Downchild are Canada’s foremost blues band who recently celebrated their fortieth anniversary. This is their 16th album, which features eleven slices of what they do best, that is have a great big band blues sound. The music is spot on, and the band are so in tune with each other, everything runs like a smoothly oiled machine.
Opener ‘This Must Be Love’ is a good time electric bar band blues with great piano, courtesy of Michael Fonfara. The song is about settling down: -
“No more drinkin’, no more carryin’ on/ I’m gonna do my best cos I don’t want you far gone.”
To some this might seem simplistic, but the delivery is spot on, and the band are really tight together.
‘I Need A Hat’ is a light hearted blues song woven round an organ based melody, and is sung with tongue firmly in cheek:
“If you wanna be a famous bluesman, you really need a hat.”
‘Somebody Lied’ is the classic ‘sad’ blues with a slow lazy groove and lyrics of despair, for the man who’s lost everything: - “Now they’re trying to take my home away, and my life is on the skids.” The song has an air of hopelessness about it.
“Somebody lied to me and they’re probably gonna lie to you.” Featuring an excellent trumpet solo from Wayne Jackson of ‘The Memphis Horns’, when you listen to this, you can really imagine the rain pouring down outside.
‘You Don’t Love Me’ is a classic laid back blues in the style of Sonny Boy Williamson II, and features Dan Akroyd (from The Blues Brothers) playing some excellent harmonica, and with some witty wordplay such as: “I know you don’t need me, you never seem to heed me.”
‘Rendezvous’ is one of those hard driving blues boogies, with some excellent slide guitar from Donnie Walsh, with Chuck Jackson singing about hooking up with his lady: “Been too long since we had a rendezvous, so I think it’s time we got together me & you.”
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‘Down In The Delta’ is an upbeat travelling blues that takes in Highway 49, Hambone and numerous other places on its journey.
‘Time To Say Goodbye’ is another slow burner and follows the classic blues line of leaving – “I gotta leave I gotta go, and I won’t be back no more.”
‘What Was I Thinking” is another melody very much in the style of Sonny Boy Williamson II, dealing with relationship problems, and with lyrical twists that stand out: -
“What was I thinking, why couldn’t I see/ There was no light at the end of the tunnel, and that should have worried me.”
‘These Thoughts Keep Marching’ is a little bit unusual, featuring vocals by Chuck Jackson and Donnie Walsh, one singing on how things are preying on his mind, the other voicing the thoughts “Where’s my baby tonight? Are the children gonna be all right?” This is a clever twist and makes the song stand out.
‘Some More Of That’ features some excellent harmonica and vocals by Donnie Walsh, the theme being one of ageing and realising that you are no longer in tune with things: “I’m working like a dog, but the world keeps moving like a pup.
The final track is an instrumental 'El Stew', which breezes along nicely and brings the proceedings to a close.
This is the first album I’ve heard by Downchild, and whilst I thought that it was great, it appeared that everyone was working well within their comfort zones. However, when an album is this good, that’s only a (very) minor criticism.
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