Page 56 - BiTS_05_MAY_2024_Neat

approach, whether it is the soul and 80s pop mash-up (with a hint of New Orleans R’n’B
courtesy of the horns) of ‘Middle Of The Night’, the quasi-vintage pop with a 60s tinge of ‘Sad
When I’m Dancing’, southern soul with ‘All I Could Do Was Cry’ (Greta channelling her inner
Etta James), Americana, country on ‘Penny Paid’ and ‘Let’s Ride’ and cajun with the closing
‘Mama Cray’ (nice accordion here too).

Don’t expect 12 bar retreads (as if!), but you will find plenty of distinctive and memorable
songs. Give it a listen and the CD title makes perfect sense.

Norman Darwen

Canned Heat – Finyl Vinyl – Ruf 1309

(www.rufrecords.de)
Formed in 1965 by blues enthusiasts Al(an) “Blind Owl” Wilson
and Bob “The Bear” Hite in Los Angeles, the Heat have undergone
many, many changes in personnel over the intervening years. For
this release, drummer Fito De La Parra, who joined the band in

1967, has enlisted members of the band’s current line-up – peo-
ple like guitarist, keyboards player and singer Jimmy Vivino,
harpman and vocalist Dale Spalding, and bass player Richard
“Rick” Reed. Most importantly, the music is certainly true to the
band’s original sound.

That sound is of course based on the blues, and more specifically, often on John Lee Hooker’s
boogie sound (the band recorded with him several times). They can rock out in classic fashion
on Jimmy’s ‘Goin’ to Heaven (In A Pontiac)’ or refer to their own back catalogue for ‘So Sad (The
World’s In A Tangle)’, with a psychedelic blues tinge and featuring Joe Bonamassa on lead
guitar. The band first recorded this in 1970, and it’s good to see the original values still hold
true. I could make the same comment about the accurately titled instrumental ‘East/ West
Boogie’, more than a little late 60s west coast.

Dave Alvin wrote and takes the lead on ‘Blind Owl’ referencing the band’s early days, as do
several other numbers. The title of both the album and the opener, ‘One Last Boogie’ and the
lyrics of the impressive retro-sounding blues of ‘When You’re 69’ seem to hint at this being the
end of the road for the band – but the band’s website shows the band booked up for most of
2024, and after all, this is the band who had a big hit with ‘On The Road Again’

Norman Darwen
Cryin’ Out Loud – Play Loud and Smoke Often – Pilot Light

(www.cryinoutloudmusic.com)

Now this one should come with a government health warning –
with tracks like the blues-rocking opener, ‘I Smoke Cigars And I
Play The Blues’, the equally rocking ‘I’m Gonna Drink My Way To
Memphis’ (there’s even a photo of a glass of whiskey on the
sleeve!), ‘Moonshine Lover’ which I thought initially might be a
nice piece of smooth jazz (it’s not), and the country-styled - not

Jim Reeves, sadly - ‘Gonna Get High Tonight’, these young men
appear to be actively encouraging an unhealthy, hedonistic