Blues

Climax Chicago Blues Band - Tightly Knit (1971/2013)

2016-02-18T17:11:06Z

Climax Chicago Blues Band - Tightly Knit (1971/2013)


01. Hey Mama - 3:33
02. Shoot Her If She Runs - 3:33
03. Towards The Sun - 3:20
04. Come On In My Kitchen - 6:34
05. Who Killed McSwiggen - 4:59
06. Little Link - 1:37
07. St. Michael's Blues - 9:55
08. Bide My Time - 3:20
09. That's All - 2:14
10. Hey Mama (Live At Blow Up 1970) - 3:37
11. Shoot Her If She Runs (Live At Blow Up 1970) - 4:46
12. Spoonful (Live At Blow Up 1970) - 6:22

Colin Cooper - Clarinet, Harmonica, Multi Instruments, Saxophone, Vocals, Whistle 
Peter Filleul - Keyboards, Vocals
Peter Haycock - Guitar, Vocals
Derek Holt - Bass, Vocals
George Newsome - Drums
Art Wood – Keyboards

By the time of 1971's Tightly Knit, the group had settled into a very comfortable groove and suddenly didn't seem to be trying so hard, instead letting the music speak for itself. This newfound confidence was also mirrored in the fact that eight of the ten tunes aboard were group-penned originals. While they showed some versatility on tunes like "Little Link" and "Shoot Her If She Runs" (both exhibiting a strong country rock flavor), they still managed to sound like no one else but the Climax Blues Band on such familiar warhorses as "Spoonful" and Robert Johnson's "Come on in My Kitchen." Peter Haycock's lead guitar reached scorching levels on the almost-ten-minute-long "St. Michael's Blues"; "Who Killed McSwiggin" explored the Bo Diddley beat for all its worth, and the closing "That's All" took the pan-flute New Orleans groove into folk-singalong territory, making a top-notch finish for the group's most varied outing. ---Cub Coda, Rovi

Not only do you disclose your age when confessing to liking "Tightly Knit," you're making a statement. You see, it's become so politically incorrect to admit to being a fan of heavy, early-Seventies British white-boy blues, it's almost worse than declaring you admire those who pick their noses on TV. So, dare to be a boor. You'll enjoy this CBB recording if you appreciate the band's sound when it was more guitar heavy than sax funk and jazz anarchy. "Tightly Knit" is man's music. So don't tell the wife you ordered this. Hide it when it arrives in a brown paper wrapper. And make sure she's outta the room when you play "Shoot Her If She Runs" and the nine minutes of "St. Michael's Blues" -- really loud crunching guitar and a singer bellerin' in pain over his lady whose been lettin' another man raid his box of "special colored socks" in the bedroom. ---Dick Destiny, amazon.com

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Climax Blues Band - Broke Heart Blues (2015)

2015-09-12T16:07:41Z

Climax Blues Band - Broke Heart Blues (2015)


1. Blue Monday
2. Cruel
3. Gossip Is Gold
4. Miss You So
5. The Rubicon
6. Lonely Avenue
7. Gotta Get It Right
8. Bluesong
9. Broke Heart Blues
10. Miracle
11. I Feel So Blue
12. You Ain’t Got The Right
13. Oxygen
14. Bluesong acoustic

Pete Haycock – vocals, guitar 
Robin George – vocals, guitar 
Mel Collins - sax 
Jacquie Williams - vocals 
Charley Charlesworth - bass 
Charlie Morgan - drums

Pete Haycock had experienced worldwide fame as part of the CLIMAX BLUES BAND and Robin George has enjoyed one of the most varied and successful careers as guitarist/singer/producer. Both had worked together on a charity project and the opportunity to make an album together to tour was not to be missed. The duo assembled in 2013 a cast of heritage musicians which resulted in Broke Heart Blues. Unfortunately, Pete died of heart failure aged 62 on October 2013 having just completed the album.

Climax Blues presents us with a rollicking album boasting 14 meaty tracks, some more bluesy, others more rocking, but all of them filled with an unmistakable trademark sound. With the added talent of Mel Collins on sax, Charley Charlesworth on bass, Charlie Morgan on drums, and Jacquie Williams on lead vocals, things could hardly go wrong! Theres plenty to chew on here and fans will not be disappointed, courtesy of renowned mixing engineer Klaus Bohlmann.

Opening track Blue Monday offers some mean fare but it takes a while before we get down to the real business. Cruel is kick-ass blues n roll, especially where the sax is concerned that blasts through oh so cool.

