Chantel McGregor may be a blues rocker, but she also boasts incredible taste in everything from prog to classic rock and from pop to metal. She proves it on Shed Sessions Volume One and Shed Sessions Volume Two, a pair of CDs released separately that feature re-recorded versions of songs McGregor played during her weekly 2020 lockdown livestreams, affectionately dubbed “The Shed Sessions.” These tracks were “recorded in the bedroom using a wardrobe for a vocal booth,” McGregor writes in the liner notes for both CDs.
Best known as a fearless, electrifying blues guitarist, McGregor scales back considerably here, stripping songs like Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters” and Radiohead’s “Creep” to their bare essence and delivering lyrics in a vulnerable yet confident voice that deserves to be heard far and wide. Most performances feature only acoustic guitar or a piano.
Here are a few highlights:
• An acoustic version of Peter Gabriel’s smash hit “Sledgehammer” that allows you to hear the song with fresh ears yet doesn’t sacrifice the fun.
• A drop-dead gorgeous take on George Gershwin’s “Summertime.”
• A tender rendition of “Angel From Montgomery,” which affirms once-and-forever-and-ever-amen that John Prine wrote some of the most heart-wrenching songs the world has ever heard, regardless of the vocalist.
McGregor clearly has some favorite artists, performing multiple songs by Steven Wilson (“Drive Home” and “The Raven That Refused To Sing”), Neil Young (“Needle and the Damage Done” and “Harvest Moon”) and Fleetwood Mac (“Gold Dust Woman” and “Landslide”).
Volume Two also includes a pair of McGregor originals (“Walk On Land” and “April”) during which she showcases her electric guitar chops -- leaving listeners hoping that she will go into a proper studio soon and make another record.
Track Listings:
Volume One
1. Needle and the Damage Done
2. Morning Song
3. Sledgehammer
4. Angel from Montgomery
5. Gold Dust Woman
6. Fire and Rain
7. Can’t Find My Way Home
8. Love Has No Pride
9. Harvest Moon
10. Landslide
11. Voodoo Chile
12. I Can’t Make You Love Me
13. Nothing Else Matters
Volume Two
1. Creep
2. Foolish Games
3. Drive Home
4. Winter
5. Walk On Land
6. Uninvited
7. Summertime
8. April
9. River
10. The Raven That Refused To Sing
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