Left Lane Cruiser and James Leg

Band: Left Lane Cruiser and James Leg
Label: Alive Naturalsound
Title: Painkillers

Review (1)	Release Details	Add Release	Releases (1)	Articles (0)
Cover Art (1)	Versions (0)	Edit Release	Releases List (1)	Reviews (1)
Pictures (0)			Summary (0)	Related (2)
			Jukebox (1)	List All (3)

Band:Left Lane Cruiser and James Leg
Title:Painkillers
Reviewed By:Malcolm Carter
Date Published:27/08/2012

Label:Alive Naturalsound
Format:CD
Release Year:2012
Lookup:

Well, it would be a good idea to have a monster jar of the things near to hand after listening to the ten tracks on this album, as a headache is surely one of the side-effects…

The duo of Joe Evans (guitar) and Brenn Beck (drums) have released a handful of albums under the name of Left Lane Cruiser which have been described, quite understandably, as punk blues. James Leg (aka John Wesley Myers), whom I hesitate to describe as a singer, is a member of the Black Diamond Heavies, handling keyboards as well as vocal duties, and who have also released a number of albums highlighting their unique take on the blues. Alive Records have done the natural thing and combined the talents of this trio to make an album of covers, but with a difference.

The difference is that unlike most cover albums, where an artist takes an established song and either makes a complete copy or dismantles the thing and tries to rebuild something completely different from it, is that LLC & James Leg still retain some of the feel of the originals here but are far, far off from making anything resembling copies of the originals.

There are indications on the CD cover to warn you that you’re going to be in for something of an unexpected and, at times, disturbing journey. ‘Take this medicine with a full glass of whiskey’ and ‘Side effects may include euphoria and an uncontrollable desire to boogie’ are two of the warnings printed on the fake medicine label that forms the major part of the artwork.

You’ll have probably heard the originals of all the songs on this album. All are blues-related, even in some small way (were the Stones still a blues band by the time they recorded ‘Sway’? Didn’t think so), and there are also numerous covers already available of some of the tracks. But it’s pretty certain that you have never heard them done like LLC & James Leg do them.

Robert Johnson’s ‘Ramblin’ On My Mind’ starts as a chugging blues shuffle until James Leg does his best Captain Beefheart impression, and turns the whole thing into a gritty, howling match between his vocals, Joe Evans’ insane guitar runs and a piano that will never be the same again. It sounds like the band had a great time recording the song and it’s unlikely that, despite all the covers, you’ll have heard a version of the song quite as frantic as this before, it almost makes your ears bleed.

Sixty-six year old Harmonica Shah blows some pretty neat harmonica (what else?) on their version of Willie Dixon’s ‘Red Rooster’, which is driven along by the bass of engineer Jim Diamond and isone of the more instantly acceptable covers on offer. Led Zeppelin’s ‘When The Levee Breaks’ again showcases the harmonica skills of Harmonica Shah and, while like the majority of these covers a little of the original is retained, the band really stamp their own unique mark on this song. It’s refreshing to hear old songs taken to their limits in this way, but James Leg’s distorted vocals sometimes take the attention away from just what a powerhouse the band is behind him. The Zeppelin song is a good example; the instrumental passages are much more exciting and rewarding than the vocal parts.

‘Sway’ is one of the songs that remains closest to the original, but again Leg’s vocals are going to turn as many people away as they attract. At just over thirty minutes the album is a perfect length, and to get you in a Friday night party mood it’s hard to beat this collection of punked-up distorted blues but keep that jar close by.

Track Listing:

01) Sad Days Lonely Nights
02) She's Gone
03) Come To Poppa
04) Shake It
05) If 6 Was 9
06) Red Rooster
07) Ramblin' On My Mind
08) Chevrolet
09) When The Levee Breaks
10) Sway

First Previous Next Last

Related Links

https://www.facebook.com/James-Leg-114197558646461/
https://www.facebook.com/Left-Lane-Cruiser-16313548150/
https://www.reverbnation.com/jamesleg

Commenting On: Painkillers by Left Lane Cruiser and James Leg

Header

Comment:

Your Name

Your Location ie London, England

tick box before submitting comment

First Previous Next Last

Related Bands (edit)
Black Diamond Heavies Left Lane Cruiser and James Leg Left Lane Cruiser

Related Labels
Alive Naturalsound

Review Header

Unsettling and deranged, but oddly compelling collection of blues covers on joint album from punk blues duo Left Lane Cruiser and Black Diamond Heavies vocalist and keyboardist James Leg

Articles A-Z
View All				A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H	I	J	K
L	M	N	O	P	Q	R	S	T	U	V	W	X	Y	Z

Painkillers - CD
Unsettling and deranged, but oddly compelling collection of blues covers on joint album from punk blues duo Left Lane Cruiser and Black Diamond Heavies vocalist and keyboardist James Leg

First Previous Next

Reviews A-Z
View All				A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H	I	J	K
L	M	N	O	P	Q	R	S	T	U	V	W	X	Y	Z