings it down a couple of notches, both
in mood and tempo. If I didn’t know better, I’d say this one, about lost love, was
written in the Thirties. It sounds so timeless
and genuine. Then, there is “Nuthin’ Like
the Blues”, a fun and cleverly written homage to the Blues itself, with
references to howlin’ wolves, rollin’ and tumblin’, as well as dusting brooms. Although the song doesn’t sound like the legendary
classic, “Crossroads”, it certainly makes me think of it when I hear it.
I love the way the
instrumental track, “Cobra” gets my adrenalin flowing. I call this ear candy because of its fast
moving catchy riffs and hit bluesy licks.
Then, I like the fun little romp Simmonds
takes us on, as he heads out for a little free-trade non-committal loving, in
the song “Turn Your Lamp On “. He then breaks
out some killer slide on “I Miss Your Love”, as he pines for the woman who left
him for another man. Closing on a
positive note, Simmonds plays his
heart out and raises the mood and energy with “Going Back”, about going back to
his baby because he’s been away too long.
Savoy Brown
has been a mainstay in the Rock and Blues community for the better portion of
fifty years, and I’m so glad to see their legacy continue on with the album, Goin’ to the Delta.
