Power of the blues --- 2004 (Sanctuary)
The second album to cement Gary's return to the blues after 2001's appropriately-titled “Back to the blues”, this album shows Gary firmly establishing (or re-establishing) himself as primarily a blues guitarist after the temporary diversion of 1999's “A different beat”. It features a tight band dynamic, with old favourite Bob Daisley on bass, Darrin Mooney of Primal Scream, who had occupied the drumstool for “Back to the blues” and also on the Scars album of the same name from two years previous, back behind the kit, and new man JimWatson on keys. The album also features a few covers of blues classic, particularly those recorded by Willie Dixon.
The title track opens proceedings, a funky, boogie blues number, written by Gary with help from Daisley and Mooney, one of two on the album on which the bassman and drummer collaborate with him. Halfway in the track takes a bit of a swing, and strides along purposefully before going back to the original rhythm. It's a short song, and indeed there are no long epics on this album, unlike previous “Back to the blues”, or indeed the next one, “Old new ballads blues”: the longest track on this just shades short of six minutes, while most are around the three or four minute mark.
“There's a hole” is a powerful blues lament, though not a ballad, with hard guitar and a rasping vocal from Gary, solid drumming from Mooney helping the song along, a certain sense of menace in the melody, while “Tell me woman” is good rockin' fun, then the longest track on the album turns out to be a cover of Willie Dixon's “I can't quite you baby”, a storming blues cruncher given the sort of update Gary could hit these standards with, and yet allowing them to retain the innate charm of the original.
The first of the expected, and anticipated, blues ballads comes next, with Gary explaining “That's why I play the blues”, some really nice keyswork from Jim Watson, its slow smooth mellowness followed by the jarring “Evil”, another Dixon cover. I personally don't like this at all: there's just something about it that doesn't sit well with me. Maybe it's the stop-start talkbox guitar, maybe the jerky rhythm, I don't know, but it doesn't speak to me. At any rate, it's short and then we're into the other song on which Daisley and Mooney co-write with Gary, and “Getaway blues” is much more like it. Big, thumping, commanding bass from Daisley, a very Rory Gallagheresque vocal from Gary, heavy production.
Percy Mayfield's “Memory pain” is next up, searing guitar and some solid bass as the rhythm section hold court, then another stride blues rocker in “Can't find my baby”, and we close on the bitter “Torn inside”, with a really cool bass line running through the song. It's a decent closer, but the album I have to say overall is something of a disappointment. I far prefer the previous “Back to the blues”, and if I had to put this album on a rating scale I would probably give it a 5 or 6, maybe, but I would be generous in doing that. Really quite a letdown, sadly.
You may have got the impression that I lost interest early on, and you would be right. Less than halfway through and I was already doing other things, listening certainly but not hearing much to write about, and therefore having little to write down. I got bored, which is never a good thing to happen when you're listening to an album, much less one you want to review and much less when it's one of Gary Moore's, but I have to say in the final analysis, for me, on this album the blues were almost completely powerless.
TRACKLISTING
1. Power of the blues
2. There's a hole
3. Tell me woman
4. I can't quit you baby
5. That's why I play the blues
6. Evil
7. Getaway blues
8. Memory pain
9. Can't find my baby
10. Torn inside