Hear The Track Here
It would appear that Ralph Atkinson has been noting what Larry Ludwick has been doing and is copying it, having now snagged two reviews this month as well. Hey, don't be looking at me like that. Can I help it if these guys are forever playing with each other? (Ed: I'm REALLY sure he didn't mean it that way). For sure, it's a good job that I actually like both musicians and sometimes a site like Soundclick can throw up these situations, but looked at another way, it also means there is a lot of collaborative creativity around and that can only be a good thing. In styles, Larry and Ralph couldn't be further apart and that is positively, definitely the last time I will refer to him this month (Ed: Aaah, but do they believe you now?)
Ralph is a guitarist. There are lots and lots of them I know, but I have heard Ralph in many different styles and genres and his own personal style comes through every time. He has delivered some cracking tracks, which to my ears get better with each successive one. So much so that the last few have been Must Have's or thereabouts. Mind you, you would probably already have to like classic rock, the area he specialises in, and most people I know who are aware of Ralph know that rock and blues is never far from his musical palette.
Grey (correct spelling btw) is about as classic rock as it gets; guitars, whiny organs, chunky drums and a vocal arrangement that wouldn't have been out of place on a Steve Miller Band album. Don't get me wrong, comparing Ralph vocally to Steve Miller isn't really fair, but the echo is there for me. Ralph is, of course, a totally different kind of singer to Miller, being a much earthier, grittier sound, closer to the songs roots for sure. It's in the songs structure and style that this reference really comes into play, as well as the instrumental line-up (all provided by the man himself) Steve Miller had a whole band to do what he did, Ralph is but one guy. Intelligent classic R'B is how JCH (UK) describes it and I agree.
Classic American music. Highly Recommended.
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