WAR PIGS Judas Priest & Ozzy Osbourne (Sony) ****
A bit of a surprise this, but a welcome one. On September 26th Sony Music released this cover of the Sabbath classic, featuring Rob Halford and Ozzy trading vocals, with proceeds going to Parkinson’s disease research. It’s a powerful song and quite well done at that.
Metal fans know that Ozzy suffered from Parkinson’s as does Judas Priest guitarist Glenn Tipton, and coming so soon after Osbourne’s passing the timing is solid. Priest does the musical heavy lifting here, sticking close to the original version, and the result is thick and heavy. Tipton and Faulkner play Iommi’s parts well on guitar and their deviation on Tony’s guitar solos aren’t that drastic. Ian Hill isn’t nearly as acrobatic a bass player as Geezer Butler yet he acquits himself well and while a fantastic rock drummer, Scott Travis’s playing doesn’t quite have the same swing as Bill Ward. As for Rob and Ozzy, their vocals blend remarkably well.
While this charity version of War Pigs will never replace the original it does the track justice and sounds great at excessive volume. I bought it the day it came out on I Tunes and I urge every Priest and Ozzy fan to do the same… it’s for a great cause, and it really cooks.
SAVING GRACE Robert Plant (Nonesuch Records) *****
This is Plant’s latest solo album; his 12th overall and first since 2017’s Carry Fire. If you’ve been following his solo career, particularly since he first teamed up with Alison Krauss, Saving Grace will feel familiar. His musical curiosity has led him to some interesting destinations, and sharing the mic with Suzi Dian, the disc is a sublime wonder.
Saving Grace is a covers album as Plant and his band de jour take on songs by Memphis Minnie, Blind Willie Johnson, Moby Grape and more. Robert began playing with Saving Grace during the pandemic at small places around where he lives, and the disc was recorded over a period of 6 years at studios across the Cotswolds and the Welsh borders. The vibe here is a mix of gentle folk and blues, and moreso than previous collaborations with Krauss and/ or Patti Griffin, Saving Grace sounds effortlessly perfect. The rich vocal blend with Suzi Dian and the gentle musical undercurrent lifts these songs to someplace special.
Saving Grace was produced by Plant and the band with a sparseness that makes Robert’s sets with Alison (Raising Sand, Raising The Roof) sound as if they’re trying too hard thanks to expectations from those of us out here. The difference, I think, is that this album came together out of the spotlight. Robert has hit on a brilliant mix of musicians here as everything sounds so damn right; while everyone contributes backing vocals, Suzi share leads with Robert and plays accordion too… we also have Oli Jefferson on drums, Tom Kelsey on guitars, Barney Morse-Brown on cello, and Matt Worley on banjo and guitars. All of them are unknown to the world at large but judging from the finished results, they’re just the right collaborators at this stage of Plant’s career. He’s not out to fill arenas or stadiums, he’s making the kind of music that satisfies him and his friends and makes them happy… and we’re the richer for that. I’ve been along for this musical journey since Pictures At Eleven in 1982 and have delighted in every twist and turn he’s taken since then. I daresay Saving Grace is the richest chapter yet.
HOT TRACKS: It’s A Beautiful Day Today (Moby Grape), I Never Will Marry (traditional), Soul Of A Man (Blind Willie Johnson), Chevrolet (Memphis Minnie)
MOONLIGHT MOVIN’ & GROOVIN’ GeminiiDragon (Nepotism Recordings/ Bandcamp) ****
New music from GeminiiDragon is always cause for celebration. More than just a blues singer Gemini, along with her husband and guitarist Christian Simeon, deliver the goods across a variety of bluesy styles on Moonlight Movin’ & Groovin’, her 4th album in as many years. The album title really captures the spirit of this collection of songs.
GD’s vocal is as powerful and expressive as it’s ever been here with a confident swagger that’s in total control. Moonlight Movin’ & Groovin’ rocks, rolls, swaggers and grinds in a totally enthralling way. Guitarist Linwood Taylor is also along for the ride, his leads coming off like a cross between Albert Collins and BB King, especially on a track like Rainy Wednesday that feels like a kissing cousin to BB’s The Thrill Is Gone. The leadoff single Blues Is So Good has a killer groove that got immediate reaction at blues radio and I featured it on my own Hellhounds On My Trail show on internet radio when it came out.
There’s something different about blues that comes out of Louisiana, a different vibe than the stuff we get from the Delta and Chicago, an attitude that really sets it apart. You can hear that in Gemini’s voice, a confidence that says “yeah, I got this” no matter what she’s singing about. There are some special guests involved, names that I’m not familiar with, but MM&D is mainly Gemini, Christian and Linwood showing us how it’s done. The production is clean and lively and I find the double tracked vocals captivating. Needless to say (but I’m saying it anyway) this thing sounds better when cranked.
Moonlight Movin’ & Groovin’ is a spirited and energetic collection with the occasional slow blues offering a change of pace. GeminiiDragon has once again delivered the goods.
https://geminiidragon.bandcamp.com/album/moonlight-movin-and-groovin
HOT TRACKS: Blues Is So Good, All Night (Bonafied Heartbreaker), Slow Slow Moan
THE EMPATHIST Stephen Fearing (Ging Records) *****
Although this album has been out since March, I just recently got my hands on it. The Empathist is the sort of great storytelling music you’d expect from a guy that gets compared to John Prine and Bruce Springsteen. Canadian Beats says that fans of Bruce and John “will appreciate Fearing’s poetic lyrics and timeless melodies”… I know I do.
Fearing is one of the founding members of Blackie & The Rodeo Kings along with Colin Linden and Tom Wilson, so my expectations when I put The Empathist on were high- I was not disappointed. Stylistically it’s fair to call this roots music with a touch of country, and with a warm voice to accompany his deft guitar playing this album is easy to just fall into. “I’m a storyteller much more than a singer/ songwriter” Stephen says, “because I realized MY story was less interesting than THE story.” Like Prine and Springsteen mentioned above, Fearing paints pictures of and portraits of people and characters that we all feel we know or have been and maybe that’s where the magic lays in these 10 tracks.
Joining Stephen Fearing in the Nashville studio here were Jim Hoke on keys, harmonica, pedal steel, accordion and sax, Ken Coomer on drums and John Dymond on bass. Guests include Colin Linden, Kelly Prescott and Sue Foley to name a few. The Empathist feels more laid back than a Blackie & The Rodeo Kings album, warm and quiet, but when you step outside of a group situation you gotta follow the muse wherever it leads you. That said, this disc definitely feels like it came from a member of that band.
Maverick Magazine calls Stephen Fearing “a master of the finely-tuned phrase and the perfectly pitched line”, which he proves in spades here. In a way The Empathist sounds like something Levon Helm might’ve come up with, or is that just me? Deep, soulful storytelling is what this record is all about, making it great, rainy Sunday afternoon company. I’m really feeling this record tonight.
HOT TRACKS: Far From The Middle (with Sue Foley), Cowboy Guitar, May you Get to Heaven
