From the Vault...

10/27/2002
#809

info
Blues Brothers Band
"Red, White, And Blues"


© Turnstile/Atlantic Recor Year of Release: 1992
Rating:

track listing
  • You Got The Bucks
  • Red White And Blues
  • Can't Play The Blues
    (In An Air-
    Conditioned Room)
  • Early In The Morning
  • One Track Train
  • Boogie Thing
  • Never Found A Girl
  • Trick Bag
  • Take You And Show You
  • Big Bird

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    Previous Review: #808
    Kay Starr--Collectors Series
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    The Wallflowers--Bringing Down The Horse
    Blues Brothers Band
    "Red, White, And Blues"



    The year was 1992... Ten years since the death of John Belushi... Dan Aykroyd (aka Elwood Blues) was putting the band back together... Despite the loss of Jake Blues (Belushi), Aykroyd found hope in recreating the interest of the blues to old and new fans alike. He would start with a syndicated radio show, The House of Blues Radio Hour, an excellent look at contemporary blues, featuring the music of the blues from the past, present, and future.


    With the spark of the blues already in the works, like in the original Blues Brothers movie, Elwood was putting the band back together: Steve Cropper, Donald Duck Dunn, Matt Guitar Murphy, Blue Lou Marini, Alan "Mr. Fabulous" Rubin (all original members of the Blues Brothers Band in the movie) were recruited with Birch "Slide" Johnson (trombone), Danny Gottlieb (drums), Leon Pendarvis (keyboards, vocals) and Larry "T" Thurston (vocals). Elvood would also have his friends join along; those who were popular in the past, such as Eddie Floyd ("Knock On Wood"), and other artists currently in the blues field: George Wadenius, Carla Thomas, and Steve Potts. Call it a pre-Blues Brothers and Friends, likewise the beginning stages of what would later become the Blues Brothers 2000 movie sequel, the Blues was back, and Elwood Blues and friends released Red, White And Blues. and no mistake about it, the Blues is definitely one of the greatest sources of music today.


    Leon Pendarvis and/or Larry "T" Thurston provide the lead vocals on this album. Elwood Blues provided additional vocals and rap (!) on only two songs, the title track (spoken words, yet they call it rap), and "Can't Play The Blues (In An Air-Conditioned Room)"


    "You Got The Bucks" is a true-grit blues-rock number; a good tune to start out the album, yet the title track may sound like the Blues, but it's not in the same kind of style of true-spirit standard blues. "Can't Play The Blues (In An Air-Conditioned Room)" is a good number, much better than the title track, yet the album's opener is more true-grit and spirited.


    The blues standard "Early In The Morning" (Junior Wells) and "One Track Train" have the credentials of just-good blues tunes, where they are good, only to be better. However, "Boogie Thing" is a very well-done jumpin' blues tune, having a more rock approach, similar to the rock/blues of ZZ Top.


    And then it gets better: "Never Found A Girl" (written by Booker T. and Eddie Floyd) has all the ingredients of a great Soul R&B song. (Eddie Floyd provides the vocals.) The Earl King "Trick Bag" is another good tune, as it looks as if the second half of Red White And Blues is becoming much better as the first half.


    "Take You And Show You" has a more updated 1990s Blues sound, and the album's closing tune is another Booker T./Eddie Floyd composition, "Big Bird" -- with vocals supplied by Eddie Floyd himself, it's another good Blues/Rock number.


    The Blues is updated as compared to the Soul and Harmonica-driven tunes of the early years of Blues. What stands out are the horns on Red, White And Blues. Where some may not see this release as a must-have, it was the beginning foundations of Elwood Blues bringing back the Blues with an updated sound, likewise the sequel to the Blues Brothers movie years later. The movie dialogue was fair, yet the music was excellent. For Red White And Blues, it is also fair as a whole, yet the lineup of musicians and instrumentation on various songs are excellent.


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    Previous Review: #808
    Kay Starr--Collectors Series
    Next Review: #810
    The Wallflowers--Bringing Down The Horse