It's incredible when you think of just how long Savoy Brown have been a viable entity on the music scene, as the band are now celebrating roughly 52 years together. The mainstay from day one has always been guitarist/vocalist Kim Simmonds, who has survived just as many line-up changes as years he's held this ensemble together, which now also includes bassist Pat Desalvo and drummer Garnet Grimm. Their brand new album for Ruf Records is titled Witchy Feelin', and contains 11 songs bristling with Simmonds' still fiery blues rock licks and baritone vocals.
Still a relative youngster at age 69, Simmonds' guitar skills, like a fine wine, have improved with age, and he's displaying his superb chops all throughout Witchy Feelin' . There's no better way to open the album than with the screaming blues of "Why Did You Hoodoo Me", a searing, heavy blues rock track with no shortage of venomous lead guitar and stinging riffs. The band opt for Louisiana swamp blues on the engaging "Livin' on the Bayou", Kim's smoky, Mark Knopfler styled vocals a perfect fit for the laid back arrangement, and his lead guitar on "I Can't Stop the Blues" is fiery and commands instant attention. The moody, slow blues of the title track is simply thrilling, Desalvo's silky bass grooves lurking around the arrangement alongside Grimm's gentle percussive touch as the leader pulls some emotional solos from his inner soul. "Guitar Slinger" of course brings the thunder, as Simmond's cranks up the volume and delivers some blistering lead guitar work, while the slide comes out on the old school blues feel of "Vintage Man" and "Standing in a Doorway". Both "Memphis Blues" and "Can't Find Paradise" offer upbeat arrangements in a blues rock context, the trio locked in tight with the leader firing off plenty of stinging solos and crisp riffs, but the album highlight has to be the lengthy "Thunder, Lighting & Rain", a brain melting trip into bluesy psychedelia and acid rock, Kim stepping on his wah-wah pedal for some screaming Jimi Hendrix styled explorations. The album closes out with the classy sounds of "Close to Midnight", an instrumental filled with plenty of tasty lead guitar work and melodies from Simmonds.
Basically, blues rock doesn't get much better than this folks. Kim Simmonds and Savoy Brown have delivered here a stunning album that more than stacks up to some of their classic era material, and the guitarist shows that his skills are as lethal as ever. Do not miss this one!
Track Listing
1 Why Did You Hoodoo Me 5:15
2 Livin' On The Bayou 6:01
3 I Can't Stop The Blues 5:28
4 Witchy Feelin' 4:38
5 Guitar Slinger 3:54
6 Vintage Man 3:09
7 Standing In A Doorway 3:41
8 Memphis Blues 4:15
9 Can't Find Paradise 4:30
10 Thunder, Lighting & Rain 7:56
11 Close To Midnight 4:08
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