TOMMY CASTRO AND THE PAIN KILLERS
''THE DEVIL YOU KNOW''
JANUARY 21 2014
52:01
1 /The Devil You Know
Kevin Bowe / Tommy Castro / Bonnie Hayes/4:22
2 /Second Mind
Tommy Castro / Bonnie Hayes/3:24
3 /I'm Tired
Chris Youlden/4:01
4 /Center of Attention
Tommy Castro / Ron Alan Cohen/3:11
5 /The Whale Have Swallowed Me
J.B. Lenoir/3:41
6 /When I Cross the Mississippi
Tommy Castro / Bonnie Hayes / Randy McDonald/3:55
7 /Mojo Hannah
Barbara Paul / Clarence Paul / Zephire Andre Williams/3:38
8 /Two Steps Forward
Tommy Castro/4:07
9 /She Wanted to Give It to Me
Anthony Byron Cage / Tommy Castro / Narada Michael Walden/3:45
10 /Keep on Smilin'
John Anthony / James Hall / Richard Hirsch / Jack Hall Jr. / Lewis Ross/6:03
11 /Medicine Woman
Tommy Castro / Bonnie Hayes/3:56
12 /That's All I Got
Tommy Castro / Terry Wilson/3:41
13 /Greedy
Tommy Castro / Randy McDonald/4:17
Tommy Castro/Guitars, Vocals
Randy McDonald/Bass, Vocals
Byron Cage/Drums, Vocals
James Pace/Keyboards, Vocals
With Special Guests:
Marcia Ball/Piano & Vocals On 7
Tab Benoit/Vocals & Guitar On 6
Joe Bonamassa/Guitar On 3
Samantha Fish/Vocals On 11
The Holmes Brothers/Backing Vocals On 6
Magic Dick/Harmonica On 8
Tasha Taylor/Vocals On 5
Additional Guests:
Mike Duke/Piano & Vocals On 10
Mike Finnigan/Organ On 6
Bonnie Hayes/Wurlitzer Piano On 2, Backing Vocals
Jimmy Pugh/Organ On 2
Vicki Randle/Percussion, Backing Vocals
Leah Tysse/Backing Vocals On 2
REVIEW
By Steve Leggett
San Francisco's Tommy Castro has been at this roots and blues-rock thing for some 20 years now, and while at one time he was heralded as the next great guitar slinger, such claims only last until the next guy comes down the line with good tone and flashy technique, and since that seems to happen every other week, it's probably good that Castro brings a whole lot more to the plate than just his guitar playing. There's his voice, for one thing, a soulful and versatile blue-collar growl that sounds like Bob Seger working his way through the Stax/Volt catalog, and he's also turned into a pretty good meat-and-potatoes songwriter, too, although yes, it's his guitar playing that keeps the pot boiling. Castro has been using horn sections and larger ensembles on his recent albums, but for this set he relies on his crackerjack new touring band the Pain Killers, comprised of longtime Castro bassist Randy McDonald, drummer Byron Cage, and keyboardist James Pace, and the pared-down band brings a fiery garage energy to everything here, making this one of Castro's finest releases. Although there are also a lot of guest stars making appearances on The Devil You Know (Marcia Ball, the Holmes Brothers, Joe Bonamassa, Mark Karan, Tab Benoit, Samantha Fish, Tasha Taylor, and the J. Geils Band's Magic Dick among them), they don't overrun the project, and this is Castro's show all the way, from the soulful, gospel-laced "Second Mind" and "The Whale Have Swallowed Me" through a cover of Wet Willie's "Keep on Smilin'," the bouncing, swinging "Mojo Hannah" (featuring Marcia Ball's piano and vocals), and the powerful "Two Steps Forward" (graced by the Holmes Brothers). Things close out with 2013's single "Greedy," which spotlights what a tight and garage-edged band the Pain Killers are. Yeah, this album is full of the blues, but it's also like a full-charged blue-eyed R&B and soul review, and the new configuration of Castro's band has him fired up and roaring on the Stratocaster with a renewed sharpness.
