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Non-Prog CD Reviews

Jackson Price and the Blues Rockets

I Used to Have Fun

Review by Gary Hill

While there is some range here, this is overall a pretty traditional blues album. The blues is a rather limited form, so it can feel repetitive at times. Jackson Price and his band change things up enough that it's never an issue here. All in all, I like this quite a bit.

This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) in Music Street Journal: 2020  Volume 2. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2020.

Track by Track Review
Threshold
At the start this is a classic blues grind with some hints of country in the guitar arrangement. The vocals bring it more fully into the blues zone. This has some classic electric blues sound and some tasty guitar work built into it.
Staying High

I love the killer blues groove on this track. This is so traditional sounding, yet it brings a bit of a modern flavor to it all. The slide guitar is on fire.

Evil by the Plenty
The horns bring something new and special to this cut. The tune has a bit of a funk groove, but it's still set thoroughly in the blues. This is a lot of fun. It also has some of the most potent guitar work of the whole set.
Bald, Fat, and 45
An acoustic based blues number, there is a lot more of a down-home vibe to this cut. It's a cool little tune. It also brings some variety to the table.
I'm Gone
While this is also based on acoustic blues, it's much more of a hard rocking song. This is really quite mean and powerful. It breaks into some bluegrass later for a short break that is heralded by "let's head out to the country, boys."
Message From God
I love the electric blues groove of this thing. It's a real powerhouse screamer.
Bones Get Old
One of the meanest and classiest electric blues stompers here, this is a real winner. It's probably my favorite tune of the whole set. This one's worth the price of admission all by itself. The guitar solo is classic, too.
Done Gone Done Something Wrong
Old-school blues is at the heart of this thing. It's acoustic based and has some great slide-work. This is another classy cut.
It's a Lie, But I'm Alive

Another acoustic blues song, this has some smoking hot guitar soloing later down the road.

So Much Time
The classic electric blues grind on this is so cool, calling to mind B.B. King and Bo Diddley. This is a powerhouse number that is among the highlights of the set.
Thank You B.B.
Slow and evocative electric blues is on the menu here. This is such a slab of pure class. I love the guitar soloing on the number. This is a killer instrumental.
Amerika
While this is still a blues tune, there is a lot of jazz built into it. I remember a music teacher I had always said, "you can have the blues without jazz, but you can't have jazz without the blues." Well, this has some of both. It's a rather short cut, and perhaps a bit understated. Still, it brings some variety and charm.
 
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