The Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band - Goin' Home (Album Review)
Thursday, 08 May 2014
Written by Simon Ramsay
Photo: Mark Seliger
This worthy follow up to 2011’s superb 'How I Go' finds Kenny Wayne Shepherd taking a trip down memory lane as he pays tribute to the artists that inspired him. Ably assisted by some famous musical chums and steering clear of the usual done-to-death-covers, 'Goin' Home' is a banquet of bluesy brilliance that will leave purists salivating like the proverbial Pavlovian canine.
Shepherd began a fruitful partnership with vocalist Noah Hunt on 1997’s ‘Trouble Is’, and although he does more singing these days their combined talents are as sympatico as ever on this effort, aided by scintillating support from former Stevie Ray Vaughan drummer Chris Layton, ex-Firm Bassist Tony Franklin, keyboardist Riley Osbourn and special guests appearances from, among others, a former Beatle and a current Eagle.
Where 'How I Go' was a commercially-charged blues-rock effort packed with strong melodies, 'Goin' Home' is a literal and figurative title, with Shepherd relocating the band to his hometown of Shreveport, Louisiana to reconnect with the music that influenced him.
One instantly noticeable aspect of 'Goin' Home' is how incredible it sounds. This is mainly due to it being recorded in an old school manner, with everyone playing together in the same room, unconcerned about things like the guitar 'bleeding over' into the drum microphones and vice versa. The result is album that sounds immediate and vital.
The album's pacing is also superb, showcasing different sides of the blues with the lascivious libido gait of Boogie Man, the acoustic strut of Cut You loose – featuring RingoStarr - and the choppy fretwork and sparkling piano of Everything Gonna Be Alright just three examples of its variety.
Plus, the common misconception that blues music is depressing and downbeat is effortlessly disproved by tracks like I Love The Life I Live, where Joe Walsh pops in for some tasty six string twanging, the vivacious shuffle of Bo Diddley's You Can't Judge A Book and the flirtatious romp Looking Back.
There's nothing worse than covers that sound like sub-par karaoke versions, but Shepherd and co confidently make these songs their own, injecting ferocious energy and passion while walking a masterful line between honouring the originals and reinventing them.
So while spunky, horn-fuelled opener Palace Of The King remains close to Freddie King's version, with a bubbling funky bassline and buoyant backing singers, a fizzing rendition of Muddy Waters’ Still A Fool keeps the swampy delta ambience and shoots it full of hair raising soloing from Shepherd and lap steel wizard Robert Randolph.
There are subtle embellishments to most tracks, with a longer version of BB King's You Done Lost Your Good Thing Now allowing Shepherd and, in particular, Osbourn to shine with intertwined leads that move from restrained and delicate one minute to lightning bolts of pure emotion the next.
The guest contributions add extra spice, with the highlight being Warren Haynes' contribution to the predatory pulse of Breaking Up Somebody's Home, where he and Shepherd play off each superbly, dropping a full payload of six string bombs that includes some great unison runs.
Long time fans of Shepherd won't be surprised by the excellence of 'Goin Home' – and the deluxe version is worth getting for three cracking bonus tracks - but for newcomers this is the perfect introduction to a musician who backs up his appreciation and understanding of the blues with a winning mix of amazing virtuosity and boundless heart and soul.
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