BIOGRAPHY
By Cub Koda
According to all the press and hype and hoopla for a time during the 1990s, Tommy Castro was pegged as the next big star of the blues. Long a favorite among Bay Area music fans, Castro -- in the space of two album releases -- took his music around the world and back again with a sheaf of praise from critics and old-time blues musicians alike. His music was a combination of soul-inflected rockers with the occasional slow blues or shuffle thrown into the mix to keep it honest. His vocals were laid-back and always a hair behind the beat, while his scorching guitar tone was Stevie Ray Stratocaster-approved. Crossover success did not seem out of the question.
Born and raised in San Jose, California, Castro started playing guitar at the tender age of ten. Initially inspired by Mike Bloomfield, Eric Clapton, and Elvin Bishop, he started the inevitable journey into the roots of his heroes and discovered and quickly became enamored of B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Elmore James, Muddy Waters, and Freddie King. His vocal styling came from constant listening to Ray Charles, Wilson Pickett, James Brown, and Otis Redding. After playing with numerous Bay Area groups honing his chops, he landed a gig playing guitar for the San Francisco band the Dynatones, who were then signed to Warner Bros. The two-year stint augured well for Castro, playing to the biggest crowds he had seen up to that point and backing artists as diverse as Carla Thomas and Albert King.
Returning to San Francisco, Castro formed his own group and in 1993 released his first self-produced album, No Foolin', on the dime-sized Saloon label. That same year also saw him winning the Bay Area Music Award for Best Club Band, an honor he duplicated the following year. In 1997, he won Bammies for Outstanding Blues Musician and for Outstanding Blues Album for his debut release on Blind Pig Records, Exception to the Rule. Also in 1997, Castro and his band began a three-year stint working as the house band on NBC's Comedy Showcase, which aired after Saturday Night Live.
Live at the Fillmore was released in early 2000, and with everyone from industry insiders to B.B. King singing his praises, Castro appeared to be headed for bigger and better things. It was not to be, however, as in 2001 he left Blind Pig Records and recorded Guilty of Love for the small 33rd Street label. Blind Pig closed the books on their association with Castro in 2002 by releasing the career retrospective The Essential Tommy Castro. Gratitude appeared from Heart and Soul in 2003, followed by Triple Trouble (with Jimmy Hall and Lloyd Jones) later that same year from Telarc. In 2005 Castro returned to the Blind Pig label for the release of Soul Shaker, followed by Painkiller in 2007. The relatively smooth and polished Hard Believer appeared from Alligator Records in 2009, followed in 2011 by The Legendary Rhythm & Blues Revue: Live!, a collection of highlights from Castro's recent live performances, also on Alligator Records. The Devil You Know, which featured Castro's stripped down new touring band the Pain Killers and a whole host of guest artists, appeared early in 2014.
''THE DEVIL YOU KNOW''
JANUARY 21 2014
52:01
1 /The Devil You Know
Kevin Bowe / Tommy Castro / Bonnie Hayes/4:22
2 /Second Mind
Tommy Castro / Bonnie Hayes/3:24
3 /I'm Tired
Chris Youlden/4:01
4 /Center of Attention
Tommy Castro / Ron Alan Cohen/3:11
5 /The Whale Have Swallowed Me
J.B. Lenoir/3:41
6 /When I Cross the Mississippi
Tommy Castro / Bonnie Hayes / Randy McDonald/3:55
7 /Mojo Hannah
Barbara Paul / Clarence Paul / Zephire Andre Williams/3:38
8 /Two Steps Forward
Tommy Castro/4:07
9 /She Wanted to Give It to Me
Anthony Byron Cage / Tommy Castro / Narada Michael Walden/3:45
10 /Keep on Smilin'
John Anthony / James Hall / Richard Hirsch / Jack Hall Jr. / Lewis Ross/6:03
11 /Medicine Woman
Tommy Castro / Bonnie Hayes/3:56
12 /That's All I Got
Tommy Castro / Terry Wilson/3:41
13 /Greedy
Tommy Castro / Randy McDonald/4:17
Tommy Castro/Guitars, Vocals
Randy McDonald/Bass, Vocals
