Review by Andy Hawes for MPM
Blues is a tricky genre. Because of its incredibly rich heritage and its influence on modern popular music, it is revered and held in almost mythical esteem by some of its die-hard fans. Consequently, anyone stepping into the genre had better be the real deal if they are to survive. And this is tricky because Blues is such a classic style with its structures and vibe that it’s all too easy to be a copycat and to sound out of date.
Luckily, the genre is full of artists who don’t fall into the many traps associated with the genre and Kenny Wayne Shepherd is one of those artists with nary a mis-step amongst his illustrious back catalogue! His latest opus, Dirt On My Diamonds Vol 2, released on 20th September 2024 on Provogue Records is an absolute belter! It may only be eight tracks long, but my goodness it absolutely sparkles with energy and authentic Blues vibes!
Cleverly mixing Blues with Rock and Soul and with a very ‘live’ sounding recording, Kenny and his band have an absolutely huge sound chock full of muscular guitar tones, soulful vocals and well-placed brass section embellishments. There are also vocal hooks-a-plenty making this the kind of album that you’ll want to come back to time and time again.
Opener ‘I got A Woman’ opens with a driving Stratocaster riff and stabbing brass with absolutely wonderful vocals. There’s nothing new under the sun lyrically or musically, but it just roars out of the speakers on an absolutely irresistible groove and the inevitable guitar solo (with ‘that’ guitar sound – you know, the snarling neck-pickup sound so beloved of Blues players the world over) is full of classic licks played flawlessly.
‘The Middle’ has a delicious groove with wonderful Hammond organ, brass stabs and choppy guitars driving effortlessly on. There is a superb use of space and dynamics in the arrangement on a superbly retro, yet equally contemporary anthem that also features a stunning guitar solo absolutely drenched in wah-wah in the finest funky Blues tradition.
The pace drops for the absolutely gorgeous ballad ‘My Guitar Is Crying’ which possesses a stunningly beautiful clean Stratocaster guitar tone and wonderfully soulful vocals. This one just drips with raw emotion and soulful feel and you can feel the angst of the heartache when the guitar solo kicks in, all delicate melody, soulful bends and double-stops. It has a very ‘live;’ feel to it which just adds to its beauty. Wonderful stuff indeed!
The energy level kicks up with the Rock-infused ‘Long Way Down’ where the brass section kicks into overdrive to accentuate the massive chorus. Classic Blues lyricism abounds here with more of those spine-tinglingly good vocals and the guitar tone is so powerful it’ll put hairs on your chest!
The Rock vibe continues into ‘Never Made It To Memphis’ which rocks along on driving, chugging guitars and stacked female backing vocals. The backing vocals in particular add a new dimension to this track as they lift the chorus immensely before yet more stunning lead guitar. The groove on this is truly wicked and it’s all too easy to imagine the ‘back street child raised on rock n roll’ in the lyric grinding her hips dancing to this one in a roadside bar somewhere on the way to Memphis! Phew… I need a lie down…
Sadly, a lie down isn’t an option as the band now kick into a classic mid-paced twelve-bar grinder that somehow should just be rather dull and generic but actually is anything but such is the soul within its groove and the flawless vibe of the arrangement. Totally classic Blues of the very highest order!
‘Pressure’ opens with another classic Blues guitar line and awesome brass stabs. The drums and percussion are superb in this, coupled with a bass line that’s just the right side of ‘busy’, providing a proper old-school vibe with a ton of funk in the arrangement. If this doesn’t get your head nodding and foot tapping, I fear that you may be clinically dead! And then there’s that guitar solo…just perfection! Kenny Wayne Shepherd has no need of all the sweep-picking, neo-classical noodling so beloved of the 21st century YouTube guitar crowd. No siree, he digs into his axe with a passion and ferocity that is a wonder to behold: emotive, soulful and just plain fantastic!
The album ends with the twelve-bar joys of ZZ Top’s ‘She Loves My Automobile’ which once again dips into the classic Blues heritage and comes up smelling of roses with more cooking grooves and classic Blues guitar soloing.
My goodness this is a cracking piece of work. I’m not usually a massive fan of Blues, but there’s something about Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s albums that I’ve always enjoyed and this one is up there with the best of his catalogue. The live band feel is perfect and the combination of guitars, brass section and those wonderful vocals iall driven along by a stellar rhythm section is absolutely perfect. When this is released, buy, stream and play very LOUD! Essential listening!
Dirt On My Diamonds Vol 2.
- I Got A Woman
- The Middle
- My Guitar Is Crying
- Long Way Down
- Never Made It To Memphis
- Watch You Go
- Pressure
- She Loves My Automobile
Pre-order ‘Dirt On My Diamonds, Volume 2’ HERE
For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit www.kennywayneshepherd.net.
