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‘A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall’ mixes picked acoustic guitar and surprisingly heavy drums, with
Rory howling out the vocals on top and ‘Mother of Muses’ (from Dylan’s “Rough and Rowdy Ways”
album) also features wonderful, more folky vocals.

The album closes with ‘Murder Most Foul’ an over 20-minute version of Dylan’s 17-minute song
dealing with the assassinations of both JFK and Martin Luther King – it’s very dramatic, combining
blues and pop culture imagery with modern historical details. However, personally I would have
preferred four or five shorter songs instead.

For some reason, although I’m a fan of Rory, I didn’t expect this collection of Dylan songs to work,
I was pleasantly surprised, it works fine – Dylan and Rory have similar roots in both blues and
folk and Rory has also sung contemporary songs over the years. Dylan fans will always prefer his
original versions but I did like Rory’s blues-infused takes and you’ve got to admit she does sing
and play guitar better than Mr. Zimmerman!

Graham Harrison

JamieThyer and the Worried Men—Excelsior—Road Dog
Records RCD5016
Once upon a time Jamie Thyer was a demonstrator for Marshall
amplification and Rotosound strings, and there is little doubt
that all those hours on the stairway to heaven paid off as he is
an outstanding guitar player. He and his band went to NAM
Studio in Holt, Wilshire and recorded ten blues rock songs.

The Worried Men (and Jamie) occupy the same auditory space
as George Thorogood, Gary Moore, Wilko Johnson, ZZ Top and
The Hamsters; hard rocking, in -your-face, sometimes raucous,
filled with fire music that makes you want to move your feet,
jump up and down and shout. Loudly!

This album is a terrific mix of songs and instrumentals that demonstrate what a fine axeman
Jamie is. Filled with dynamite licks and demonstrating seering skill, Jamie fronts the band with
panache, fire and enthusiasm and a Flying V!

Outstanding tracks include ‘Mr Make Believe’ a stomping rocker likely get folks singing along in
pubs and clubs and ‘Manacle Alley’ or the speedy ‘Blodwyn’ with some nice harmony from the
band and a cracking solo from Mr Thyer. Good stuff. Did I mention they are from Bristol?

Ian K McKenzie

Chris 'Bad News' Barnes—Bad News Travels Fast—Gulf
Coast Records

Back in the 1920s and 30s, there was a brand of music purveyed
by the likes of Tampa Red, Big Bill Broonzy and Thomas A
Dorsey (in his guise as Georgia Tom when on downtime from
being the father of gospel music). Known as Hokum, this music
was defined as ‘a type of American blues music— songs which
use extended analogies or euphemistic terms to make
humorous, sexual innuendos’. Chris Barnes defines his music as
Hokum Blues.