There's nothing wrong with being called a journeyman. It's an honor to have fully learned the mysteries of a craft, to have accomplished work at a skillful level, capable of standing with others in the same field. Journeyman blues bands are scattered all over the world; they aren't masters, not quite capable of reaching the heights of invention and personal originality of the very best in blues. The Blues Band, active in England throughout the 1980s and '90s, were the epitome of journeyman musicians; they even had the most generic, if honest, name of any collective in music.
Journeyman Blues
If you've never heard the Blues Band, you've probably at least heard one song sung by one of the group's members. Vocalist/harpist Paul Jones was the original singer in the band Manfred Mann, and as such is familiar from their hit single, "Do Wah Diddy." Aficionados of obscure but brilliant albums by cult artists may be familiar with at least one record featuring guitarist Tom McGuiness; as part of the group Coulson, Dean, McGuiness and Flint, he made the album Lo and Behold, perhaps the first collection of songs culled from Bob Dylan's "Basement Tapes" period before they were released. The Blues Band at this time was rounded out by guitarist/vocalist Dave Kelly, bassist Gary Fletcher, and drummer Rob Townsend.
The albums Back For More and Fat City appeared in 1989 and 1991, respectively. At this point in their career, the Blues Band was, perhaps, trying to chase the brass ring of commercial success that had been achieved by Bonnie Raitt. There did seem to be a chance for blues musicians to go for a slicker sound there for a while, and perhaps grab some radio play. That didn't happen for these guys, at least in the states, but it does at least provide a context for some questionable decisions here, especially on the Fat City disc.
The Blues Band's Back For More
Back For More was the reunion album of the Blues Band after a 7-year recording hiatus. (The entire convoluted history of these musicians' career paths is detailed in the liner notes, complete with cameo appearances by almost every famous British blues-based rock star.) From the jump, the McGuiness-penned "Normal Service" shows off the pizzazz with which these guys could play. A guest appearance by the Memphis Horns, apparently vacationing in England, gives this cut (and a handful of others) a hard, punchy sound, and Kelly's slide guitar playing is a blast. There's a bit of a Little Feat vibe here, and the hook, sung through a megaphone effect, is effective: "Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible." And then the band's most potent weapon, Jones's harp, delivers a particularly juicy melodic solo.
All the pieces are in place right away, and it remains to hear the many variants the Blues Band could deliver. "Victim of Love" really goes for that Bonnie Raitt sophisticated soul/blues approach, with a nice vibraphone solo. "Not Me," co-written by Jones, and "Can’t Get My Ass in Gear," are clearly a favorite from the bands days playing in pubs – these are the kinds of propulsive dance number that links them to the likes of Rockpile. Out of left field, the Blues Band do justice to a cover of Gil Scott-Heron's "Blue Collar"; it may not have Scott-Heron’s sardonic edge, but it makes up for it with short and eloquent solos.
Fat City
The great tenor saxophonist Plas Johnson stops by to up the ante on "Bad Boy" and "Leaving." The former also benefits from Jones' best vocal, and the most confident and compelling guitar solos from both Kelly and McGuiness on either record. Johnson's sax is sultry and inviting. "Leaving" is a gorgeous R&B lamentation with the Memphis Horns joining Johnson to wring as much emotion as possible. Johnson definitely understands what the Blues Band is driving at.
Fat City suffers by comparison with Back For More, but there is plenty of quality material here. Kelly's "Longing For You Baby" is another pub-rock dance number, fueled by the always welcome appearance of Geraint Watkins on accordion. He's back later on for "Killing Me By Degrees,"” a nice jazzy number also featuring the Memphis Horns. Jones delivers the vocals here with a nicely relaxed feel, smooth and supple, and eager to tell the story of the song. "Too Bad You're No Good," co-written by McGuiness but sung by Kelly, is a scorcher. Kelly sings his heart out, and he plays a raw and emotionally riveting slide guitar solo. The horns on this cut come courtesy of the Rumour Brass, once associated with Graham Parker, and they have a completely different, more dynamically varied take than the Memphis Horns.
Other songs are fine: the Stax harmony duet-styled "“So Lonely," the sharp as nails "I Can’t Tell It All," the relaxed acoustic darkness of "Country Blues No. 48." And then there are the slick production numbers which can't transcend the synthesizer trends of the time: "Fat City" sounds like a TV theme of that era, leavened slightly by a brief guest cornet solo from Nat Adderley. "Down To The River" pits a worried and convincing vocal from Jones against backing so slick the river will run right off it. Jones does a beautiful and mysterious overdubbed call-and-response section on his harp that comes close to justifying the whole recording. The album ends with "Long Time Gone," with a better Adderley cornet solo, but an even more dated production sound, particularly in the drums.
Steve's Bottom Line
By all reports, the Blues Band still performs with the same line-up, though it's been a while since they've recorded anything. The Beat Goes On label in England has been churning out the CD reissues of their old material. The Blues Band won't change anybody's life, won't turn up in any pantheons of blues giants. But they reward attention with some seriously well-done blues and R&B, and particularly good singing and playing. The world is not so overrun with people who can provide just plain good music that we shouldn't welcome the continued ability to hear records like these. (BGO Records, released February 9, 2010)
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