The Reverend's Favorite CDs of 2015

Real rock ‘n’ roll music may have been on the ropes in 2015, but many blues and blues-rock musicians continue to thrive and survive, with some veteran artists releasing the best work of (often) lengthy careers. Looking at the Billboard “Hot 100” singles, there’s not a single legit rocker among songs by Adele, Justin Bieber, and Drake; over on the trade magazine’s Top 200 albums list, you won’t find but one rock band in the first 20 spots, a Beatles’ CD reissue…

Yes, ‘tis a dire time commercially for rock ‘n’ roll, although there is still a great amount of it being recorded and released these days, usually by smaller indie labels. Blues music and its related sub-genres is growing in popularity but, like Rodney Dangerfield, it gets no respect in spite of the fact that the blues is the root influence of rock and country music alike. No matter, ‘cause around That Devil Music World HQ, we don’t care about labels or vintage – witness our list of the Rev’s fave reissue and archive albums for 2015 – we just want to listen to great music! 

The Reverend’s list below of favorite CDs for the year isn’t necessarily a roll call of “the best” of 2015 – although several of these titles would certainly qualify on their merit – but rather those discs that spent the most time bouncing off your humble critic’s eardrums over the past few months. Forget about those other publications’ lists and their predictable choices…you can’t go wrong cueing up any of these fine albums when you need to satisfy your rock ‘n’ blues fix… 

Gary Clark Jr. – The Story of Sonny Boy Slim
Gary Clark Jr. once again defied expectations with his sophomore effort, the album’s throwback musical vibe owing a debt of gratitude to Jimi Hendrix, Arthur Lee, and Sly Stone as Clark gets his soul groove on in a big way. The Story of Sonny Boy Slim isn’t, strictly speaking, a blues album – at least not as your grand-pappy would recognize it. Instead, it’s an entertaining, masterful, fluid collection of blues, soul, and funk guaranteed to send traditionalists into an apoplectic frenzy while the rest of us dance to the music. (Warner Brothers Records)

Shemekia Copeland – Outskirts of Love
Shemekia Copeland is one of the best singers performing today, regardless of musical genre. That the daughter of legendary Texas guitarslinger Johnny Copeland could sing the blues was pre-ordained; that Copeland’s so damn good singing in other styles is pure joy. Copeland’s Outskirts of Love marks her return to Alligator Records, but she’s not singing the same old song, the album featuring a rich blend of blues, soul, and roots-rock that will astound the casual listener while rewarding Copeland’s long-time fans. (Alligator Records)

