Johnny Guitar Watson - Giant

Once was a time when my three favourite artists were filed under W (Womack, WAR, Watson). Years later, I still find myself drawn toward the W section of a record shop first.

Johnny Guitar Watson always tried to adapt to whatever the current trend in black music was. By adapt, I mean he did his signature singing, scatting and clean Texas blues guitar playing largely unchanged, over the new-style backing. Sometimes this works really well; sometimes it doesn’t. It helps if you’re a fan, which I am.

This album tries to hit the jazz-blues-disco highs of his hit I Need It from a couple of years prior. Whilst it doesn’t achieve that, its still a decent album – mostly disco-orientated. Apart from an updated version of his early hit, Gangster Of Love and his cover of WAR’s Baby Face (She Said Do Do Do Do).

#NowPlaying
#Vinyl
#JohnnyGuitarWatson
#Giant
#Disco
#Blues
#WAR
#Music

The Robert Cray Band - Bad Influence

Robert Cray’s sophomore and breakthrough album.

I remember thinking how fresh and soulful this sounded at the time. It seemed like a real break with tradition. Cray has a soulful vocal style and crispy Strat licks, which are as much Steve Cropper as they are B.B. King. The album sounds both well-produced and raw enough at the same time.

Saw him live at the Hammersmith Odeon in 1985, and he was really good.

#NowPlaying
#Vinyl
#TheRobertCrayBand
#BadInfluence
#Blues
#Music

In about 1985, my mate Tim and me went off to the 100 Club to watch Phil Guy & Jimmy Dawkins. This remains one of the best gigs I've ever been to.

As a result of that I picked up this LP when I saw it for sale (in Our Price Records in Romford, I reckon, which rather oddly had a decent #blues section.)

Dawkins' guitar tone is class - I'm a sucker for an ES-335 - his playing is never fancy, but always delightful.

#blues
#100Club
#vinyl
#PhilGuy

#JimmyDawins
#GibsonES-335