Third track Gossip Is Gold is filtered through with heady and menacing riffs while the overall rhythm is punchy and jagged. Miss You So sports funky grooves and a harmony-layered chorus, the arrangement is benefitted by a real strong beat.

We go into groove with The Rubicon, a track that features Jacquies vocals soaring above the band, and theres no coming back when you cross the Rubicon. The mood ranges from bittersweet to fever-level, and Mel Collins coming in with a blazing sax leading up to a climactic rhythm finale. We even get a quote from William Congreve Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

Lonely Avenue has bluesy riffs from the outset yet an altogether more classic blues-rock sound. The melodious sax contrasts with stone-heavy riffs. We get a true rollicker with Gotta Get It Right.

Title track Broke Heart Blues echoes in some respects elements of the Average White Band, albeit on tranquilizers but with considerable more depth. Miracle starts out like a dreamy rock ballad and the vocal teamwork is catchy and memorable. Its also a rather visual track that would make a good music video. Really great is the smooth sax fade-out. Jacquies vehicle comes next: I Feel So Blue is rich and soulful and highlights her fantastic vocal range. There is a change in pace when the blues-guitar kicks in with a extended solo.

A favorite track on the album is You Aint Got The Right, a real Delta-blues bottleneck affair - Mississippi Fred McDowell would have liked this one. Real powerfully performed, with Jacquie once more delivering the goods and belting out with élan!

By contrast, Oxygen felt almost like an anti-climax. As for the two versions of Bluesong (the clue is in the title), its easily the bluesiest track on the album and we are treated to two versions: the original version and the acoustic version, which is basically a showcase for highlighting the bands respective talents. --- music-news.com

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Climax Blues Band – Rich Man (2006)

2014-02-20T17:01:32Z

Climax Blues Band – Rich Man (2006)


01. Rich Man
02. Mole on the Dole
03. You Make Me Sick
04. Standing by a River
05. Shake Your Love
06. All the Time in the World
07. If You Wanna Know
08. Don't You Mind People Grinning in Your Face
09. Like Uncle Charlie (Single B-Side UK)
10. Mole on the Dole (Single Version)
11. Like Uncle Charlie (Single B-Side NL)

Musicians:
Peter Haycock -  Guitar, Harmonica, Saxophone, Vocals
Colin Cooper - Guitar, Harmonica, Percussion, Drums, Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Vocals
John Cuffley - Percussion, Drums, Bass Guitar, Electric Piano, Vocals
Derek Holt - Guitar, Bass Guitar, Electric Piano, Vocals

Rich Man was originally released by Sire in 1972, four years before the Climax Blues Band broke through to the mainstream via their only radio hit, "Couldn't Get It Right." While this isn't the most memorable record in their discography, it is worth checking out for fans, as a lighter, pop-oriented approach is mixed with the hard blues-rock the band was known for at the time, especially on the Bo Diddley-like "Shake Your Love" and the Son House standard "Don't You Mind People Grinning in Your Face." –Al Campbell, Rovi

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Climax Blues Band - The Harvest Years 69-72 (1991)

2013-07-26T15:56:51Z

Climax Blues Band - The Harvest Years 69-72 (1991)


01. Please Don't Help Me
02. Hey Baby, Everything's Gonna Be Alright Yeh Yeh Yeh
03. Everyday
04. Towards The Sun
05. You Make Me Sick
06. Reap What I've Sowed
07. Shake Your Love
08. Looking For My Baby
09. Flight
10. Mole On The Dole
11. That's All
12. Insurance
13. Wee Baby Blues
14. Crazy 'Bout My Baby
15. All Right Blue?
16. Cut You Loose

Following on the spurs of the British Blues Boom at the end of the sixties was The Chicago Climax Blues Band, shortly after shortened to Climax Blues Band, a little bit underrated and often overlooked band with among others a really outstanding guitarplayer Peter Haycock (who left the band in the beginning of the eighties). This album is a compilation of the highlights from their 3 years (EMI) Harvest-label period, in which short time 5 studio-albums saw the daylight, from which all the songs here are culled. The LP dates from 1975 and had 11 songs on it, this is now on CD expanded to 16. There is an ear for everyone. From straight blues ("Please Don't Help Me", the instrumental "Flight") to heavy rock ("Reap What I Sowed", with soarin guitarplay, "You Make Me Sick") till catchy acoustic folk-pop tinged tunes like "Mole on the Dole" and "That's All", wich proves that this band is undeserved underestimated. They knew how to write and perform a song.