Ted Drozdowski’s Scissormen – Love & Life
Guitarist Ted Drozdowski fronts the Scissormen, one of the leanest, meanest, bad-ass gang of juke-joint blues noisemakers to roll down the highway on four fiery, alcohol-fueled wheels in as long as the Rev can remember. Ted’s gruff, soulful vocals, erudite songwriting chops, and greasy six-string pyrotechnics, combined with the band’s percussive din, make the Scissormen natural heirs to the Delta and Hill Country blues traditions. Love & Life is the second Scissormen studio album, each song featuring an aggressive, primal sound that straddles the fence between traditional country-blues and highly-amped blues-rock. You won’t find a tastier slab o’ off-highway juke-joint blues than Love & Life anywhere these days… (Dolly Sez Woof Recordings)
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Steve Earle & the Dukes – Terraplane
Blues music is the father to the entirety of American music, and in few places is this tradition stronger than in the state of Texas. Steve Earle’s Terraplane represents the latest fraternization between blues and country, a long and respected tradition that began, perhaps, with Blind Lemon Jefferson and runs in a line through Sam Hopkins to Bill Neely to Townes Van Zandt and beyond to Earle and even his son Justin. Terraplane offers up all that the singer’s fans have come to expect – whipsmart lyrics and storytelling; the singer’s immense charisma; and well-constructed, skillfully-performed, often adventuresome music. Earle has always drawn from the whole spice rack of Americana in creating his own unique musical gumbo; this time around he just throws a bit more blues flavor into the pot. No matter what you want to call it, Terraplane is one damn fine collection of roots ‘n’ blues music. (New West Records)
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Billy Gibbons – Perfectamundo
ZZ Top frontman Billy Gibbons’ first-ever solo LP grows on you, kind of like kudzu – on first listen, my impressions were along the line of “what the hell was he thinking?” Two, three spins down the road and my interest was piqued, and by the fifth or sixth time putting Perfectamundo on the box, I found myself grinning in spite of myself. Gibbons expands his musical palette here, allowing his guitar greater freedom to soar into new territory while exploring different tones and textures with his lyrics and singing. Perfectamundo is an engaging, and entertaining – if surprising – solo debut from one of rock music’s legendary guitarists. (Concord Records)
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Graveyard – Innocence & Decadence
Sweden’s Graveyard began life in 2006 as a loud, sludge-rock doom metal outfit, but during the ensuing years the band’s musical inspiration has swerved more towards Cream and Peter Green’s original Fleetwood Mack and away from Sabbath. The new direction looks good on them, as Innocence & Decadence – Graveyard’s third album for Nuclear Blast Records (and fourth LP overall) – offers up a breakneck mix of hard rock and metallic blues that makes full use of leather-lunged frontman Joakim Nilsson’s Robert Plant-styled vox and guitarist’s Jonatan Larocca Ramm’s seemingly bottomless trick bag of tasty licks, leaden riffs, and screaming notes. Innocence & Decadence belongs in this year’s Top Ten, if only for the breathtaking “The Apple & The Tree,” which offers Nilsson’s vocals dancing on the razor blade of Ramm’s Mark Knopfler-influenced fretwork. (Nuclear Blast Records)

The Pretty Things – The Sweet Pretty Things (Are In Bed By Now, of Course…)
Although a stalwart Pretty Things fan, the Reverend’s expectations for The Sweet Pretty Things (Are In Bed By Now, of Course…) were not such that I was looking for the ‘Second Coming’. Still, the band’s first studio LP since 2007’s Balboa Island (not too shabby itself, in retrospect) features the core members in original singer Phil May and guitarist Dick Taylor, along with long-time guitarist Frank Holland (on board since 1999’s ...Rage Before Beauty). The result is an entertaining, energetic mix of guitar-driven garage-rock, psychedelic-rock, and blues-rock that blows away bands half the aggregate age of the Pretties. May’s old-school British R&B croon still has plenty of punch, and Taylor’s reckless fretwork cuts deep through the imaginative, musically-rich arrangements here. The new songs are instrumentally impressive, while a cover of the Byrds’ “Renaissance Fair” will have you reaching for the bong like it’s 1968 all over again. The Pretty Things are proof that rock ‘n’ roll is the fountain of youth, The Sweet Pretty Things… a tonic for what ails ya! (Repertoire Records)

Keith Richards – Crosseyed Heart
More than a decade since the last Rolling Stones studio album (2005’s A Bigger Bang) and nearly a quarter-century since his previous solo effort (1992’s Main Offender), guitarist Keith Richards managed to leave listeners gob-smacked with Crosseyed Heart. The performances sound spontaneous – not like an unformed, meandering jam – but rather like a well-seasoned veteran band stumbling into the studio, laying down the session, and then heading out to the local watering hole for some liquid refreshment. Richards scratches the various musical itches that have plagued him for years now, experimenting with reggae (a brilliant cover of Gregory Isaacs’ “Love Overdue” mixing Island rhythms and doo-wop sentimentality), folk-blues (a spirited cover of Leadbelly’s “Goodnight Irene”), boogie-blues (the original “Blues In The Morning”) and, of course, rock ‘n’ roll. Although an altogether more laid-back effort than previous solo albums, Crosseyed Heart nevertheless lives up to Richards’ legend, displaying why Keef is rock music’s most notorious – and revered – guitarist. (Republic Records)      

