Savoy Brown – City Night

CD:
Savoy Brown
Price:
10.99

Reviewed by:
Rating:
4
On 4 May 2019
Last modified:4 May 2019

Summary:

an album that's well worth listening to for some great Blues music.

Savoy Brown are a rare band – one that has been going constantly for over fifty years. Formed in 1965 as the Savoy Brown blues band, the lineup has changed many times over the last 54 years with singer/guitarist Kim Simmonds being the only remaining original member. Over the years members have gone on to perform with bands including Fleetwood Mac, The Kinks, UFO, Foghat and many others. The number of band members has varied over the years, with the band originally being a 6-piece but the current lineup is a three-piece.

Whereas many bands achieve success early on and struggle to replicate that in their later years, Savoy Brown reached the number 1 spot on the Billboard blues chart with their 2017 album Witchy Feelin’ (which also topped iTunes Blues top albums list) – not bad for a band that formed 52 years earlier.

The opening of “Walking on hot stones” reminds me of Big Boy Bloater’s “It came out of the swamp” – its the similar guitar riff that does it, but this song soon diverges and develops into something different. The guitar playing is a real highlight – not just that riff but the slide work. The vocals are quite laid-back, almost spoken rather than sung but it seems to suit the music well.
That pretty much sets the scene for the album – Kim Simmonds playing some excellent guitar solos and the rhythm section just supporting him. There’s little variation in the vocals, but the vocals do work well.

It’s definitely an album that’s well worth listening to for some great Blues music.

“City night” will be released on 7th June 2019

Track listing:

1. Walking on hot stones
2. Don’t hang me out to dry
3. Payback time
4. Red light mama
5. Conjure rhythm
6. Neighborhood blues
7. Selfish world
8. Wearing thin
9. City night
10. Hang in tough
11. Superstitious woman
12. Ain’t gonna worry

an album that's well worth listening to for some great Blues music.

About Ant May

I spend half my life at gigs or festivals and the other half writing the reviews and editing photos, and somehow find time for a full time job too. Who needs sleep - I've got coffee.