6107 - THE HAMBURG BLUES BAND - Friends For A LIVEtime: A Compilation Of 30 Years Of Performances, Vol. 1 (2013)

THE HAMBURG BLUES BAND
''FRIENDS FOR A LIVETIME: A COMPILATION OF 30 YEARS OF PERFORMANCES, VOL. 1''
SEPTEMBER 17 2013
78:06

1 - Hypnotized (w. Dick Heckstall-Smith)/4:42
2 - Waiting For The Wind (w. Mike Harrison)/5:23
3 - On Your Way Down (w. Dick Heckstall-Smith)/5:10
4 - Wishing Well (w. Maggie Bell)/3:25
5 - Inner City Blues (w. Dick Heckstall-Smith)/5:24
6 - Superstition (w. Inga Rumpf)/5:10
7 - When A Blind Man Cries (w. Miller Anderson)/5:18
8 - The Old Soulsinger (w. Pete Brown)/6:57
9 - Get Off My Back (w. Micky Moody)/3:58
10 - Help The Poor (w. Geoff Whitehorn)/6:01
11 - Done Somebody Wrong (w. Clem Clempson)/3:47
12 - Rockin' Chair/4:53
13 - Stormy Monday Blues (w. Chris Farlowe)/7:59
14 - It Should've Been Me (w. Zoot Money)/3:44
15 - Fire (w. Arthur Brown)/5:38

6039 - THE HAMBURG BLUES BAND - Mad Dog Blues (2009)

HAMBURG BLUES BAND
''MAD DOG BLUES''
FEBRUARY 13 2009
57:27

1 - Bad To The Bone/5:10
2 - Can't Last Forever/4:14
3 - Wishing Well/3:25
4 - Into The Night/4:16
5 - Birds Go Crazy/4:49
6 - It Ain't Right/4:46
7 - Weird/3:30
8 - Easy As That/4:46
9 - Trouble Man/4:45
10 - Don't Wanna Sing The Blues/4:01
11 - Sing The Blues For You/7:37
12 - All Or Nothing/5:38

Gert Lange/Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Clem Clempson/Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals, Lead Vocal On 6
Adrian Askew/Hammond B5, Electric Piano, Backing Vocals
Hans Wallbaum/Drums, Backing Vocals
Michael Becker/Bass, Backing Vocals
Chris Farlowe/Lead Vocals On 8, 10, 11, 12
Maggie Bell/Lead Vocal On 3

REVIEW
By Jürgen Bauerochse
If you are somewhat more intensively with the Hamburg blues band, so you will notice that they often longer need something, until a new sound is born of the world.
Good thing will have just while, and so far the wait was worth whatever, what was the group especially for the excellent live-album, with a real highlight of the sound produced, as well as the musical quality managed the band. Why so good old habits differ from? But with the current CD "Mad Dog Blues", there were really good reasons for the delay of release date. After all that had to guitar parts all over again will be recorded by Alex Conti (ex-curly curve, ex-Rosebud, ex-Rockship), which were already in the box, after his sudden departure, to stay up to date also line-up like. And who knows the perfectionists of the Hamburg blues band, which can be lively, that these changes could be done not by one minute to another.
What's new for the HBB now after the line-up changes? What has changed after Clem Clempson (Colosseum, ex-humble pie) alone is responsible for the lead guitar and is also Adrian Askew (Lake, ex-Atlantis) on keyboards with this? The first is of course to determine that the quality still is the music at a very high level, which was actually quite clear in this scene. And even so much has changed. The HBB has put now much more leeway to, especially since Adrian not only accompanying brings up, but also on organ and piano in appearance comes often as a soloist by the keyboards. From this evolved much more sophisticated songs which the band very well to face.As Clem Clempson more often sometimes roams over the neck of the bottle, the six new titles cover a much larger musical range as the older recordings. Funk deposits and Boogie rhythms sometimes delicate southern are rock bonds to hear, like "it ain't right", is heard at the Clempson on the mic, occupies. Since some really good litters are managed the band in terms of songwriting. The texts Pete Brown was responsible for the way again, who wrote the lyrics for many cream classic 40 years ago.
For me however, the real surprise on the album is "Into The Night", because this very quiet ballad evolved from the first listen to to my personal scan tip, where the expressive vocals are a real highlight of Gert Lange and perfectly complemented by a beautiful guitar solo. This actually quite atypical for the Hamburg Blues Band song established immediately in the ears and no longer lets me go. Very great cinema! Make the rest of the CD, is the already good old tradition, some of the songs that has played a Hamburg blues band with guests. So the incomparable Maggie Bell (ex-stone the crows) with their free cover "Wishing Well" is going this time, that is a member for many years to their fixed stage programme. And here I would have preferred me to get a new composition on the ears. Of course, the title is an absolute classic, but exists in countless versions of Scottish rock Lady. As something new would have perhaps completely attached.
Exactly the same thing also applies to the second guest. Colosseum and ex-Atomic Rooster-Shouter Chris Farlowe is very successful on tour as we know already for quite some time with the HHB and offers with his inimitable voice again and again for great concerts. And yet I would have liked some new pieces for this CD, as it was ever practiced on the "touch" album with Mike Harrison (spooky tooth).The here used live recordings from the current tour (cut with the car/Marburg, Quasimodo/Berlin and in the Ulm tent) are all first class and clearly demonstrate how well the musicians in harmony with each other. Of course, you can such gems as "All Or Nothing" and "Sing The Blues For You" always listen to, but she are there already also on umpteen other Farlowe-live albums. Here too, some newly written title had been certainly very interesting.But this is my personal opinion. Bottom line remains to be noted that the once again Hamburg blues band with "Mad Dog Blues" a great album succeeds, that shows the whole class of the group. This band is still for the brand 'Made in Germany' quality and is an absolute top act in the new occupation!

