Saturday, March 08, 2008

Blue 42 - Mysterious Woman

Hear The Track Here

The problem with asking for reviews is that sometimes you don't get the review you want/need. It happens to all of us and - to my mind anyway - is the whole point in asking for a review in the first place. When I first starting reviewing seriously some years back, I made myself a promise. I would try not to be negative in my reviews but when the truth needed telling, I would have to tell it. It's lost me some friends over the years but most people get over the odd bad review, especially if they know me well. After all, my motto just has to be 'yeah but what did you do for me today?'

Calling me greedy is probably not the best way to approach this either ;)

Blue 42 experienced this when I reviewed Evil Cries (January 2008) and I'm sure a lot of my disappointment - with hindsight - probably wasn't with the band or the music. My problem was that I really loved Ty Kaufman (lead guitarist of Blue 42) old band and I didn't hear the Kaufman fire and warmth in the prog rock that Blue 42 specialised in. Prog rock has never been a strong lure for me, much less the US variety. Not their problem, s'mine. I'm glad to say that I found Mysterious Woman much more to my my liking; this is the axeman I know and love; and they even keep the prog rock references to a minimum :D

I should point out that you should like the sounds of Boston (who this sounds like), Styx and the like but it's nothing like as lifeless as the last track I heard from this band. From where I sit, with a few plays under my belt, this is a bit of musical mutt. It changes shape before your very ears, going from a kinda laid back bluesy job to full blown pant-splitting vocal hysterics that - for the first time - show this reviewer that Evil Cries hadn't done him any justice. As I mentioned before, the one thing you should expect from this band - regardless of style or genre - is a solid, professional approach in every way. Class.

Classic blues rock song. Highly Recommended.

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