And also to play this live (hear for yourself on the also excellent "FM/Live" concertalbum, recorded in one take). As a start to get known to this band may serve this compilation. I am sure that upon repeated listening you not only will enjoy this but also make you look out for the original studioalbums which are on CD available (some of which have also bonustracks) and maybe take an interest in their later efforts. This is alltime great music from a great band. They do still exist these days but have only one or two original members, if I am well informed. But from the time way back this album is a fitting document of how good this band actually was. Strongly recommended, even after more than 30 years. --- J. Talsma, amazon.com

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Climax Blues Band – A Lot Of Bottle (1970)

2011-09-28T08:51:01Z

Climax Blues Band – A Lot Of Bottle (1970)


01. Country Hat - 1:56
02. Everyday - 2:23
03. Reap What I've Sowed - 4:35
04. Brief Case - 4:01
05. Alright Blue? - 2:56
06. Country Hat (reprise) - 1:15
07. Seventh Son - 6:49
08. Please Don't Help Me - 2:55
09. Morning Noon And Night - 2:33					play
10. Long Lovin' Man - 3:34
11. Louisiana Blues (McKinley Morganfield) - 5:18
12. Cut You Loose - 5:17
Bonus:
13. Lovin' Machine - 2:23						play

- Colin Cooper - vocals, saxes and harmonica
- Peter Haycock - vocals and guitars
- Derek Holt - vocals and bass
- Arthur Wood - keyboards
- Anton Farmer - keyboards
- George Newsome – drums

Produced by Chris Thomas, 1970's "A Lot of Bottle" wasn't a major change in direction from The Climax Blues Band's earlier releases. Seemingly like every other early-1970s English band, these guys appeared determined to underscore their credentials as authentic blues-rockers. That said, the thing that's always intrigued me about this outfit is their occasional willingness to embrace more conventional and rock conventions (check out the screaming rocker 'Reap What I've Sown' with one of the funniest lyrics I've ever heard - "drinking in bar my friends all around ; it's the smell of my money the way they found me"). Yeah, competitors like Fleetwood Mac, Keef Hartley, John Mayall, Savoy Brown, etc. also occasionally went commercial, but that tended to be later in their recording careers, Elsewhere keyboardist Anton 'Humpty' Farmer was brought in to supplement Arthur Wood, but at least to my ears, with the exception of some barrelhouse piano on 'Long Lovin' Man' and some Hammond on the closer 'Cut You Loose' most of his contributions were simply lost in the mix. --- rateyourmusic.com

This album starts out promisingly (and interestingly, and misleadingly) with a cool acoustic number, "Country Hat," before the amplification gets cranked up and a lot of subtlety goes out the window. Still, this is generally an exciting album, if not always an interesting one. The band plays hard enough on grinding, crunchy shouters like "Reap What I've Sowed" (which features a wondering, soaring solo by Peter Haycock, and a spellbinding performance by Derek Holt on bass), which also parallels Mountain's contemporary release "Mississippi Queen"; and they bring back in that oft-overlooked instrument, the saxophone (played by Colin Cooper), on "Brief Case." Much of the rest is on the bland side, " "Alright Blue?" being a tedious workout for the harmonica as lead instrument. A couple of Willie Dixon and Muddy Waters covers are more engaging than most of the originals that follow, until the pleasantly loose-limbed closer, "Cut You Loose." --- Bruce Eder, allmusic.com

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Climax Chicago Blues Band (1969)

2011-09-22T09:03:02Z

Climax Chicago Blues Band (1969/2001)


01. Mean Old World (Big Bill Broonzy) - 3:48
02. Insurance (Charlie Singleton, Waldense Hall) - 3:46
03. Going Down This Road - 3:00
04. You've Been Drinking - 2:26					play
05. Don't Start Me Talkin' (Sonny Boy Williamson) - 3:15
06. Wee Baby Blues (traditional, arr.by Climax) - 3:17		play
07. Twenty Past One - 3:05
08. A Stranger In Your Town (Lee Hazlewood, Colin Cooper) - 4:14
09. How Many More Years (Chester Burnett) - 2:55
10. Looking For My Baby - 2:48
11. And Lonely - 8:38
12. The Entertainer (Scott Joplin) - 2:38
+
13 	Checking On My Baby 	
14 	Arthur's Boogie 	
15 	Stormy Monday 	
16 	Don't Start Me Talkin' (Take One) 	
17 	Anybody's Boogie 	
18 	You've Been Drinking (Take One) 	
19 	And Lonely (Take Five)

- Colin Cooper - vocals, harmonica
- Peter Haycock - lead guitar, slide guitar, vocals
- Arthur Wood - piano, organ, celeste, harmonium
- Derek Holt - rhythm guitar, organ, bass
- Richard Jones - bass
- George Newsome - drums

The Climax Chicago Blues Band--not from Chicago at all, but from Stafford, England--were major participants in the 1960s British blues-rock scene. This classic 1969 debut record, recorded before the condensed their name to Climax Blues Band, ... Full Descriptionhints at the power demonstrated on successive albums.

