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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Bowdlerised blues for the masses, 13 Aug 2008
Blues music enjoyed a mini-revival in the late 1980s owing to the dissatisfaction of a sizeable minority with contemporaneous popular music. Gary Moore, hitherto a performer of hard rock/heavy metal, exploited the mood with this motley collection of blues pastiches and hard rock songs. Whether he had the foresight to appreciate that the 1980s metal movement was running out of steam, or if he was motivated by some other factor, is something that only he and his record company can answer.
Great guitarist he may be, but this album demonstrates that playing the blues isn't Moore's forté. In the 1960s, Sonny Boy Williamson II allegedly said, "They (blues performers from the British Isles) want to play the blues so bad, and they really do play the blues so bad". Apocryphal or not, the quote applies as much to 'Still Got the Blues' as it did to the many talent-bereft acts that toured the blues circuits of the British Isles during the 1960s.
Despite the blues theme, and a number of blues covers, Moore's album is in reality the antithesis of blues music. The blues genre is fuelled by rawness, honesty, minimalism, spontaneity and evisceration. What is offered by Moore is contrived, bland, self-aggrandizing, incongruous and highly polished. The production, expunged of all of the qualities associated with blues recordings, has mass market written all over it - this is clearly a blues-themed album for people who, by-and-large, would never listen to a blues album. (Many of the reviews on this site verify this.) At the time of the album's release, pop and metal were moribund, and the grunge movement had yet to kick in. Record company marketing executives were looking for music that was commercially safe (i.e. bland), but which was not seen to be linked to the recent past. This album perfectly filled the void, giving the soon-to-be alternative crowd something to manifest their purported individuality in the lead-up to 'Nevermind'. However, whilst 'Still Got the Blues' may have been portrayed as a blues album, it actually performs a major disservice to blues music. What Moore, his record label, and many of the acolytes of this album, fail to appreciate is that high volume can not compensate for the deficiencies of Moore as a blues performer.
The vocals of Gary Moore lack the passion, intensity and emotiveness of a blues performer. The drone of his guitar is more akin to what can be found on a run-of-the-mill over-produced 1980s metal track. Furthermore, he sounds desperate to demonstrate his skills with the axe whatever the situation, resulting in licks being thrown in everywhere with no regard as to whether or not they are appropriate. The blues greats know when to solo all night, and when to place the guitar in the background. Moore's efforts are, if anything, a homage to the excesses of the late-1960s/early-1970s blues-rock movement. There were many great British and American acts playing blues-based rock during this era, in the spirit of the blues, and some who were there purely for the show. Moore's career began with groups who spawned from the latter, and, sadly, he has never been able to unshackle himself from this movement.
- 'Moving On', an up-beat number, is essentially a George Thorogood slide-tribute. It could have been a reasonable instrumental
- Albert King performed the seminal version of 'Oh Pretty Woman' on his 'Born Under a Bad Sign' album, and John Mayall's Bluesbreakers managed a great version with Mick Taylor on guitar. Albert King does appear on Moore's interpretation, but is criminally under-used. Moore, clearly attempting to mimic the King version, includes a horn section and briefly allows Albert to show what he is capable of, but the former's feeble vocals, layered with superfluous guitar overdubs, and blues-tinged metal solos predominate.
- 'Walking By Myself', a Jimmy Rogers number, gets the high-volume treatment, much to its detriment. The amplified harp could play a more prominent role, as in the original, but that would take the spotlight away from Moore.
- 'Still Got the Blues' has arguably the most misleading track name of all time. The song is pure pop, and rivals anything that Michael Bolton has produced for blandness. To his credit, Moore for once doesn't go for the high-volume thrashing treatment. Nevertheless, his playing is repetitive and somniferous, and his vocals give credence to those who classify Phil Collins as a soul performer.
- 'Texas Strut' may appeal to some fans of SRV, but Moore's vocals again lack variety and his strumming demonstrates that he would have come off second-best in a duel with Stevie (who was still alive at the time that this album was released).
- 'Too Tired' is another up-tempo pastiche, backed-up by a horn section. Moore's limited vocal range again comes to the fore, but thankfully Albert Collins has a chance to give his axe a workout.
- 'King of the Blues', Moore's tribute to Albert, is essentially a re-working of 'Oh Pretty Woman', without Albert's input. If Spinal Tap were to cover a Stax number, this is most likely what they would come up with.
- 'As the Years Go Passing By' is generally faithful to the version recorded by Albert King for 'Born Under a Bad Sign', and features Albert on guitar and vocals. For that reason, it tends to be the song that is least liked by purchasers of this album. The song is the highlight of the album, at times keeping to the blues spirit, and is the only track that warrants repeat listening.
- 'Midnight Blues', a slow number, owes something to King's version of 'Born Under a Bad Sign'. The number does fit in reasonably well with recordings made by blues artists during the 1980s, but would benefit immensely from the absence of Moore's vocals.
- 'That Kind of Woman' is a southern rock pastiche - think soul-expunged Exile-era Stones - so perfunctory that it suggests Moore was scraping the bottom reaches of the barrel and below when trying to fill this album.
- 'All Your Love' is played at much faster speed than the Otis Rush original, and again demonstrates that Gary has to show off his high-volume, high-speed skills with the axe at every given opportunity, possibly to compensate for his feeble vocals and lack of feeling for the blues.
- The original release of the album concluded with 'Stop Messin' Around', an excruciating cover version of an up-tempo R&B number originally performed by Fleetwood Mac. Moore confirms to any doubters that his vocal range does not stretch beyond a couple of notes, and again demonstrates his incessant need to show all and sundry that he knows how to play fast and loud (with an inability to be soulful).
The album is likely to be of limited interest to the majority of blues fans, unless such people find themselves in an excessively inebriated state and wanting something superficial that can be ignored in the background. It is essentially hard rock, with elements of blues, and would gain in credibility if its blues pretences had been dropped.
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4 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Classic, 20 Jan 2007
Gary Moore is undoubtedly one of the finest guitarists ever, an 'Still Got The Blues' illustrates why perfectly. Whatever people may write on here, this is a blues album, albeit played with the skill of a rock guitarist. He plays a tribute to Albert King on 'King Of The Blues', and a tribute to SRV on 'Texas Strut'. He even plays with the famous Alberts, King and Collins, and absolutely massacres both of them.
For me, the best song on here is the title-track, with its heart-wrenching lyrics and phenomonal guitar solo (one of the best I've ever heard from anyone in my entire life.) But every song it 10/10, making this an album that you'll just keep playing and playing. Moore plays with feel, but also with unbelievable techinalc skill, and it will inspire any guitarist out there.
Get it NOW!!!
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5 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One for the collection, 17 Nov 2003
This is a great album, from laid back blues to quite fast rock, this should be in every one's collection if you like 70's - 80's rock like Led Zep, Hendrix, Deep Purple etc etc.
What more can I say, give it a go, you won't regret it, I wore my record out and am so happy it's now on CD
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