DAMON FOWLER
''DEVIL GOT HIS WAY''
JANUARY 18 2011
45:05
1. We've Got A Good Thing /3:59
2. Devil Got His Way /2:48
3. After The Rain /5:25
4. Tight Rope /3:40
5. 28 Degrees /3:29
6. Fruit Stand Lady /3:15
7. Cypress In The Pines /3:37
8. Don't Call Me /4:18
9. Once In Awhile /3:27
10. You Go Your Way /4:39
11. American Dream /3:59
12. Happy Hour /2:29
Damon Fowler /Guitar, Vocals
Tim Heading /Organ
James McKnight /Drums
Chuck Riley /Bass
Rob Stoney /Organ
REVIEW
by Hal Horowitz
Young roots guitarist Fowler follows his Blind Pig debut with this sophomore release two years later that does everything a second release should: it focuses his vision while feeling more comfortable and looser than his last disc. Fowler's creative lap steel work is what sets him apart from the rest of the guitar-slinging pack and it's in fine display here. These dozen tracks show Fowler settling into a swampy, country-tinged, blues/rock groove that's impressively unforced. His low-key vocals are assured yet more vulnerable and fresh-faced than most hotshot guitarists. They help make these songs shift into an easygoing vibe that's inviting even when the lyrics fall into the cliché-ridden sexual double-entendres of "Fruit Stand Lady." He's less successful with a by-the-numbers Georgia Satellites-styled rocker "Once in a While" especially when his boyish voice tells the tale of "good girls who have to let loose once in a while." Thankfully, his twangy solo helps move the tune into more distinctive territory. Fowler unearths a nifty cover with Chuck Prophet's touching ballad "After the Rain," a real find that he interprets beautifully and with real soul. He doesn't add much to Leon Russell's jaunty "Tight Rope" (although the mandolin is a nice touch) but it's a cool song to revive after being somewhat forgotten over the decades. Elsewhere, originals such as "28 Degrees" with its creative use of cowbell, wade into the swamp and the story song of "American Dream," about the making and breaking of a rock star put to a modified reggae beat that shows that Fowler can bring the blues to a variety of genres. The closing drinking song "Happy Hour" might make a rousing singalong in the bars where any tune about liquor gets attention, but it's out of place here. Yet when Fowler hits his stride on the propulsive title track driven by a slow funk grind and nasty slide work, and the crawling "Cypress in the Pines," he zeros in on a style that's rhythmic and memorable, and shows he's just starting to nail his groove.
BIOGRAPHY
by Steve Leggett
Fiery soul-blues guitarist Damon Fowler was born and raised in Brandon, FL, just outside of Tampa. He first picked up a guitar at the age of 12, and after being shown a few chords, quickly developed an affinity for the instrument. He also fell in love with the blues, and he was soon gigging regularly in small clubs in the Tampa Bay area. By now adding hints of R&B, soul, and country to his approach, Fowler learned to play lap steel guitar and Dobro and also added a wicked slide guitar style to his arsenal, while developing a serviceable singing voice along the way, too. He continued to build his fan base and reputation with his impressive shows until he was earning support tours and featured spots on the festival circuits. Along the way he worked with artists like Jeff Beck, Buddy Guy, Johnny Winter and Edgar Winter, Robin Trower, Gregg Allman, Jimmie Vaughan, Junior Brown, Rick Derringer, Delbert McClinton, and many others. Fowler self-released an album, Riverview Drive, which featured all original material, in 1999, following it with two more self-releases, Roots and Branches in 2000 and the concert set Live at Skipper’s Smoke House in 2003, all three of which garnered accolades from blues critics. Signing to Blind Pig Records, he released the swamp blues-tinged Sugar Shack album on the label in 2009, following it with Devil Got His Way two years later in 2011.
''DEVIL GOT HIS WAY''
JANUARY 18 2011
45:05
1. We've Got A Good Thing /3:59
2. Devil Got His Way /2:48
3. After The Rain /5:25
4. Tight Rope /3:40
5. 28 Degrees /3:29
6. Fruit Stand Lady /3:15
7. Cypress In The Pines /3:37
8. Don't Call Me /4:18
9. Once In Awhile /3:27
10. You Go Your Way /4:39
11. American Dream /3:59
12. Happy Hour /2:29
Damon Fowler /Guitar, Vocals
Tim Heading /Organ
James McKnight /Drums
Chuck Riley /Bass
Rob Stoney /Organ
REVIEW
by Hal Horowitz
Young roots guitarist Fowler follows his Blind Pig debut with this sophomore release two years later that does everything a second release should: it focuses his vision while feeling more comfortable and looser than his last disc. Fowler's creative lap steel work is what sets him apart from the rest of the guitar-slinging pack and it's in fine display here. These dozen tracks show Fowler settling into a swampy, country-tinged, blues/rock groove that's impressively unforced. His low-key vocals are assured yet more vulnerable and fresh-faced than most hotshot guitarists. They help make these songs shift into an easygoing vibe that's inviting even when the lyrics fall into the cliché-ridden sexual double-entendres of "Fruit Stand Lady." He's less successful with a by-the-numbers Georgia Satellites-styled rocker "Once in a While" especially when his boyish voice tells the tale of "good girls who have to let loose once in a while." Thankfully, his twangy solo helps move the tune into more distinctive territory. Fowler unearths a nifty cover with Chuck Prophet's touching ballad "After the Rain," a real find that he interprets beautifully and with real soul. He doesn't add much to Leon Russell's jaunty "Tight Rope" (although the mandolin is a nice touch) but it's a cool song to revive after being somewhat forgotten over the decades. Elsewhere, originals such as "28 Degrees" with its creative use of cowbell, wade into the swamp and the story song of "American Dream," about the making and breaking of a rock star put to a modified reggae beat that shows that Fowler can bring the blues to a variety of genres. The closing drinking song "Happy Hour" might make a rousing singalong in the bars where any tune about liquor gets attention, but it's out of place here. Yet when Fowler hits his stride on the propulsive title track driven by a slow funk grind and nasty slide work, and the crawling "Cypress in the Pines," he zeros in on a style that's rhythmic and memorable, and shows he's just starting to nail his groove.
BIOGRAPHY
by Steve Leggett
Fiery soul-blues guitarist Damon Fowler was born and raised in Brandon, FL, just outside of Tampa. He first picked up a guitar at the age of 12, and after being shown a few chords, quickly developed an affinity for the instrument. He also fell in love with the blues, and he was soon gigging regularly in small clubs in the Tampa Bay area. By now adding hints of R&B, soul, and country to his approach, Fowler learned to play lap steel guitar and Dobro and also added a wicked slide guitar style to his arsenal, while developing a serviceable singing voice along the way, too. He continued to build his fan base and reputation with his impressive shows until he was earning support tours and featured spots on the festival circuits. Along the way he worked with artists like Jeff Beck, Buddy Guy, Johnny Winter and Edgar Winter, Robin Trower, Gregg Allman, Jimmie Vaughan, Junior Brown, Rick Derringer, Delbert McClinton, and many others. Fowler self-released an album, Riverview Drive, which featured all original material, in 1999, following it with two more self-releases, Roots and Branches in 2000 and the concert set Live at Skipper’s Smoke House in 2003, all three of which garnered accolades from blues critics. Signing to Blind Pig Records, he released the swamp blues-tinged Sugar Shack album on the label in 2009, following it with Devil Got His Way two years later in 2011.