This is the 1969 debut by this prolific British band. Influenced by the Chicago style of blues, these blues-loving musicians bring us a sound that is both direct and immediate and features very talented and creative harmonica and guitar playing.

In the grand tradition of Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac, the Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, The Keef Hartley Band, T.S. McPhee's Groundhogs, early Rod Stewart, early Led Zeppelin and a dozen others, the British blues scene of 1967-1969 was hot.

And the best of the best was the Climax Chicago Blues Band (they dropped 'Chicago' after this first album). Though rooted in the American blues tradition, they gave it their own distinctive British twist, producing some of the finest modern blues music around in their first 4 or 5 albums.

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Climax Chicago Blues Band – Plays On (1969)

2011-08-20T17:26:45Z

Climax Chicago Blues Band – Plays On (1969)


01. Flight - 7:49 +
02. Hey Baby, Everything's Gonna Be Alright! Yeh Yeh Yeh - 4:23
03. Cubano Chant (Ray Bryant) - 5:31
04. Little Girl (Graham Bond) - 2:57			play
05. Mum's The Word - 3:42
06. Twenty Past Two/Temptation Rag (Climax Blues Band/Lodge) - 3:19
07. So Many Roads (Marshall Paul) - 6:32		play
08. City Ways - 3:19
09. Crazy 'Bout My Baby - 6:06

- Colin Cooper - vocals, saxophones, harmonica, bamboo whistle
- Peter Haycock - vocals, guitars
- Arthur Wood - keyboards
- Derek Holt - bass, rhythm guitar, Mellotron
- George Newsome – drums

Following on from the hard-hitting blues of their debut album, Plays On caught the Climax Chicago Blues Band in somewhat transitional waters, testing any number of different musical styles, but never really setting on any. Certainly the funk thump that characterized their better later work was still an idea waiting to be explored, as the group instead fluttered between the scurrying jazz of the opening "Flight," the psychedelic tinge of "Hey Baby, Everything's Gonna Be Alright Yeh Yeh Yeh," the semi-Santana fusion of "Cubano Chant," and the heavy blues of "So Many Roads," all interrupted by "Mum's the Word," a dynamic Moog sequence that builds out of the theme from 2001, and then freefalls into total space rock. Even amid all the other moods that litter the album, it's an unexpected find and a glorious treasure. So much variety does not necessarily work to the album's advantage, while its transition to CD is even more disorienting. On vinyl, "Mum's the Word" closed the first side and at least let you catch your breath before continuing. On disc, it is immediately succeeded by the blistering blues/barrelhouse boogie of "Twenty Past Two Temptation Rag," and the culture clash is almost palpable. Still, if audacious ambition be your guide, Plays On stands proud among the Climax Blues Band's most accomplished albums, and merits your unreserved attention. --- Dave Thompson, allmusic.com

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Climax Chicago Blues Band – Gold Plated (1976)

2009-10-27T21:02:59Z

Climax Chicago Blues Band – Gold Plated (1976)


01 - Together And Free 
02 - Mighty Fire 
03 - Chasing Change 
04 - Berlin Blues 
05 - Couldn't Get It Right 
06 - Rollin' Home 
07 - Sav'ry Gravy 
08 – Extra

Richard Jones  - guitar, keyboards, vocals
Derek Holt – bass, vocals
Peter Haycock – 6-string bass, guitar, vocals
Peter Filleul – keyboars, vocals
John Cuffley – drums, percussion
Colin Cooper – guitar, saxophone, vocals

Gold is right -- after gradually building their reputation a series of nine LPs, the Climax Blues Band finally enjoyed a serious hit single with "Couldn't Get It Right," which hit number three on the American charts and led to this album and then two years of almost constant touring. The group is at its most laid-back here, slipping more into a funk than a blues groove for most of Gold Plated's length. They keep some elements of their earlier sound, such as Peter Haycock's searing guitar solo on "Mighty Fire," but those looking for the group's unabashed older style will have to content themselves with just three numbers here: "Berlin Blues," with its chiming overlaid and over-amplified guitars, or the slow, Chicago blues-style "Rollin' Home," and the high-energy "Extra." Most of the album, however, is oriented toward the less high-energy, slightly more pop-focused sound exemplified by "Couldn't Get It Right," which still sounds irresistible a quarter century after its original release. ---Bruce Eder, AllMusic Review

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