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Playing the blues is a lot like learning the piano. It’s easy to get a few chords to play a song but it takes years of playing to get good. And in the case of the blues it is getting into the soul of Howlin’ Wolf, B.B. King and the rest of the Delta men who took the Illinois Central up the Mississippi to Chicago so long ago.
Dave Goyetche’s self-titled album hits the mark in being a really good blues album. The slide guitar work, played by Goyetche on a metal-top Dobro, is great and mixes well with the acoustic guitar and drums. Gratefully, he and his co-producer, Charlie McNamara, never fall into the trap of drowning the music in the depths of effects.
Most music reviewers usually judge an album from what has gone on before mixed with personal preferences. This is to give the print readers a taste of the songs before they actually hear them. That said, “Ain’t No Need of Crying” could be included in a Van Morrison compilation. Goyetche even gets Morrison’s whine right and may not even know he’s doing it.
The octave voicing in “Dreamin’ About the Blues” reminds me of the Rolling Stones’ “It’s only Rock and Rock.” The Stones were probably copying Howlin’ Wolf but Goyetche gets the connection between Robert Johnson and the modern blues players in his great lyrics. The walking bass in the chorus changes up the feeling and moves it back in an easy motion.
With “Rolling On” the lonely guitars and sad voicing are front and center. In fact for a moment I think he’s going to break into the chorus of “Oh Black Water” by the Doobie Brothers. Since this is a train song convention would dictate that a harmonica mimic the whistle or, like Johnny Cash, the guitar beat copying the train wheels. The simple slide notes fill in those areas quite nicely.
“Fools’ Gospel” could be sung by an actual small church choir. The resolution of the opening chords is quite vivid. He changes the feel with a groove mixed with repentant lyrical content, a man begging for forgiveness.
“Robot Butcher” is Goyetche letting out his “Inner Stevie Ray Vaughn.” It is a southern-rocker instrumental where he harmonizes slide solos. The tone is also different, like Leadbelly overdriving his old Sears Silvertone amp.
“Shine On (Life’s Too Short)” seems like a reprise of the first song with its overtones of Van Morrison. This does not mean it’s not a good song but it makes me think that Goyetche is preparing us for the end of the CD.
“Dartmouth Cove Breakdown” finishes off the album but is really short. In fact I didn’t know the CD was finished until I heard Sam Cooke singing “You Send Me” (The next CD in my jukebox).
I hope Dave Goyetche keeps writing and recording because his style does stand apart from the recent blues offerings on the radio and in the clubs. He’s got the voice that sounds like he has sung his songs in southern roadhouses and bowling alleys and, with his size, fought off unruly juke joint buffoons. However, unlike the great blues players of the 1930′s and 1940′s, I don’t think Dave packs a piece.
For more information go to his webpage: http://www.myspace.com/davegoyetche
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This review is by Dave Downs
I saw Davey Johnstone with Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road tour in September 1973. He was hard to miss. With long blonde hair he had an aura of invincibility as he walked his part of the stage, his guitar complementing everything Elton John sang or played until he was called on to pound out a solo of his own.
Everyone who has danced to 1950′s music has heard the rollicking Chantilly Lace with it’s singer belting out the tune as an auctioneer would sell his wares. Disk jockey and songwriter, J.P. Richardson, “The Big Bopper,” rose to national prominence with this anthem and earned him a place on the Winter Dance Party of January-February 1959. This tour also featured Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and Dion and the Belmonts. Because he was sick Richardson agreed to pay $36 to fly with Holly rather than suffer through another night on the cold bus. It is now rock-and-roll legend that Richardson died in a crash in an Iowa cornfield with Buddy Holly and Valens.
The 2009 Concerts at Sea aboard the MSC Orchestra was an amazing way to see some of the greatest entertainers in rock history take the stage and, as well, come down and mingle with the audience. A cruise ship adds this dimension because, in reality, the groups have meals, party and lie out in the sun with the guests. This year 750 fans got to meet the rockers, discuss rock and roll history and get autographs, all in a relaxed atmosphere.