Blues guitarist Walter Trout is doing his part on keeping the blues alive and well in 2008 with his raucous new CD entitled, The Outsider. 13 tracks of Strat abuse with nice soulful vocals on top of the masterful playing all over the CD. The album reeks of a beer & whiskey attitude that rocks up the blues at almost every chance. Upbeat and nasty, you've gotta love it!
CD opener, "Welcome To The Human Race" is a great choice as it sets the pace & feel for the entire release, as Trout gets to let loose with some searing guitar work. Acoustic guitar, Harmonica and heartfelt ballads are also a part of his bag of CD tricks that make this a complete listen. Add legendary session drummer Kenny Aronoff to the mix and you've got yourself top notch musicianship, as well as some great blues tracks!
Whether straight up Blues, Rock or even a Country twang, Walter Trout & Co. serve up a nice healthy slice of some good time riffing all over The Outsider. "Can't Have It All" is a traditional romper, while "A Matter Of The Heart" is the tear jerker ballad, complete with some amazing vocal harmonies. Check out the Rolling Stones-ish, "The Restless Age" full of funky grooves and a nice piano solo, to boot, and if you're looking for some 12 bar blues, check out the title track for some slow grooving.
Truth be told, I had never heard of Walter Trout before this review & I'm glad I came across him now. He has a new fan in me. The man can play, as well as write a song and his vocals ain't too shabby neither. Passionate vocals wrapped around masterful blues chops and solid musicianship, with a good crop of songs make The Outsider a classic blues listen. From the opening notes to the final chords of title track "The Outsider", Walter Trout very simply just delivers the goods.
Track Listing
- Welcome To The Human Race
- The Next Big Thing
- All My Life
- The Love Song Of J.Alfred Bluesrock
- Don't Wanna Fall
- Child Of Another Day
- Turn Your Eyes To Heaven
- The Restless Age
- Gone Too Long
- A Matter Of The Heart
- Can't Have It All
- Sanjay
- The Outsider
Printer Friendly Page
Send to a Friend
