Sonny Landreth - The Road We're On
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Free Music Notes for The Road We're On
Free Music Review: Sonny Landreth - More Great Slide Guitar
Hit: 4 Stars
Landreth takes another 3 year break between albums finally releasing "Road" in 2003. This is another solid release from Landreth featuring plenty of smoking slide guitar and Cajun blues. The album frequently steps into more straight ahead rock territory as well which is yet another style that Landreth seems completely comfortable with. Personally I don't think this album is quite as good as either "Outward Bound" or "South Of I-10", but it is an improvement over the mixed results of his last disc "Levee Town". Highlights on this one include "True Blue" that almost sounds like Foghat to my ears. "Gone Pecan" is a cool little rave up with an irresistible chorus and lightning fast guitar. "Natural World" is Sonny's message song about the changing nature of the environment around us. "Gemini Blues", features more great guitar work from Sonny. Overall this is another album that should please the Landreth faithful and fans of slide guitar Cajun blues in general.Free Music Review: Six Stars? Maybe Eight?
Hit: 5 Stars
The only way Sonny Landreth gets better than this is live in concert. "The Road We're On" has it all: Sonny's unique synthesis of blues, rock, zydeco and that special touch of genius that is pure Sonny. His songwriting reaches a peak that nears perfection, his blues groove is solid and deep, his instrumental breaks are inspired, and it's really cool to hear him on a range of instruments, including a National resonator guitar. Nobody is as innovative stylistically as Sonny, and I think he hit a high point in his career on this one. Just about the only CD that knocks "The Road We're On" out of my player is "Grant Street," and they're both going on my iPod. Buy it. Buy copies for your friends. Give a copy to your mother if she's cool enough to stand it. While you're at it, drop a note to thank Sugar Hill for letting Sonny make records there. This one turned me into a real Sonnyvangelist.Free Music Review: Blistering Slide
Hit: 4 Stars
I've heard many slide players and I don't think any of them are better than Sonny. This particular recording has no weak spots: just Sonny laying down some basic blues and stomp, Louisiana-style. You just cannot go wrong with this one. Sonny's style is truly unique, a joy to behold. He is a "National" treasure--check out his steel standard-driven "Jukebox Mama" which finishes the disk. One great tune after another, all guaranteed to get you up and moving. Free Music Review: The Road we're on...come and discover great guitar!
Hit: 4 Stars
Sonny Landreth is an accomplished slide guitarist whose work has spanned several solo projects. Besides that, however, his blues & swamp boogie groove coupled with an underlying tone of some raw rock riffs has allowed him to also gain notoriety with the music world. He's played with John Hiatt, Buddy Guy, and Mark Knopfler among others.
There have been a bevy of blues guitarists come and go in the past 20 years, and despite the staying power of several, it took this listener an accidental stumble through Amazon.com music categories to discover his music. Landreth plays great groove that is soothing and soulful while at the same time adding a darker, deeper feel to his songs that I have not experienced since Jimmy Page's (guitarist for Led Zeppelin, in CASE you didn't know) "Outrider" album.
On "The Road we're on", Landreth plays a no nonsense style of blues that has a modern feel but still an atmospheric presence of some southern swamp who's landscape is only deterred by a gas station and an old dance hall with a broke down pickup out front. I like his style because he's able to embrace an old blues feel but still have some technical prowess thrown in that reminds me of some of the rock guitarists like Eric Johnson. What's fun about this kind of CD to me is that you can play it anywhere..A road trip, the back porch on a summer night Barbequing with friends, or just around the house on any given day. No matter what mood your in, I think Landreth's style of blues will find a place with you no matter what.
I won't cover every track on the album but just touch base with some of the tracks and my opinions of them.
Track one starts off the album with "True Blue" and is a slow, groovy track that evokes a midnight rambler of a tune that has some low sounding bass to it while also of course, having a great lead guitar hitting the high notes. This type of electric guitar approach is technical, but also evoking a "jam" feel, like a bunch of old pals in the back of the club tearing it up on a Saturday night. Landreth's vocals are great, as they are clear and crisp, and though don't come on as raspy or "throaty" as some blues legends of the past, are more of a modern day touch to help balance that old swamp sound.
Track three is "all about you" and kicks off with a rollicking beat that is signature of many songs in the blue's genre. The drums are pretty heavy on this one and Landreth's voice shines on as he tells a simple but satisfying story that rolls along with the guitars.
Track five takes off pretty fast and almost sounds like a "country rocker" out of the gate. "Gone Pecan" is one of my favorite songs by Sonny as its catchy chorus has some fast and fun lyrics that pause before he says, "me and mine, are gone pecan". A second later we're treated to the jam taking off again at full speed and cannot help but smile at the rhythm and overall power of this particular track.
Track six is "Natural World" and is a great written song about the people on earth and the state that the earth is going through. Its not one of those "tree hugger" songs so much as stating that the Natural world changes over time, and its trying to send a message to man, who of course has earplugs in. I'll forgive them if they have headphones on and are just listening to Sonny, but by and by, the song does make a lot of sense. Sound wise this thing is pretty hard rock guitar wise, and we are getting a lot of Edge and Snarl in this. That's okay, because this is the kind of music that does, in my opinion, stand the test of time. Play on Sonny, Move on Mother Earth, continue...
Track ten sounds more like a Jug Band blues ditty starting out before catching a steady beat to ready itself for the rest of the song. Sonny has been knocked a lot by critics for his voice as well as his songwriting, but now I think I know why: Its not because he's a bad songwriter, its because he's that GOOD of a guitar player in his arrangements and execution that we almost get to caught up in the sound of the song and not enough with the themes and songwriting that are woven within. "Gemini Blues" is a great blues-rock track that is another gem on this album.
12 Tracks in all, "The Road We're On" was released in 2003 and though it does not have the diversity and power of his 2005 release "Grant Street Live", its still a great studio album in its own right. Sonny to me showcases much better "blues rock" to me than many that are out there, and I think its because of his ability to play a variety of "blues" mixed in with some Rock and Roll. Soulful sounds also abound with his slide guitar that grooves and grinds till the snakes go back into the water of the swamp. From Robert Johnson to Eric Johnson, and Skynyrd to Seger, if you like some good old-fashioned guitar with some new fashioned sound thrown into the mix, please check out this CD as well as "Grant Street Live" by Sonny Landreth. Great music that will fill any void, but not foil any mood.
Free Music Review: AS(s) KICKIN'
Hit: 5 Stars
I understand that this recording was nominated for a grammy award in 2003 , what I don't understand is how any album could have been chosen over this ! Great mix of styles , but the blues guitar is what cuts it here ... Sonny is the MAN!