Reviews roundup – Lynyrd Skynyrd vs. David Michael Miller vs. Ken Will Morton vs. Red Halo vs. Razzmattazz

Reviews roundup –  Lynyrd Skynyrd vs. David Michael Miller vs. Ken Will Morton vs. Red Halo vs. Razzmattazz

LYNYRD SKYNYRD
One More For The Fans
earMusic

When is a Lynyrd Skynyrd album not a Lynyrd Skynyrd album?  That’s when Lynyrd Skynyrd are sitting backstage watching other people sing their songs on a big screen telly, backed buy a house band, led by Don Was.

So, basically, it’s a glorified tribute album.  And it’s not the first of those to feature Lynyrd Skynyrd songs, as anyone who investigates the Skynyrd box in the Edinburgh press in the front room will attest.

But it’s a good one, with a good cast.  It’s being released on CD and DVD so it’s up to you if you want to see your musical favourites looking old and decrepit, but there are some stellar performances on offer.

Most of them take place on the second disc, after the young bucks have had their turn, but from the moment that Peter Frampton rips the show apart on ‘Call Me The Breeze’, through Trace Adkins, Charlie Daniels, Alabama and Gregg Allman it takes on another dimension.  Then Skynyrd themselves turn out for ‘Freebird’ and ‘Sweet Home Alabama’, showing everyone just how it should be done.  A stormer.

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DAVID MICHAEL MILLER
Same Soil
Food for the Soul Music

The last album from Mr Miller, “Poisons Sipped” was well-received, even by me, and now he’s back for a new one, with a strong set of players including keyboards player Jim Ehinger (Bonnie Raitt, Albert Collins), drummer Carlton Campbell and sax player Jason Moynihan (Buddy Guy).

And it’s another strong release, well designed to show off his original material.  Granted, the first few listens haven’t grabbed me as strongly as his last record, but ‘Hand Me Downs’ and ‘Memphis Belle’ were two of my favourite songs from last year, so it was a hard act to follow.

But I’m sure it will just take a wee bit of time before excellent numbers like ‘Doing Me In, Doing Me Wrong’ and ‘If’in You Hear Me’ take their place in my list of favourites.  It’s an excellent fusion of blues, soul, rock and even country, well deserving of a place on your turntable.

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KEN WILL MORTON
All’s Fair In Love & War
Rara Avis Records

Album number seven from Athens (USA) based singer-songwriter Ken Will Morton.  And, by jingo, but he likes to squeeze a lot of songs in there.

The album lasts nearly eighty minutes, so it’s safe to say that’s twice as long as it should have been.  However, if you hit the stop button after 10 of the 19 songs, then you’ll have enjoyed a rather good album of folky and gritty Americana.

Of course, quality control must be difficult when you play every instrument, sing and write the songs, and record it at home, but he does have a talent for writing with the high spots including ‘Falling From Grace’, ”Hitting Ditches’ and ‘Down The Drain’, which should give you a window into his world just from the titles.  Even if, sadly, the latter is not a Krokus kover.

Fans of world weary country ballads will find a lot (and I mean a lot) to enjoy here.

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RED HALO
Here We Come
independent

They’re all veteran musicians, who’ve been doing this a long time, so there is no question about their musical abilities.  It does seem odd to kick off your album with a cover version, though.

And if I ever find whoever nicked my 10″ vinyl in matchbook cover Drivin’ ‘n’ Cryin’ EP, blood will be spilt. I mention that, only because the cover in question is ‘Fly Me Courageous’ by the aforementioned Drivin’ ‘n’ Cryin’, who should have been huge back in the day.

Red Halo themselves hail from Pennsylvania and can be found most nights playing away in a seedy club, offering up their brand of blue collar rock to the masses.  And I’m sure it would be a good night out, with a beer in one hand while you punch the air to some gritty US rock, with ‘Never Gonna Change’ and ‘Coal Mines and Whiskey’ the best of the bunch.

Lee Lentes – guitar and vocals, Troy Hunt – drums, E-Metz – guitar and Al Dobson – bass can be proud of what they’ve done here, even if they are a little out of time for the next level.

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RAZZMATTAZZ
Sons Of Guns
7 Hard / Good-Night-Music

Did you like Rhino Bucket?  Did you like Kings Of The Sun?  Well, if you did, here’s your new favourite band.  Because, yes, the brilliantly named Razzmattazz are a bit like AC/DC.

And there is nothing wrong with that, especially as this German band have a couple of songs better than anything on the last, stodgy, release by AC/DC.  The title track, ‘Down On My Knees’ and ‘Bang Your Head’ would have happily been rock disco anthems back in the eighties, and are the kind of songs that make me very happy, just before the vision of my lost youth brings it all crashing down on me.  The bastards.

They also dabble in some blues rock and some southern rock, all of which makes this an enjoyable blast, even if they are a tad too potty mouthed for my liking.  There is nothing new under the sun, so why not just make the record that you wished your favourite band had made.  Result!

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