So, having done the Glitterati, it's time once again to whip up an album that the majority of you will have no idea about - Kenny Wayne Shepherd…
The album "Trouble Is…" is the second studio album, released in 1997, by a young, up-and-coming blues guitarist at the time, especially following ... Read review
A review by carl.mcqueen on Trouble Is... - Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band December 19th, 2006
Author's product rating:
Originality
Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics
Thought-provoking
Quality and consistency of tracks
A couple of weak links
Value for Money
Good
Advantages:
Cracking bit of blues/rock
Disadvantages:
A relative unknown
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
So, having done the Glitterati, it's time once again to whip up an album that the majority of you will have no idea about - Kenny Wayne Shepherd…
The album "Trouble Is…" is the second studio album, released in 1997, by a young, up-and-coming blues guitarist at the time, especially following the hype of his debut album "Ledbetter Heights", and this outing showed his potential.
Opening with tracks "Slow Ride" and "True Lies", they both show his incredible capabilities with an electric guitar - solos and riffs that many greats of the genre would have been thoroughly impressed and proud of. Having been so long since I last listened to the album, it stands out more now seeing as I feel I appreciate the genre more. It's complexity and "catchy-ness" are second to none when it comes to guitar music.
Track 3 is "Blue On Black", a track that first drew my attention to KWS. It's slightly different to the previous songs as it's slightly more "relaxed" - the electric guitar isn't attempting to kick out a lick or a solo left, right and centre. Instead it's more contained, shows structural competence and is an all-round cracker of a tracker - one for people to download if they know nothing and want to know more about him.
Then he comes out with a couple of covers, and not just covers by nobodies that he can bring to people's attention for the very first time, but instead "Everything Is Broken" by Bob Dylan and "I Don't Live Today" by Jimi Hendrix - hardly lightweights in musical terms now are they?! The former of these two tracks is pulled off superbly, and perhaps if I just whisper it, is my preferred choice over the original. The latter is still a worthy attempt, and rather uncannily, KWS's vocals are a tad too close to Hendrix's own not to be noticed - not that it's a bad thing!
The consistence of the rest of the album, thankfully, doesn't wane too much. Sure, as you'd expect seeing as this album hasn't made it 'mainstream', there is the odd weak link. Tracks like "Somehow, Somewhere, Someway" and "King's Highway" are top tunes, but for me at least, tracks such as "I Found Love (When I Found You)" don't do it for me. This maybe because of the use of pianos and slow guitaring…it just seems a bit too clichéd and generally 'cheesy' for my liking.
But where can you expect to find a copy of the album these days?! The Internet of course! Having had a quick look, it looks like you can get it off Amazon for anywhere around £3.50 for the Warner Bros version, or around £14 for the original Giant Records version - the difference of which I'm not entirely sure!
Nowadays, I honestly don't know what Mr KWS and his band are up to...the last I heard was that they are still trawling across the US of A performing...it's a shame he's not really burst onto the scene however, as listening to this album, it's clear how much potential he has...whether it'll ever get fulfilled is a different matter though.
Label / Distributor: Giant / Sony Music/Arvato Services
Guest Artist(s): Shepherd, Kenny Wayne Band
Engineer: Karl Derfler
Producer: Jerry Harrison
Pieces in Set: 1
Studio / Live: Studio
Stereo: Stereo
Format: Performer
EAN: 743214627020
Catalogue Number: 74321462702
Titles on disc 1
1.: Slow Ride
2.: True Lies
3.: Blue On Black
4.: Everything Is Broken
5.: I Don't Live Today
6.: Long Gone
7.: Somehow Somewhere Someway
8.: I Found Love (When I Found You)
9.: King's Highway
10.: Nothing To Do With Love
11.: Chase The Rainbow
12.: Trouble Is
Ciao
Listed on Ciao since : 19/12/2006
Additional notes
Album Notes: Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band: Kenny Wayne Shepherd (vocals, guitar); Noah Hunt (vocals); Joe Nadeau (guitar); Jimmy Wallace (keyboards); Robby Emerson (bass); Sam Bryant (drums). Additional personnel: James Cotton (harmonica); Reese Wynans (keyboards); Tommy Shannon (bass); Chris Layton (drums); Stephanie Spruitt, Patricia Hodges (background vocals). Recorded at The Plant Recording Studio and Studio D, Sausalito, California; Dogma Studio, New York, New York. All tracks have been digitally mastered using HDCD technology. "Trouble Is..." was nominated for the 1999 Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. After releasing a debut that drew raves from people such as James Brown and B.B. King, Kenny Wayne Shepherd followed it up with an album that demonstrates how much musical growth this childhood prodigy has experienced in two years. On TROUBLE IS..., Shepherd's playing still reflects the huge influence of the late Stevie Ray Vaughan (particularly on the instrumental title track that finds him joined by Double Trouble and Reese Winans), but new singer Noah Hurt also colors everything with a growl reminiscent of Paul Rodgers. Moving slightly away from the country-blues of LEDBETTER HEIGHTS, Shepherd's strong rhythmic touch shines on everything from juke-joint exercises ("[Long] Gone" with James Cotton) to the transformation of Dylan's "Everything's Broken" into a roadhouse rave-up. Although this Shreveport native's guitar lends itself to more up-tempo material (check out "Chase The Rainbow"), slower songs are where the 20-year old digs deep into the heart of the blues. The pure emotion found in "Blue On Black" and "I Found Love (When I Found You)" shows that Shepherd can carry on the legacy of the blues for many years to come.
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