KIM SIMMONDS AND SAVOY BROWN
''GOIN' TO THE DELTA''
FEBRUARY 10 2014
60:19
1 /Laura Lee 4:23
2 /Sad News 6:13
3 /Nuthin' Like the Blues 4:56
4 /When You've Got a Good Thing 5:17
5 /Cobra 4:25
6 /Backstreet Woman 6:06
7 /Goin' to the Delta 5:55
8 /Just a Dream 4:54
9 /Turn Your Lamp On 3:47
10 /I Miss Your Love 4:56
11 /Sleeping Rough 4:59
12 /Going Back 4:22
All Tracks By Simmonds
Kim Simmonds - Guitars, Keyboards, Harmonica, Vocals
Pat DeSalvo - Bass
Garnet Grimm - Drums
REVIEW
by Thom Jurek
No matter the title of this Ruf Records outing, Kim Simmonds, founder, guitarist, and eternal frontman for Savoy Brown, is going straight for its Chicago mojo to deliver this set of scorching electric blues. Aided and abetted by his now longstanding road band -- comprising bassist Pat DeSalvo and drummer Garnet Grimm -- Simmonds' Savoy Brown comes full circle from its 1965 roots as a British band won over to the loud, gritty sounds coming across the ocean from Chess Records. Opener "Laura Lee," is in the classic Windy City tradition, as inspired by Hound Dog Taylor's house rockin' style as they are Muddy Waters', while "Just a Dream" recalls the moody, slow burning attack of Son Seals. The instrumental boogie "Cobra" is like Slim Harpo-cum-ZZ Top in its hipshaking groove. The guitar vamp on "Nothin Like the Blues" recalls but isn't beholden to -- Ted Nugent's on "Stranglehold," but the Nuge "borrowed" part of the same riff from Bo Diddley. "Backstreet Woman" owes more than a little to Buddy Guy with its funky eight notes and breakbeats by Grimm in the turnarounds. The title track is pure Willie Dixon rave-up, while "I Miss Your Love" showcases Simmonds playing some mean slide. The roiling stinging guitar attack on closer "Goin' Back" recalls Jimmy "Fast Fingers" Dawkins riding atop a positively infectious bassline by DeSalvo. Simmonds is in fine singing voice, and as aggressive as this set is, he economizes his solos exceptionally, with maximum flash and minimum time. The only problem here is the same-old, same-old -- Simmonds' lyrics are positively embarrassing. But then, his and Savoy Brown's fans don't pay to hear songwriting. Goin to the Delta is a solid, straight-up set preferable even to the acclaimed Voodoo Moon.
BIOGRAPHY
by Charlotte Dillon
Kim Simmonds, born in Newbridge, Wales, in 1947, is considered a legendary blues guitarist by almost any musical standard. He has even been called one of the founding fathers of British blues by some. Besides his mastery with the guitar, he can hold his own with vocals, piano, harmonica, and even Dobro. The strength of his talent and his willingness to hang tough when weaker men would toss in the towel have carried him through more than three decades in the survive-if-you-can music business.
Thanks to an older brother, Simmonds heard plenty of music when he was growing up. He favored everything from the Beatles to James Brown. In 1966, when Simmonds was still in his teens, he formed a rock and blues group called Savoy Brown. Other members were bassist Ray Chappell, keyboardist Bob Hall, singer Bruce Portius, drummer Leo Manning, and guitarist Martin Stone. The band got its start performing in small pubs throughout London. In a year's time there was a Savoy Brown debut album, Shake Down. The list of members changed often around Simmonds, but he persisted, and the group released album after album. In 1995 the PolyGram Records label put together a two-piece box set of many of the recordings, titled simply Savoy Brown.
Taking a chance at a solo career, Simmonds recorded a debut solo offering, appropriately called Solitaire. It was released in 1997 by Blue Wave Records. Some of the acoustic blues numbers that fans can sample on this release are "I Keep Calling My Baby," "Bad Morning," "Depression Blues," and "Blues Vibration." Blues Like Midnight followed in spring 2001.
