[.ca] Blue Matter

Underappreciated blues band.:
Savoy Brown, a really fine concert band, loses a little bit in the translation to disc. This CD has a few truly memorable cuts and got lots of play back in the early 70's. Kim Simmonds played a very spirited lead guitar and the gritty gravelly vocals of Chris Youlden defined the group. Louisiana Blues is a particular highlight of the disc. It was even better when performed live at the Fillmore. Awesome album cover too.

PLease DO NOT BUY This CD!:
The Sound Quality is absolutely TERRIBlE! Just listen to the sound samples offered here , totally life-less mastering .i am amazed at the lack of concern that LONDON RECORDS showed towards putting out a PROFESSIONAL PRODUCT (the British- have usually shown a preference for Utter Clarity and Detail in film,music you name it! ) Please RE-RELEASE these classic albums and let us know you did them again by putting a sticker on the CD package that says "NEWLY REMASTERED WITH 24 BIT. ETC.,ETC. FOLKS BUY THE LP RECORD AND RECORD IT ONTO CD YOURSELF! IT's not hard top do anymore,there are even people that will do it for you at the price you would normally pay for the CD. Usually i LIKE to support the record companies by purchasing REMASTERED Cd's,but there is absolutely NO REASON TO SUPPORT THIS KIND OF SOUND MANURE! ! By putting out such a bad product you hurt your FUTURE=PUBLIC=IMAGE. Please Take Care........

I'd Rather Be Blue!:
After the success of their first (American) album, Savoy Brown, like many bands, finds writing and recording a second one problematic. (Most bands literally put their heart and soul into their first album in an effort to get someone at a label to just listen to it; once they are signed, they find they have no time to work on a second one.) Therefore, Blue Matter feels like a transitional effort. Struggling to find enough time (and good material), Kim and Co. eventually solve the problem by recording three of the cuts live. (Singer Chris Youlden was ill; on those dates, the vocals were handled expertly by Lonesome Dave.) Still, there is enough meat here to make up a fairly decent effort. "Tolling Bells" is the standout number, a hauntingly melancholic effort featuring great guitar/piano interplay and Chris's mournful singing. "Train to Nowhere" fascinates because of it's experimental horn sounds and somewhat opaque lyrics. "Grits Ain't Groceries" sounds like an Electric Flag number, with it's brassy horns, while "Vicksburg Blues" features fine Bob Hall piano playing very much in the style of Albert Ammons or any one of the old boogie-woogie players from the 1930's. "Ring In His Nose" swings like crazy, as Chris playfully tells a story all too familiar to married couples. Finally, "Louisiana Blues" rocks like mad, with Kim's blistering riffs and Lonesome Dave's funky vocals injecting fresh energy into this Muddy Waters classic. ("Louisiana Blues" would remain a live staple for Dave's next band, Foghat, until his untimely death some 30 years later.) Unfortunately, the poor sound quality of this CD will mar the listener's enjoyment of an otherwise fine effort. (Oddly enough, the live cuts sound clearer than the studio ones.) Still, a very good effort by the band and worthy of a new sound mix, especially since the poor quality of the current pressing may leave you feeling a little blue.

Good and mediocre:
"Train to Nowhere" is fine. "Ring in His Nose" is excellent. The rest of the tracks don't stand up to the test of time.

Awesome and unrecognized.:
Listen, I'm from Chicago and I know the Blues. Buy this little known gem of an CD.

• Train to Nowhere
• Tolling Bells
• She's Got a Ring in His Nose and a Ring on Her Hand
• Vicksburg Blues
• Don't Turn Me from Your Door
• Grits Ain't Groceries
• May Be Wrong \oLive\c
• Louisiana Blues \oLive\c
• It Hurts Me Too \oLive\c