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2-for-the-price-of-1
I'm trying this one out as an experiment in contrast between
two albums of a somewhat similar grouping (I'll lump them together
in the genre of Blues Rock, although each borrows from numerous
influences). Each offers something different (and the same) on
the whole to the listener due to the very different concepts of
what each band is trying to create. Kevin Breit of John
And The Sisters has more talent in his little finger than
most musicians in the music industry today, (he can play more
than 30 different instruments) and surely more than all of the
Mojo Gurus combined - but the Mojo Gurus is comprised of
a cast with a polished and perfected sound where each musician
is so compatible and singularly capable that the end result is
nearly machine-perfect. The Mojo Gurus have tweaked their formula
just so, and don't really deviate from it in the course of Hot
Damn!. They have, in essence, a distilled sound derived from
many influences that exist in mildly varying amounts in each of
their songs. John and The Sisters on the other hand, is
more of a musical essay. There is no formula present, nor does
its sound really adhere to any genre-specific mold from song to
song. Measured on the scale of artistic endeavor, John and
The Sisters is the superior of the two as a successful exercise
in experimental blues rock, but Hot Damn! exhibits greater
pop-sensibility. The songs are tighter, driving and purposeful.
It feels like it's on a mission to entertain, whereas John
and The Sisters has no end goal in mind; the means is the
end.
So what of the same? Well, sort of. Both albums contain songs
that I first though had the same title; "Raylene" and
"Pralene" tell the stories of two very different women.
One is a vampy "lonestar queen" with a "shake just
like a rattlesnake and a bite that's twice as mean", and
the other is an overweight "trailer park queen" who
"watches too damn much TV." One is a down & dirty
blues lament of a rather useless wife, and the other is a cold
and impersonal homage: a strutting and slinking tip of the hat
to a man-eater.
Comparisons ultimately lead to a recommendation of one over the
other, but since these two albums ultimately satisfy different
consumer needs, I must say that each of these belong in the collections
of blues rock enthusiasts for different reasons. John and The
Sisters is a wonderful showcase for the prodigiously talented
Kevin Breit and his gang of musical mercenaries, and gives the
rest of us a chance to experience the scope of what one of the
best studio musicians around can do on his own. As such, the album
has a distinct studio sound that is better suited to that environment
than it would ever be live. Hot Damn! gives a CD's worth
of air-ready tracks that shake, rattle and roll. This album is
not reliant on the studio environment to create a specific effect
as the Mojo Gurus' press release made much of their live performances,
and this album indicates that their style of play seems amply
suited to the stage.
If there's an edge though, it goes to John and The Sisters:
the only real weakness of the Mojo Gurus is that their vocalist
doesn't have a lot of range and that stunts the level of emotion
he is capable of evoking in songs that I feel require a greater
ability to soar to the heights or dwell in the depths of what
the material occasionally demands.
-JD
Track Listings:
John and The Sisters
1. Too Damn Big
2. Only One
3. Big Bomb
4. Treat Her Right
5. Gun
6. Bad Machine
7. L.A.
8. And We Touched
9. Pralene
10. Faithful
11. Better Way
12. Son of a Gun
13. Money Changes Everything
14. Good Day
15. Penguin Walk
16. Love to Stay, Gotta Go
17. Hocktaves
Mojo Gurus
1. Race with the Devil
2. You'd Have to Tie Me Up to Tie Me Down
3. Spoonful
4. Linda Marie
5. Bumble Bee
6. Raylene
7. Black Cat Blues
8. Long Hard Road
9. Clarksdale
10. Too Too Much
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