A rip-roarin' YOWZA goes out from Greg Chaisson on this release, a Texas blues, foot-stompin' album. Fans of those three Texans known as ZZ Top will dig these 12 tunes.
"Too Late To Pray" starts off the album with a real tip of the 10-gallon hat to Blind Willie Johnson and all those blues pioneers who belted out real simple Gospel lyrics - "If I don't change, it will be too late to pray."
"It Ain't Me" could be called a ZZ Top rip-off, with its rambling bass line and gritty bass-induced guitar tone, but it's hot. Greg's vocals have a touch of soulful passion and a good dose of white boy honky tonk.
The showstopper of the album is "My Dark Ride," with its laid back groove and dramatic moment during the bridge. "I could hear the voice as clear as if someone was standing in the room," Greg speaks, "The voice said to believe in Him, and to pray, and not to judge all people by the few misguided ones I had been around lately." The song's dynamics help recreate the power of that moment in Greg's life.
It's good to see this genre getting the playing time it is. Greg and his buddies have done a pro job writing good tunes, and it sounds like they had a party doin' it. All 12 of these tunes would be great crowd pleasers live...so what's takin' ya so long to tour, boys?