Walter Trout and Friends

Full Circle: Ruf Records 1117

This will be a really biased review because not only will it be written by a fan, it will be written by a friend! OK we admit it but let's not taint the review of this tremendous album of rocking blues songs from the pen of Mr Trout. The concept of the CD was to illustrate the completion of a circle of Walter Trout's career, not that Walter plans retirement for some time yet. Walter seems to feel the circle is a reflection of starting as a journeyman, being a sideman to some of the worlds top blues stars, like John Lee Hooker, and John Mayall, Big Mama Thornton and 70's superstars Canned Heat, and rising to the blues rock superstar that he unquestionably is  today.

The way Walter is celebrating the completion of the circle is to invite selected blues greats to record with him on this very special album. This involved hours in the studio in Los Angeles and even flying to Toronto to record with Jeff Healey, the blind Canadian virtuoso. This album is a celebration of Walter's career as a guitarist, a singer, and a great composer. All the music has been done live in the studio with all the players facing each other to enjoy the interaction. Basically this is a high quality jam with the tape left running! The idea has worked very well as the result is very special indeed.

Artists on this CD range from the Godfather of English blues ,John Mayall, American blues great Guitar Shorty, veteran blueser, James Harman and through to up and coming artists like Joe Bonamassa, as well as established stars like Eric Sardinas, Bernard Allison, and Walter's old sparring partner in The Bluesbreakers, Coco Montoya.

So what of the music? As expected the album is stuffed with quality and has a fair amount of variety too.

The CD proceeds with Walter's old friend, John Mayall ,on a song entitled She Takes More Than She Gives. A superb angst laden blues in the key of C, the duet is wonderful with the singers voices so distinctly different. The journey to Toronto to record Working Overtime was well worth the trip and is a completely different song to the first, yet it's typically Walter Trout in style. It's strangely familiar to hear Jeff Healey's vocals come in, especially for a fan of both Walter and Jeff Healey ! It's a slow song in E with some great guitar licks from both artists.

Yet another completely different blues sees Eric Sardinas sing and play along with Walter. Both play this acoustic song just the way the boys do when Eric visits Walter at his home in Huntington Beach, according to Marie Trout's sleeve notes.It's a good song, entitled Firehouse Mama, with a Delta blues feel to it. Following with yet another style comes Coco Montoya, Walter's soul brother from the Bluesbreakers. It's many years since the two played together but the wait is well worth it! Coco's vocals are very pleasing and the guitar work from the two old friends is superb. This track is Who's Listenin' In and is one of those over to you Walter, and over to you Coco, just like two mates at a jam night. Brilliant!

Slap Happy is another change in style with Junior Watson on guitar and an upright bass giving a jazzy kind of blues, possibly "jump" blues. Good song! Following on with Wrapped Around Your Finger, a superb blues with Guitar Shorty twangin' in a similar tone to the late great Albert Collins, it's a brilliant driving 12 bar progression that makes you want to jam along to the record. Guitar Shorty is a fabulous and gifted player who makes his Strat talk. Nice singer too. James Harman plays great slow tempo blues harp on Busy Man. Another listenable blues song, it's beginning to amaze me how much variety there is on this CD! It's another song that makes you want to reach for your geetar! It's in E by the way!

John Mayall's back on Highway Man, a jaunty 12 bar, with John Mayall's piano tinkling under the shuffle. With a slightly Chuck Berry feeling it's a nice rock'n'roller. A more menacing blues starts up with Bernard Allison singing his famous popa's song When Will It Ever Change. Walter is a big fan and friend of the dearly departed Luther Allison and what a fantastic song it is. Bernard is certainly his father's son and our two heroes make a great job of this one. The repetitive  riff is very catchy and the vocals have that emotive feel that just makes you so addicted to the blues!

Old friend Finis Tasby sings on the driving blues, Can't Help Falling Apart. Another song with superb harmonica from none other than Walter Trout, and a Hammond B3 superbly played by Deacon Jones. Deacon follows on with the next track, After Hours, a slow smouldering wallow in Hammond B3 heaven. Deacon's a superb player. Walter puts in some nicely toned guitar into this track too, and this track is a purely instrumental duet between the two virtuoso players. Laid back and in the groove, it's a very worthy inclusion to this wonderful CD.

The penultimate song, although it's not the final track, is a Joe Bonamassa/Walter Trout monster blues. Dedicated to all blues purists, who do not subscribe to either Joe or Walter's playing, this fantastic rocking blues, entitled Clouds On The Horizon picks up the blues by the scruff of the neck and gives it a good shaking. Walter says Joe Bonamassa is "The real deal", and take it from this writer, he is the real deal and probably the artist most likely to succeed the maestro on the American side of the pond. With Rick Knapp's relentless bass line beneath the two players, these "lords of the strings" play a face contorting progression of high gain blues lines. They are an inspiration all guitar players, negotiating the scales with skill and imagination, exchanging lead and rhythm/fill roles throughout the solos. Fantastic stuff indeed! I have emphasised the guitar playing but both Joe and Walter have great singing voices too.

The final track is a 1960's U.S. radio style narrative from Larry Keene, who was THE voice of the New Jersey airwaves on WMID in Atlantic City. It's a nice way to end the album with Larry, Walter's Brother in Law, stating that Walter had come Full Circle!

This is the first CD I have reviewed from Walter Trout, even though I own all 14 or so of his CD releases. As always he never fails to delight me with his music and even though I admit that I am biased as he is a close family friend,  my integrity remains intact and I can honestly state that this CD is truly excellent. The varied content and the army of great musicians dueting with Walter makes this CD highly collectable to both rock and blues fans and to guitar enthusiasts, as Walter is an idol to many players around the world. Buy this CD, it is a definitive statement from an artist who has gone Full Circle.

Steve Lally