2008 - Reissued by Grooveyard Records
1981 – Originally issued
on Flying High Records
By Phillip Smith;
April 27, 2014
I’ve recently stumbled upon Grooveyard Record’s re-release of the
late Texas blues guitarist/songwriter Bugs
Henderson’s Still Flyin’ CD. Although, the music is thirty-three years old
now, it’s new to me, and frankly put, it’s a damn good album. In addition to
the ten tracks on the original album, this reissue, also throws in an
additional four bonus tracks, the last of which, happens to be Audio Liner Notes. It's such a unique
idea, and makes for an interesting listen as we hear the stories behind the
music. Rounding out the rest of the band is bassist Bobby Chitwood and drummer Ron Thompson.
“Baby Ruth”, a bluesy
southern rock boogie, kicks the album off and draws me right in. This is a fun one to listen to, and sounds
like it was a fun one to record as well.
Henderson plays to an
increasingly faster tempo, exhibiting some of his fabulous guitar-play. Keeping the momentum going for a song appropriately
named, “Heart Attack”, a rightfully impressive exhibition of fast-paced rockin’
blues, Henderson pulls out all the
stops as Thompson pounds the hell
out of his drums.
Henderson
proves he can slow it down a bit too, and still sound great. “Judi Likes the Blues” a song that sounds as
if it were cross-pollination between Willie
Nelson and the Allman Brothers, is
a mellow and softly played country blues track, featuring the late and great Tom Morrell dishing out some tasty
licks on his steel guitar.
I listen in awe to the killer
blues riffs, in “Not Guilty”, title track “Still Flyin’”, and instrumental, “Little
Brother”. The latter is dedicated to Bug’s
little brother, Kim who died in a car accident at the young age of Twenty-one. Psychedelically played on top of a slow, yet funky
rhythm, the emotion is felt with nearly every note.
Catching me somewhat by
surprise, this album quickly became a favorite to listen to. It’s an outstanding blend of guitar-centric Texas
Blues and boogie-laced Southern Rock.
