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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
His third album for the Rykodisk label sees Kelly Joe Phelps evolve into a completely different performer. Gone is the slide guitar - despite being the best lap-style player on the planet - and in comes drums and slap-bass to provide a fuller sound. The drawback of this is the absence of the intimacy and dark intent of previous efforts ('Katy' and 'River Rat Jimmy' from 'Shine-eyed Mr Zen' spring to mind) and the need to incorporate other musicians' styles and influences moves the overall sound away from the usual KJP territory. In fact, his amazing finger-picking ability is sometimes muted by the other instruments - an unfortunate by-product of live recording.
This is not to say it is a bad album - in fact, as a rootsy blues piece of work it is a superb effort. It has a fluency and lyricism which occasionally borders on soul, fingerstyle folk and even funk, at one point I was even boogie-ing around my flat. Kelly Joe's vocals have also improved immeasurably - especially on 'Tommy'.
Overall, its very different, but very good. No doubt this album will get much-deserved airplay in the UK but I can't help feeling KJP has missed the opportunity to showcase his slide guitar on at least one or two tracks. Long-term fans will probably find it disappointmenting to start with, but like myself slowly won over by the musical validity of his new direction.
New fans influenced by reviews and airplay will love it - hopefully those people who then explore his back catalogue will stumble across the true ability of this unique musician.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
KJP is, without a doubt, the most amazing guitarist I've ever heard, but listening to this album, that fact passes you by. In truth, if this album was the debut of some young upstart I would probably be very satisfied with the stirring vocals and subtle backing band, but having heard what KJP is capable of I can't help but be a little dismayed. All credit for moving in a new direction, but when the work of KJP is looked back on in decades to come (as I'm sure it will be) it will be "Roll Away The Stone" and "Shine Eyed Mister Zen" that will be most fondly remembered for the minor miracles pulled off in the intricate slide guitar playing, and not this gentle folksy offering, brilliant though it is.
Format:Audio CD
I was introduced to this artist and album when it came out a few years back. To be honest I thought "and so what?". The songs are low key, the delivery muted. Some of the tunes take a long time to travel, well, not very far. But when I recently returned to it something had changed. I guess it has to be me. For a start, the execution is impeccable. The combination of open tuned, finger-picked guitar, stand up bass and bitter-sweet vocals is exquisite. The stories, the intimate melodies draw the listener in. There are hints of John Martyn and that means that this is great late night music - listen to it driving home in the dark after a gig and it will beguile you. Believe me.
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