Walter Trout – Battle Scars
Beloved blues-rock guitarist Walter Trout almost died in 2014 and, after receiving a liver transplant, he spent much of 2015 recuperating from his dance with the Reaper. At some point, Trout entered the studio with a brace of new songs, resulting in Battle Scars. The album is Trout’s Inferno, a tale of redemption and rebirth that doesn’t shy away from reality but rings loudly with hope…it’s also the best album, in all facets, that Walter Trout has ever recorded, full of emotion and insight. (Provogue Records)

Webb Wilder – Mississippi Mōderne
I don’t believe that Webb Wilder has every made a bad record – only good and great – and the Rev has heard every single one of ‘em! Still, Mississippi Mōderne is, perhaps, the best album Wilder’s made since It Came From Nashville. In the hands of a lesser artist, this ramshackle mix of garage-rock, blues, and old-school country music would sink like an over-inflated soufflé, and the album’s often over-the-top lyrics would lack in sincerity coming from a singer without Wilder’s charismatic personality. Backed by the grizzled veterans that comprise the Beatnecks, though, Wilder delivers a powerful and entertaining collection in Mississippi Mōderne. (Landslide Records)
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Honorable Mention: I received a copy of Dan Baird & Homemade Sin’s Get Loud album late in the year or else it probably would have squeezed its way onto the list above. Nashville bands Snakehips and the Great Affairs both released rockin’ LPs this past year. They’re doing some fine work over at Alive Natural Sound Recordings, and both Datura4’s Demon Blues and Dirty Streets’ White Horse are worthy of inclusion here…plus, you can buy Alive’s releases through the Bomp Records store and often get vinyl/CD bundles for a price that won’t cripple you financially.

Other good stuff you may want to check out – albums by Barrence Whitfield & the Savages, British blues-rock band King King, the always eerie metallic Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats, and the debut album by the Arcs.  

 

The Reverend's Favorite Reissue & Archive CDs of 2015

2015 was a golden year for classic rock and blues fans. The major labels continued to mine gold with high-budget archival box sets and budget-priced reissues of albums from artists both obscure and legendary. Listed below are the Reverend’s favorite reissue and archive releases of the year, those titles that found the most playing time here in our That Devil Music World HQ.

Noticeable by their absence are any of those aforementioned premium box sets. As much as I’d like to include stuff like Bruce Springsteen’s The Ties That Bind: The River Collection (roughly $90 on Amazon) and the Pretty Things’ Bouquets From A Cloudy Sky ($180), or similarly-priced boxes from Bob Dylan, Velvet Underground, Them, and others on my year-end list, I can’t afford to buy them and thus can’t review them. One would think that the labels would eventually price themselves out of the market, but it didn’t happen this year. Here are ten fine CDs that all of us can afford to buy… 

The Beckies – The Beckies
The Beckies are one of those “Holy Grail” bands for power-pop fiends. Featuring talented frontman Michael Brown (Left Banke, Stories), the Beckies made one album in 1976 of rockin’ pop not dissimilar to Badfinger or the Raspberries. The band’s self-titled LP quickly went out-of-print and then disappeared, and it hasn’t been reissued on CD until this year. The Beckies were Brown’s final stop in rock ‘n’ roll, and he co-produced the album and co-wrote all of the songs with drummer Gary Hodgden as well as played keyboards on the album. Released at least a half-decade before its time, the album’s fusion of classic rock and energetic power-pop is timeless. Although some fans are chuffed about the lack of bonus tracks on the CD reissue, others have found solace in music historian Jeremy Cargill’s detailed liner notes. (Real Gone Music)

