Ecard
These days, true blues-men are in short supply. The music that was so influential in spawning rock and roll has left the limelight, but Elvin Bishop’s latest release Red Dog Speaks proves that the blues is alive. After his critically acclaimed 2008 album, The Blues Roles On, Bishop and his Gibson 6-string are at it again, highlighting Bishop’s unique story-telling style and ballsy slide playing. Red Dog Speaks features a ferocious blend of blues, rock, boogie, do-wop, and gospel with a pocket as deep as the Grand Canyon.
Red Dog Speaks begins with Elvin introducing his 59’ Gibson and recounting their journey as “partners in crime.” The album’s title track is warm and inviting and is guaranteed to encourage a few smiles. Bishop’s playing and writing style can be characterized by its honesty. There is not a moment on Red Dog Speaks where Bishop does not tell the truth, whether it is with his words or his instrumental passages. He has style and character, with the ability to make one’s hair stand on end with only a few notes. Where others play with sterile virtuosity, Bishop plays with heart.
The album’s tracks are each a different approach or style of blues, without sounding like a hodgepodge. There is flow and continuity as Bishop takes us from track to track, making the album feel very pure. “Neighbor Neighbor” is a ballsy mid tempo blues track, complete with keys and horns as well as a typical blues combo. Bishop turns up the intensity with the song “Get Your Hand Out of My Pocket,” an up-tempo jump blues track where his guitar solos are particularly wild and free. “Doo-Wop Medley” stands out as a track that is quite different from the rest as an instrumental homage to the music of the 1950’s and early 1960’s.
Red Dog Speaks takes the listener on a trip to a smoky old blues bar, buys him/her a few pints, and captures an unrivalled sense of good ol’ fashioned blues-honesty. Bishop’s guitar playing and warm story telling style are consistent through the entire album, giving the listener a sense that he/she knows Bishop. This makes sense of course, given that Elvin Bishop continuously keeps it real.
Key Tracks: Doo-Wop Medley, Neighbor Neighbor, Get Your Hand Out of My Pocket
Matt Shelvock – MuzikReviews.com Staff
June 8, 2010