6038 - MIKE HARRISON MEETS THE HAMBURG BLUES BAND - Touch (2001)

MIKE HARRISON MEETS THE HAMBURG BLUES BAND
''TOUCH''
2001
49:49

1 - Hold Back/4:56
2 - Movin' On/3:48
3 - Try Me Again/5:19
4 - Make Me Smile/4:10
5 - Security/5:35
6 - There's A Road/3:54
7 - King Of Hearts/3:40
8 - Perfect Day/3:54
9 - Hittin' The Spot/4:30
10 - True Lies/3:53
11 - Waiting For The Wind/5:42

BIOGRAPHY
Vocalist/pianist Harrison began his career in the early 60s as a member of local act the Ramrods. In 1965 he joined the V.I.P.s, who later evolved into Art (1967), then Spooky Tooth (1968). In each of these acts Harrison’s distinctive voice was well to the fore, notably on Spooky Tooth’s ‘Sunshine Help Me’ and ‘Better By You, Better Than Me’. Mike Harrison was recorded following this band’s disintegration. Here the singer was supported by Junkyard Angels, a Carlisle-based outfit led by ex-VIPs’ guitarist Frank Kenyon and completed by Ian Herbert (guitar/vocals), Peter Batley (bass) and Ken Iverson (drums). Harrison’s powerful intonation - part Joe Cocker, part Stevie Winwood - raises this rather disappointing set which failed to recreate a personal chemistry between the leader and sidemen. Smokestack Lightning was an excellent collaboration with various Muscle Shoals session musicians, including Barry Beckett (keyboards) and David Hood (bass), both of whom later joined Traffic. In 1972 Harrison joined a re-formed Spooky Tooth - which also featured Ian Herbert - but left again in 1974. The low-key Rainbow Rider ensued before Harrison teamed with former Joe Cocker pianist Chris Stainton. After spending some time in Canada he worked in a warehouse having left music altogether, a sad waste of one of the finest bluesy heavy rock voices the UK has produced, although in 1999 he joined a re-formed Spooky Tooth to record a new album and got together with Mike Maslen and Dave Williams to record Late Starter, an album of little known covers. The production was superb, the playing; ditto, the voice quite magnificent but the pedestrian songs let him down.

6037 - HAMBURG BLUES BAND - Rollin' (1999)

HAMBURG BLUES BAND
''ROLLIN'''
1999
68:45

1 - Trouble Man/4:38
2 - City Heat/3:43
3 - Love Me Or Leave Me/2:35
4 - Stony Times/4:11
5 - Hypnotized/4:42
6 - Want You To Know/5:06
7 - Tender Touch/4:14
8 - Hey Little Lady/5:42
9 - On My Way Home/4:06
10 - Make My Day/3:47
11 - Tryin' As Hard As I Can/4:47
12 - Comfort Me/4:01
13 - Someplace Somewhere Sometime/3:14
14 - Moonstruck/3:19
15 - Spark To A Fire/3:14
16 - Ghost Dance/6:56

REVIEW
By Caleb
A five piece band from Germany including our own Dick Heckstall-Smith. Heavy guitar laden Blues from the off with "Trouble Man" (co-written by Pete Brown as are 10 of the tracks here). This band are backing Mike Harrison, ex-Spooky Tooth - on his new album that Pete reports will be quite bluesy, what a great voice Mike has, we look forward to that one.

This is great stuff, solid rhythm, good guitar tone with original feel and no fear of German accents tainting the lyrics, this is a very good band giving a good account of themselves. "Hypnotized” races along with 'potted' vocals, sneaky wah-wah, half spoken lyrics, thick chords, some speed guitar - whew, bring the house down stuff! "Want You To Know" slows proceedings down and is a fine song, more deliberate with gruff vocal. "Tender Touch" has neat drum intro, harmony guitars, the background BoDiddleys along. "0n My Way Home" is followed by "Tryin' As Hard As I Can" carries the lyric "I'm out of pocket and out of time..." (we liked that). Say hello Dick H-S on "Somewhere. Somehow, Sometime" sassy sax laid over guitar line similar to Crossroads ... ... more sax over guitar chords and wah-wah on "Moonstruck", "Ghost Dance” ends the album with electronic intro, drum, organ swell, guitar chords, wind efect, sex trudging forward, alI harmonising with added bongos and echoing sax solo creating an ethereal quality ….a gentler ending to the album than we expected... but what an album, well worth your attention.......

6036 - HAMBURG BLUES BAND - Real Stuff (1997)

HAMBURG BLUES BAND
''REAL STUFF''
1997
61:50

1 - Rattlesnake Shake/3:41
2 - Need Your Lovin'/5:14
3 - Make Love Strong/5:02
4 - Madman/4:05
5 - Real Stuff/4:08
6 - Signs & Wonders/4:37
7 - Give Power to the Blues/3:04
8 - Wrong Side of Town/4:34
9 - Ain't Nothin' Shakin'/3:00
10 - Do the Do/3:51
11 - Rockin' Chair/4:56
12 - On Your Way Down/6:28
13 - Midnight Lies/4:11
14 - Got What I Want/4:26

Michael Becker/Bass, Backing Vocals
Dick Heckstall-Smith/Saxophones
Gert Lange/Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Hans Wallbaum/Drums, Backing Vocals
Alex Conti/Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals
Ingo Bischoff/Hammond Organ On 3, 12, 13 & 14