Michael Bloomfield, Nick Gravenites & Friends – Steelyard Blues OST
The long-lost soundtrack to an obscure 1970s movie, Steelyard Blues, was put together by legendary guitarist Michael Bloomfield and underrated singer/songwriter Nick Gravenites with help from friends like Paul Butterfield, Maria Muldaur, and Merl Saunders. The album’s inspired blend of original blues, rock, and country tunes still sounds fresh and vital today. Sometimes albums become lost for a reason, but for any blues and/or roots-rock fan, Steelyard Blues is worth your time and money. (Real Gone Music)

The Dictators – The Dictators Go Girl Crazy!
One of the best-known cult bands in rock ‘n’ roll, the Dictators’ classic 1975 debut album, The Dictators Go Girl Crazy!, has proven to be an enduring classic. Critically acclaimed at the time for its proto-punk sound – a fast ‘n’ loud aesthetic heavily influenced by 1960s-era garage-rock and British Invasion bands – and irreverent lyrics littered with pop culture references to pro wrestling, crappy television shows, hot rods, and fast food, the album has outlived its early. This deluxe 40th anniversary reissue is the album’s first re-vamping in 20 years, and includes nine bonus tracks to accompany the nine original songs, including two inspired remixes by Dictators fan Andrew W.K. Band member Adny Shernoff contributed liner notes for this reissue, and the package include several rare, previously unseen photos. The Dictators would go on to make better albums, but the charm and the energy of their debut is unrivaled. (Real Gone Music)
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Michael Fennelly – Lane Changer
Singer, songwriter, and guitarist Michael Fennelly isn’t the most obscure of cult heroes, but his status as a critic’s darling and favorite of 1960s-era rock aficionados is undeniable. After fronting the revered power-pop band Crabby Appleton for a pair of acclaimed albums, Fennelly launched his solo career with this 1973 debut, Lane Changer. An awe-inspiring collection of pure, inspired rock ‘n’ roll songcraft that, in any other year, may have exploded into the mainstream, Fennelly’s superb initial effort was buried in a veritable landslide of great music released during 1973. This long-overdue reissue on CD provides fans and newcomers a chance to rediscover Fennelly’s enormous talents. (Wounded Bird Records)
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Jimi Hendrix Experience – Freedom: Atlanta Pop Festival
One of the last major touchstones from the seemingly endless Hendrix back catalog to see release, Freedom: Atlanta Pop Festival is simply stunning. Performing in front of the largest audience Hendrix would experience, his headlining appearance at the Atlanta Pop Festival was assisted by bassist Billy Cox and drummer Mitch Mitchell. The seasoned trio would tear through a set of familiar songs – rockers like “Fire,” “Foxey Lady,” and “Purple Haze” among them – as well as dabble in a bit of sonic experimentation (“Stone Free”), rare cuts (“Room Full of Mirrors”), new songs (“Straight Ahead”) and, of course, the blues (“Red House,” Hear My Train A Comin’”). An explosive reading of the “Star Spangled Banner” beats the Woodstock version hands down and is accompanied by real fireworks. Although portions of this performance had previously been released on the Hendrix box set, and the Atlanta show overall had been heavily bootlegged, this long-overdue legit release of the July 4th, 1970 show puts Hendrix’s talents back on the pedestal. (Legacy Recordings/Experience Hendrix)

Led Zeppelin – Physical Graffiti
Although Zep guitarist Jimmy Page finished up the album reissue program he began in 2014 with re-mastered versions of the band’s last four albums, there’s little you need for your collection after Physical Graffiti (although Page might disagree). Certified 16x Platinum™ for better than eight million flapjacks sold (it was a double LP, so every sale counted as two towards certification), Physical Graffiti represents the zenith of the band’s creativity and energy. Offering up 15 diverse tracks that explore the band’s incredible musical range and stylistic obsessions, Physical Graffiti finally earned the band a measure of long-overdue critical acclaim. As with the other Zep catalog reissues, Physical Graffiti was offered in a deluxe three-disc package with original artwork and previously-unreleased studio outtakes. My only complaint with the Zep reissues – a dearth of live material (only Led Zeppelin I included a live concert) – but maybe that will be Page’s next project (go ahead, Jimmy, dig into that Zep bootleg collection we all know you have). (Atlantic Records)

