FULL TILT OVERDRIVE House Of Lords (Frontiers) ****
This is House of Lords’ 12th album since their self-titled debut in 1989. They’ve had an off and on existence since then, and Full Tilt Overdrive is a riff-powered beauty that lives up to its name. Along the lines of classic Whitesnake, this is proof that 80’s hard rock is alive and well.
Singer/ bassist James Christian may be the only original member in the current lineup, but this is the classic sound of HOL that we’ve come to know and love. With the meaty riffs of longtime guitarist Jimi Bell along with the 4-on-the-floor drumming of Johan Koleberg and keyboard textures provided by Mark Mangold, Full Tilt Overdrive is full-on rock n roll. They took time off in the 90’s while grunge took over the world but this kind of energetic, hooky rock & roll has never really fallen out of favor for guys like me.
House of Lords re-entered the ring with Y2K’s progressive hard rocker Power & The Myth and despite original member Gregg Guffria opting out just prior to that disc’s release, the band has been on a tear since then, releasing a series of albums that builds on the power and catchiness that is the band’s calling card. Full Tilt Overdrive succeeds on a combination of well-written songs and instrumental prowess, particularly that of guitarist Bell. After being into the band on its initial appearance I caught up with them again with the release of 2022’s New World and am glad I did. This is driving, catchy hard rock that I don’t want to be without.
https://www.facebook.com/HouseOfLordsB
HOT TRACKS: Full Tilt Overdrive, You’re Cursed, Crowded Room
GET UP OFF THE GROUND Dick Earl’s Electric Witness (ABP Music) ****+
This the sophomore release for this Utah-based blues band. Get Up Off The Ground is a more refined collection of songs than their initial outing, making full use of what the studio has to offer. What we have here is a full scale blues adventure.
As a writer Dick Earl has a unique and compelling voice. “I write about the struggles and victories that are natural parts of life” Earl says. “These songs represent our journey through trials and triumphs- how we approach, handle and emerge from hardship.” The band and album are a family affair, co-produced Dick’s wife/ vocalist Alice And son/ bassist Isaac, recorded and mastered at The Tone Factory in Las Vegas, and featuring contributions from Grammy winning sax player Jimmy Carpenter amongst others. The result is a peppy, uptown blues romp.
There are no less than 5 Ericksens listed in the credits for Get Up Off The Ground and though Thomas Anderson’s guitar is prominent, it’s Dick’s harp playing and the deft, rumbling bass work of his son Isaac that give the album much of its character. The overall sound is kind of slick- not necessarily a bad thing- which is no doubt a result of the band’s decision to make fuller use of what a studio environment has to offer, and engineer Vinnie Castaldo saw to it that they got exactly what they were after. I’d say the end product is more than just blues, there’s a pop or mainstream rock n soul confidence in evidence that may well push Get Up past the appeal to just blues aficionados. I write and produce 3 musically different weekly shows for internet radio, and I can easily see placing songs from this on each of them. This is really good stuff.
www.dickearlselectricwitness.com
HOT TRACKS: Eggs, The Vineyard, Get Up Off The Ground
BT Benny Turner (Nola Blue Records) *****
Turner’s new album is a walk down memory lane for one of the last living links to Chicago’s electric blues n gospel scene of the mid-fifties. BT includes tunes from Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Dee Clark and Hank Ballard to name a few. This is Turner’s fifth album since joining the label in 2014. It’s a labor of love, for both artist and listener.
“I had a great time working on this album with some of my favorite musicians” Benny says, “from reminiscing about my musical history, from picking up the guitar again, to revisiting my gospel roots, to finally recording some of my favorites.” BT is a record that took some time to put together, starting in the summer of 2018 at FAME Studios in muscle Shoals and ending with the final session in August 2024 at Right Coast Recording in Columbia, but it sounds more immediate and together than that. Maybe it took that much time to ensure the continuity of material and performance, because when you put this on it’s like walking into the coolest party you’ve ever been to, Chicago blues style.
Benny Turner recently turned 85, and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate a life well lived than this. BT was mastered by Grammy award winning engineer John Porter, who also mastered the album, and surely deserves some of the credit for how spectacularly well this thing turned out. Turner has a soulful, weathered voice made for the blues, and he plays bass on most of these cuts. BT is 10 tracks in all, with three originals finishing off the record; Drunk, Sleepy Time In The Barnyard and Who Sang It First, which sit extremely well with the material from guys like Wolf and Muddy. Nola Blue launched in 2014 with Turner’s Journey album, and it feels right to celebrate their 10th anniversary with his latest. His older brother was Texas guitar legend Freddie King who, no doubt, would be proud of what his brother has done here.
HOT TRACKS: Going Down Slow, Born In This Time, Drunk
A LONESTAR SALUTE TO LITTLE TEXAS Various Artists (Four17) ****
A lot of people have come together to pay tribute to a band that, in many ways, was an architect of the country sound in the 90’s and paved the way for future generations of Texas artists. A Lone Star Salute To Little Texas is 11 tracks sung and played with gusto and style.
“Music connects us, creates memories, and builds friendships” observes Duane Propes of Little Texas. “Songs are the soundtracks of our lives, like the smell of pine trees at Christmas. During this incredible project I was blessed to work with 23 amazing Texas artists who gave their time to record these songs that influenced them, and for that I’m deeply grateful and humbled.” The band itself started in Nashville in 1988 and quickly became popular, scoring several hits on the Billboard charts. Their impact on country music is undeniable, and the emotional purity of their songs is something that feels rare in the modern age… Salute is a fine reminder of that.
A Lone Star Salute was recorded at ER Studio in Nashville and Stormy Cooper Media in Houston. Executive producer was Brandyn Steen from the label with Duane Propes as music producer, ensuring that all those involved got it right. Several studio musicians were involved, with Propes playing bass, while Texas singers include Neal McCoy, Troy Cartwright and Kolby Cooper to name just a few. I’m not normally a country guy and the stuff I DO like tends to be classic country, and you get that vibe from these songs. I suppose this could be considered a vanity project for the band, much like Kiss’s self-curated and produced tribute Kiss My A** was in the early 90’s, but the performances and artists here are much more straightforward.
That we’re not familiar with many of the artists involved here means we can approach the music without preconceived notions of what to expect; and that makes even familiar hits like God Blessed Texas fresh. The band and singers play it pretty straight ahead, but with great songs like this there’s no reason to screw around with them. If you dig country you’ll really enjoy this.
HOT TRACKS: God Blessed Texas (Keith Nieto, Sunny Auceda,, Rico Gonzalez, First time For Everything (Kolby Cooper), First time For Everything (Neal McCoy)
