mail: daniel_fjall@hotmail.com
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mick taylor stranger in this town
Mick Taylor Ex-rolling stoner Mick Taylor’s first solo album, released back in 1979 sounds surprisingly fresh and modern. Every instrument on the album is crisp and clear in the mix. The main focus is on Taylor’s guitar playing, and that’s the way it should be. His vocals are pretty decent and migh be the evidence that there are guitar heroes out there who actually can sing! Not that his voice is very original in the same way as the other Mick or Lennons, but he does a good job. Even so, there a few instrumentals and they probably sound the way Jeff Beck’s material should sound like. They’re easily accessible but might lack a main theme or melody. However, the mood is always embracing. Actually, and a bit unexpected, Taylor might just be the most successful Rolling Stone on his own, artistically speaking.
Stranger In This Town The first release from Taylor in eleven years is a live album. During the eighties he mostly did session work for other artists. He contributed to two Bob Dylan-albums and toured with him and Santana, the result of the tour was captured on Dylan’s Real Live-album. Taylor became a household name when he joined the Stones, but was first noticed on the British blues scene as the lead guitarist in John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers. A group that played the purest of blues, mostly Chicago style. Yes, the Rolling Stones was a blues band to begin with, but you wouldn’t call Sticky Fingers a blues-album, would you? Anyway, Stranger In This Town sees Taylor returning to his blues roots. The album is smacked with it. Unfortunately it’s not all good news. The format feels a bit too structured for Taylor and he surely hasn’t got the vocals for the genre. Not that it sounds bad or anything, but he ain’t no B.B King. The band is tight and maybe too slick and it quickly becomes your avarage background music. Actually it’s too bad, becuase once in a while Taylor pulls a few tricks out of his bag that will slide you by unnoticed unless you really listen. There’s nothing here that will wake you up from your sleep, but there are things here to enjoy. You just need to pay attention. There’s one thing here that will get your attention, though. When you have sat through all those blues covers and you suddenly hear the familiar riff off Jumpin’ Jack Flash, it almost comes as a liberation. Taylor could never hope to better the original version, but it’s still fun to hear him do it after all these years. The playing itself is thick and hard, but Taylor fails to deliver the vocals. It’s not out of tune, it doesn’t sound fake, but it doesn’t sound very convincing either. The true highlight here is the title track. Nothing bluesy about that one at all, and it’s done in the same vein as Leather Jacket from his solo debut. It really got my hopes up high and that’s whats make the rest of the album such a let down. Also, there’s one thing I absolutely hate on live albums, and that’s fade-ins and fade-outs. There’s plenty of that here. They don’t belong on live records! If you’re a fan of slick blues, get this one and you won’t be disappointed. You might actually get a kick out of Taylors guitarwork that’s very respectful to the old blues masters’ playing. The band features Blondie Chaplin from the Beach Boys on guitar.
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