Harvey Mandel – Snake Box
Guitarist Harvey “Snake” Mandel made his bones as part of Chicago blues legend Charlie Musselwhite’s early band, and honed his skills as a member of both Canned Heat and John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers while still pursuing a solo career. This box set is comprised of Mandel’s first five solo albums, mostly instrumental masterworks like Cristo Redentor and Righteous, complimented by the inclusion of a sixth disc, Live At The Matrix, which offers an unreleased December 1968 jam between Mandel and pals like the Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia and Mickey Hart, Elvin Bishop, and Steve Miller. Mandel’s Snake Box is a wonderful portrait of an unsung artist and skilled musician plumbing the depths of rock, blues, and jazz music. (Purple Pyramid/Cleopatra Records)

John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers – Live In 1967
John Mayall has fronted a lot of different Bluesbreakers line-ups through the years, but few were as special as the version of the band that featured the talents of guitarist Peter Green, bassist John McVie, and drummer Mick Fleetwood alongside ringleader Mayall. They performed some memorable shows together during a short time and, luckily, a hardcore Bluesbreakers fan from Holland recorded a number of the band’s 1967 shows in London, the performances rediscovered and released as Live In 1967. A momentous musical find, the album is a literal time capsule of classic British blues-rock, offering thirteen lively, inspired, and long-lost Bluesbreakers performances, a high-energy mix of classic blues covers and Mayall originals that should thrill any British blues fan...and Mayall himself has said that there’s enough usable stuff on tape for another whole album. Blues fans, rejoice! (Forty Below Records)

Lee Michaels – The Complete A&M Records Collection
Nobody sounded quite like singer, songwriter, and keyboardist Lee Michaels during his seven-album run with A&M Records, circa 1968-1973, and while some have tried, nobody has quite nailed his unique, frequently minimalist creative vision since. A soulful vocalist often accompanied on album by only a lone percussionist, Michaels explored the use of piano, keyboards, and even harpsichord in rock music unlike any other artist at the time. For much of the past 20 years, all of Michaels’ albums have been out of print with the exception of 5th, which featured the singer’s lone hit, “Do You Know What I Mean.” For the long-suffering, but preternaturally loyal Michaels’ fan, The Complete A&M Album Collection offers the singer’s complete run of LPs for the label, seven CDs digitally re-mastered from the original tapes, priming Michaels’ for a long-overdue re-discovery. (Manifesto Records)
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The Textones – Midnight Mission & Cedar Creek
Yeah, technically I’m sneaking two LPs into a single spot, but as these were reissued as a pair, I’m keeping them that way. Part of the vital early ‘80s L.A. rock scene that included bands like Los Lobos and the Dream Syndicate, the release of Midnight Mission, the Textones’ 1984 debut album, was a revelation at the time. Carla Olson and crew basically melded the roots-rock of the Byrds with the bluesy roots and sandpaper grit of the Rolling Stones in creating a new amalgam of emotionally-raw rock ‘n’ soul music with a little country twang and a lot of heart, creating an underrated jewel of early Americana. The band had undergone some misfortune on the way to recording their sophomore album in 1987, delivering more of the same high-energy roots-rock. Although often overshadowed by its predecessor, Cedar Creek is still an engaging, entertaining slab o’ wax, and a brilliant bookend to Midnight Mission. (Omnivore Recordings)
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Honorable Mention: Bruce Springsteen’s ongoing “beat the boots” campaign, The Boss providing classic performances from the length of his career as special, limited edition releases available as multi-CD sets and as digital downloads in MP3 or 24-bit hi-def lossless format. Vintage Springsteen shows like The Angora in Cleveland 1978 or the Tower Theater in Philadelphia 1975 have only been available as hard-to-find bootleg discs, but are now available legitimately from the man himself through his website.