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underpinned with pummelling percussion. ‘Too Happy To Write’ is a suitably jolly tale ex-
plaining that, it is mainly despair and failure that incite you to write. I think, he may well be
right.

‘A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square’ was the favourite song of his parents and this emotive
acoustic piece, is a tribute to them, no more to be said. ‘From My Ass in Lagrasse’, is a laid back
view of life in the funk style of Ian Dury perhaps? The traditional folk number ‘Tramps And
Hawkers’ is in tribute to Dave’s youth, when he and friends used to hitch-hike in and around
Scotland; a stirring and thoughtful piece.

‘Them Old Crossroads Blues’, is splendid acoustic, low key autobiographical blues of Dave’s
early life and friends, such as Son House and his great friend and mentor Tony McPhee and of
course, how to play The Blues! ‘My Girl’ is a feature of Dave’s live set and here he plays his own
emotion filled version, splendid! A surprise, is John Denver’s ‘Take Me Home Country Roads’.
Here, Dave invokes in it a beautifully slow country blues feel.

On Memphis Minnie’s sweetly mellow, ‘Ain’t Nothin’ In Ramblin’ (a favourite of Dave’s sister

Jo Ann) Pete Emery is a featured guitarist here, just as he was when he played with Jo Ann, all
those years ago. ‘I Am The Blues’ is quite simply, a smoky, slowburning evocative tale of the
Blues and what it is! And if you get it, what it does and how it makes you feel!

Recommended!

Brian Harman

Brad “Guitar” Wilson—Buckle Up!—Cali Bee Music

This is the seventh album from west coast blues rocker Brad and
he chose to travel to The Netherlands to record the album at The
Wisseloord Studios in Hilversum. Upon his return to California;
he decided to go into The Musicians Institute in Hollywood for a
further session of recordings. The album was produced and
mixed by Francis Buckley.

The album consists of nine original numbers and four covers.
Joining Brad (guitars and lead vocals) in the studios are Adam
Gust and Johan Van den Burgh, drums, Brian Beal and Deb
Jacobs, bass, Chris Rhyne, piano and organ, Frankie V Bluesor-
gan, organ, Francis Buckley, percussion and Su Isaac and Galen Keith on backing vocals.

The album opens with Brads’ original, ‘Lucille’, which is a lovely rocking, roller with a very
appealing, understated insistent guitar throughout. A splendidly relaxed and inviting version
of the Stones ‘You Can't Always Get What You Want’ features the soul filled vocals from Deb
Jacobs that are greatly underpinned by some very tasty grooving guitar. Tabby Thomas’s
‘Hoodoo Party’ contains a lovely loose,, southern rolling feel, courtesy of Brads’ understated
ringing guitar.

‘Hound Dog’, is an enticing, slow burning shuffle, led by an enjoyably, lazy pairing of piano and
guitar. The toe tapping ‘Buckle Up’ is most definitely in strutting, swinging, Rolling Stones
territory, nice! The classic ‘Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out’, is a slow burning
ballad underpinned by a very affectingly crisp piano and an understated crying guitar. Brad
moves into familiar territory with the inviting, hard rocking, ‘Voodoo Boogie’. Francis Buck-
ley’s richly picked slow burning ‘My Own Hill To Climb’, allows Brad the room to be expansive
yet subtle in his dramatic emotion filled guitar work.