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Elly Roberts reviews
Friends
Manhaton
- Year: 2004
- Rating: 9/10
- Cat. No: HATMAN2015
Track listing:
- 1. 99½ Wont Do
2. Six OClock Blues
3. Goin Down Slow
4. Lovin in My Babys Eyes
5. For You
6. The Cape
7. Taint Such a Much
8. Needed Time
9. If I Stayed
10. Connected
11. Ribbons and Bows
12. Just Look Up
13. Cowgirl Queen
14. Kulanjan / Sebastians Tune
15. Dance Me To The End Of Time
Critically-acclaimed Eric Bibb keeps some pretty good company.
Funnily enough, they all turn up on this truly outstanding album, like TajMahal, Charlie Musselwhite, Ruthie Foster and a host of others
Eric Bibb. His stellar new CD Friends is a polyphonicdelight. A protégé of Mahal, hes the darling of the genre, and thisfantastic collection of 15 tracks consolidates his reputation as a Bluesbreaking maverick. Rule busting at every level, its awash with subtleguitar technique, eclectic styles, and delicious harmonies .He continuesto push the boundaries to their limit, so its not text book stuff assuch, because hes too sophisticated and experimental to be pigeon holed.
As with all great musicians, its the avante garde approach thatrubber stamps them into the history books. Friends is rustic, delicate,soulful, and down right gorgeous. Instruments used include, 12 stringslide guitar, harmonica, fiddle, kora, piano, banjo, tablas, concertina,mandolin get the picture?
There isnt a bad track, so choosing thehighlight is difficult, so here are my favs: Steel guitar-laden 99½Won’t Do, as hes joined by Guy Davies, the Soul Gospel of Needed Time.Check the divine duet with Foster, For You itll rip your heartout, and Lovin In My Babys Eyes is something to behold. Oh, nearlyforgot, theres even a Robert Plant (Led Zeppelin) style harmonica onSix OClock News. Its a long time since a CD moved me emotionally, andthis really does the trick. A timeless classic. Worthy of massivecommercial success.
Review copyright © Elly Roberts, 2004.Visit Eric Bibb.com
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.