Byron Cage/Drums, Vocals
James Pace/Keyboards, Vocals
With Special Guests:
Marcia Ball/Piano & Vocals On 7
Tab Benoit/Vocals & Guitar On 6
Joe Bonamassa/Guitar On 3
Samantha Fish/Vocals On 11
The Holmes Brothers/Backing Vocals On 6
Magic Dick/Harmonica On 8
Tasha Taylor/Vocals On 5
Additional Guests:
Mike Duke/Piano & Vocals On 10
Mike Finnigan/Organ On 6
Bonnie Hayes/Wurlitzer Piano On 2, Backing Vocals
Jimmy Pugh/Organ On 2
Vicki Randle/Percussion, Backing Vocals
Leah Tysse/Backing Vocals On 2
REVIEW
By Steve Leggett
San Francisco's Tommy Castro has been at this roots and blues-rock thing for some 20 years now, and while at one time he was heralded as the next great guitar slinger, such claims only last until the next guy comes down the line with good tone and flashy technique, and since that seems to happen every other week, it's probably good that Castro brings a whole lot more to the plate than just his guitar playing. There's his voice, for one thing, a soulful and versatile blue-collar growl that sounds like Bob Seger working his way through the Stax/Volt catalog, and he's also turned into a pretty good meat-and-potatoes songwriter, too, although yes, it's his guitar playing that keeps the pot boiling. Castro has been using horn sections and larger ensembles on his recent albums, but for this set he relies on his crackerjack new touring band the Pain Killers, comprised of longtime Castro bassist Randy McDonald, drummer Byron Cage, and keyboardist James Pace, and the pared-down band brings a fiery garage energy to everything here, making this one of Castro's finest releases. Although there are also a lot of guest stars making appearances on The Devil You Know (Marcia Ball, the Holmes Brothers, Joe Bonamassa, Mark Karan, Tab Benoit, Samantha Fish, Tasha Taylor, and the J. Geils Band's Magic Dick among them), they don't overrun the project, and this is Castro's show all the way, from the soulful, gospel-laced "Second Mind" and "The Whale Have Swallowed Me" through a cover of Wet Willie's "Keep on Smilin'," the bouncing, swinging "Mojo Hannah" (featuring Marcia Ball's piano and vocals), and the powerful "Two Steps Forward" (graced by the Holmes Brothers). Things close out with 2013's single "Greedy," which spotlights what a tight and garage-edged band the Pain Killers are. Yeah, this album is full of the blues, but it's also like a full-charged blue-eyed R&B and soul review, and the new configuration of Castro's band has him fired up and roaring on the Stratocaster with a renewed sharpness.
BIOGRAPHY
By Cub Koda
According to all the press and hype and hoopla for a time during the 1990s, Tommy Castro was pegged as the next big star of the blues. Long a favorite among Bay Area music fans, Castro -- in the space of two album releases -- took his music around the world and back again with a sheaf of praise from critics and old-time blues musicians alike. His music was a combination of soul-inflected rockers with the occasional slow blues or shuffle thrown into the mix to keep it honest. His vocals were laid-back and always a hair behind the beat, while his scorching guitar tone was Stevie Ray Stratocaster-approved. Crossover success did not seem out of the question.
Born and raised in San Jose, California, Castro started playing guitar at the tender age of ten. Initially inspired by Mike Bloomfield, Eric Clapton, and Elvin Bishop, he started the inevitable journey into the roots of his heroes and discovered and quickly became enamored of B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Elmore James, Muddy Waters, and Freddie King. His vocal styling came from constant listening to Ray Charles, Wilson Pickett, James Brown, and Otis Redding. After playing with numerous Bay Area groups honing his chops, he landed a gig playing guitar for the San Francisco band the Dynatones, who were then signed to Warner Bros. The two-year stint augured well for Castro, playing to the biggest crowds he had seen up to that point and backing artists as diverse as Carla Thomas and Albert King.
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