OFFICIAL SITE
''GOIN' TO THE DELTA''
FEBRUARY 10 2014
60:19
1 /Laura Lee 4:23
2 /Sad News 6:13
3 /Nuthin' Like the Blues 4:56
4 /When You've Got a Good Thing 5:17
5 /Cobra 4:25
6 /Backstreet Woman 6:06
7 /Goin' to the Delta 5:55
8 /Just a Dream 4:54
9 /Turn Your Lamp On 3:47
10 /I Miss Your Love 4:56
11 /Sleeping Rough 4:59
12 /Going Back 4:22
All Tracks By Simmonds
Kim Simmonds - Guitars, Keyboards, Harmonica, Vocals
Pat DeSalvo - Bass
Garnet Grimm - Drums
REVIEW
by Thom Jurek
No matter the title of this Ruf Records outing, Kim Simmonds, founder, guitarist, and eternal frontman for Savoy Brown, is going straight for its Chicago mojo to deliver this set of scorching electric blues. Aided and abetted by his now longstanding road band -- comprising bassist Pat DeSalvo and drummer Garnet Grimm -- Simmonds' Savoy Brown comes full circle from its 1965 roots as a British band won over to the loud, gritty sounds coming across the ocean from Chess Records. Opener "Laura Lee," is in the classic Windy City tradition, as inspired by Hound Dog Taylor's house rockin' style as they are Muddy Waters', while "Just a Dream" recalls the moody, slow burning attack of Son Seals. The instrumental boogie "Cobra" is like Slim Harpo-cum-ZZ Top in its hipshaking groove. The guitar vamp on "Nothin Like the Blues" recalls but isn't beholden to -- Ted Nugent's on "Stranglehold," but the Nuge "borrowed" part of the same riff from Bo Diddley. "Backstreet Woman" owes more than a little to Buddy Guy with its funky eight notes and breakbeats by Grimm in the turnarounds. The title track is pure Willie Dixon rave-up, while "I Miss Your Love" showcases Simmonds playing some mean slide. The roiling stinging guitar attack on closer "Goin' Back" recalls Jimmy "Fast Fingers" Dawkins riding atop a positively infectious bassline by DeSalvo. Simmonds is in fine singing voice, and as aggressive as this set is, he economizes his solos exceptionally, with maximum flash and minimum time. The only problem here is the same-old, same-old -- Simmonds' lyrics are positively embarrassing. But then, his and Savoy Brown's fans don't pay to hear songwriting. Goin to the Delta is a solid, straight-up set preferable even to the acclaimed Voodoo Moon.
BIOGRAPHY
by Charlotte Dillon
Kim Simmonds, born in Newbridge, Wales, in 1947, is considered a legendary blues guitarist by almost any musical standard. He has even been called one of the founding fathers of British blues by some. Besides his mastery with the guitar, he can hold his own with vocals, piano, harmonica, and even Dobro. The strength of his talent and his willingness to hang tough when weaker men would toss in the towel have carried him through more than three decades in the survive-if-you-can music business.
Thanks to an older brother, Simmonds heard plenty of music when he was growing up. He favored everything from the Beatles to James Brown. In 1966, when Simmonds was still in his teens, he formed a rock and blues group called Savoy Brown. Other members were bassist Ray Chappell, keyboardist Bob Hall, singer Bruce Portius, drummer Leo Manning, and guitarist Martin Stone. The band got its start performing in small pubs throughout London. In a year's time there was a Savoy Brown debut album, Shake Down. The list of members changed often around Simmonds, but he persisted, and the group released album after album. In 1995 the PolyGram Records label put together a two-piece box set of many of the recordings, titled simply Savoy Brown.
Taking a chance at a solo career, Simmonds recorded a debut solo offering, appropriately called Solitaire. It was released in 1997 by Blue Wave Records. Some of the acoustic blues numbers that fans can sample on this release are "I Keep Calling My Baby," "Bad Morning," "Depression Blues," and "Blues Vibration." Blues Like Midnight followed in spring 2001.
OFFICIAL SITE
No comments :
Post a Comment