It took me some time to get up and write this review, simply because I didn't want to let go of my guitar. And it's because of this album. The second that the album was finished playing, my acoustic guitar was in hands, and soon I was reconfiguring the Robert Johnson guitar style. And now, I may have gotten somewhere.
The first full-length studio album from the Splinter Group (the previous one was live, with two studio tracks), it contains no original music. That's right, folks; every track on here is a classic Robert Johnson tune. And the band does more justice to these tracks than any previous cover version. And there have been many.
The first thing you notice on this album is the cover. Inside the cardboard covering, on the front is a photo of Peter bearing his new trademark, the African hat, and a Dobro which looks older than he is. Though the cover has no effect on the music inside, it sure does premphasize something: this is a quiet, intimate album, with studio magic used sparingly. No electric guitars, more keyboards, and more vocals from Peter than ever before. This is probably the best thing he's done since "Then Play On". No exaggerations. His vocals are stronger, as is his guitar playing, and the arrangments of the tunes are truly classic.
At this point, I'd like to make some comparisons. Peter is obviously among the British blues legends of the 60's, though not as well known, and all four of those legends have released, or are soon releasing, new LP's. Take Eric Clapton, for example. His new album, Pilgrim, plain and simple, stinks. There are no real drums, the songs are very poppy and depressing, and, to be honest, the man that Peter once admired and worshipped has turned his back on the blues. Another example, Jimmy Page. Page once again teamed up with Robert Plant to record Walking Into Clarksdale which is mostly wierd African percussion stuff. And we all know that the fourth blues god, Jeff Beck, stopped playing blues long ago and, though he is recording a new album currently, probably will never do so again. My point? Peter is the only one of those four still doing what he does best.
Though the Splinter Group's renditions of Johnson's songs don't match the power of his orignal recordings (that can never be done), they make the best effort I've ever heard. And that is no easy task. Peter Green sounds nothing like Johnson (Peter's voice is low and raspy, Robert's voice was high-pitched and nasal), but he does a damn good impression of him with a guitar in his hands. This is something I would reccomend to any blues fan, not just those of Peter. If you don't already have it, go get it.
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