164 VINTAGE GUITAR MARCH 2009 John Idan Ahmond

above his evocative playing. It’s the tracks almost even with the instru- unique layering of elements, we only guitarist, Top Topham. That eventu- perfect ending. – JH ments, perhaps to give each part equal get enough of Ahmond, the man, not ally led to his current gig as bassist weight. the technician-cum-craftsman, to and singer in the reformed Yardbirds. Ahmond has a musical foot in the inspire high expectations for what he He can be heard pulling double duty world inhabited by the likes of New comes up with next. – RA (spelling original bassist Paul Samwell- Bohemians, Cat Power, and the Crash Smith and the late vocalist Keith Relf) Test Dummies. But where those bands on the band’s star-studded Birdland seem desperate to prove they were too (2003). Ahmond cool to care, Ahmond has a humanity On his self-produced solo debut, A Boy You Once Knew and emotion in his delivery that would Idan supplies all instruments (except Ahmond make them all sneer. It’d be nice to hear for a string quartet) – recorded, he From the opening/title cut, former that reflected – or more clearly heard John Idan stresses, in analog in real time and child actor Arthur Lee Ahmond shows – in his vocals. The Folly on real instruments – though, to his an exceptionally clean and creative While definitely worth a listen, the Pebble Beach Music credit, the overdubbed one-man-band hand on guitars acoustic and electric, disc comes off more like a presentation In the late ’80s, “Detroit John,” as aspect would be impossible to detect if as well as mandolin on cuts like the to be assessed dispassionately from a he was known then, moved from his he hadn’t divulged details. highlight track, “Everything Eden.” distance than it does a performance native Michigan to London and got a The biographical opener “The Ballad Ahmond is a pretty good if somewhat meant to engage our emotions and gig as singer and second guitarist in the Of Myself” has a distinctly Cat Stevens deliberate singer. Perhaps the approach reveal his. Topham-McCarty Blues Band – led by feel – not coincidentally, no doubt, is tied to his choice, as producer and Despite his world-music-meets- Yardbirds drummer Jim McCarty and as the CD was mixed by Robin Black engineer, to keep the level of his vocal Bleecker-Street-folk approach and the group’s original (pre-Clapton) lead (known for his work with Stevens, ful package. Every tune will give you goose bumps. – SS Nashville Howard Tate, two-disc edition includes singing tone from his Gibson Francisco reveal, in engineer Pussy, Live! Blue Day, (Evi- demos and alternate takes of and stretches out on “Why Bruce Botnick’s word’s, “a In Hollywood dence Records) “Carmelita,” “Poor Poor Pitiful I sing The Blues,” “sweet true document of the Doors (MVD Visual) His voice is as Me,” and other classics. – DF Little Angel,” “Thrill Is Gone,” without constraints.” Who An appropriately raw con- soulful as ever, and producer and other favorites. – DF knew guitarist Robbie Krieger cert DVD of hair-shaking, Jon Tiven and guests like Jim Croce, & Co. were such a decent Marshall-melting metalbilly Mike Farris, steve Cropper, You Don’t Mess Mudcrutch, garage band hiding beneath all from the Atlanta quartet. sG Joe Bonamassa, and others Around With Jim, Extended Play that drama and pretense? – DF queen Ruyter suys more than are a perfect complement. (Rhino) Part of a Live, (Reprise holds her own on guitar while The opener, “Miss Beehive,” set of Croce reissues, this is Records) Tom Jimmy Thackery husband Blaine Cartwright is a treat that aims a word the perfect example of why he Petty, Mike Campbell, and and the Drivers, screeches through a set of of caution at a certain young became a beloved performer, friends do a four-song set Inside Tracks, originals, with Tina Turner’s British soul/jazz/rock. Clever singer, and songwriter. songs highlighting what they do. As (Telarc Blues) “Nutbush City Limits” thrown and funny, it makes a great like the title cut, as well as you’d expect, proceedings are A departure for Thackery as in for good measure – DF point about stardom. – JH “Operator,” and “Rapid Roy carried by Petty’s lyrics and he takes on various kinds of (the stock Car Boy)” are gems. vocals, as well as Campbell’s music, delving less into the Bob Seman- Colleen Mc- Check out the fabulous joined- extended soloing on cuts like blues. Fans of his guitar won’t chik, Standard Farlan, Let It at-the-hip guitars of Croce “Crystal River.” Rounding it be disappointed, as he time Interpretation Shine (High and Maury Muehleisen. – JH out is a great cover of the and again solos with fire. – JH (Tuneful Tunes) Horse Records) Jerry Lee Lewis classic, “High The title is literal; there’s McFarland’s fourth album is Andy Friedman school Confidential.” – JH Braden Land, a swinging “The Way You 13 original songs, equal parts & the Other Stumble And Look Tonight” and a fresh country, folk, and Muscle Failures, Weary Gurf Morlix, Glow (Exodus Re- “Take 5” on this pleasant, shoals white soul. The tunes Things (City sal- Last Exit To cords) Land has a very playable disc of mostly are catchy and heartfelt, and vage Records) A New Yorker Happyland (self- pleasant voice and a style that instrumental versions of stylistically she can go from cartoonist turned roots-coun- distributed) Much makes you feel comfortable as standards and pop hits from quiet introspection to put-out- try singer, Friedman’s tunes sunnier than the cover you listen. A good player, he’s Connecticut guitarist/instruc- the-lights blues belting in less have garnered a ton of praise portends, Murlix’s mature not afraid to sit back and pick tor semanchik. And who than four beats. “Drowning from critics who should know perspective and multi-instru- – a trait rare in acoustic folk. can’t hear “Georgia On My the World” could break your better. His overly cerebral mental chops make this a It adds up to an album that’s a Mind” one more time? – RA heart, if you let it. – SS take on Americana may be formidable solo project. His little on the soft side, but sub- a turn-on for jaded urban songs combine dark lyrics stantive and enjoyable. – RA Porter Batiste Warren Zevon, dwellers, but to this Colorado with bright hooks and bridges Stoltz, Moodoo Warren Zevon hick, his efforts – and that is even if his vocals won’t win Raul Malo, Lucky (High steppin’) (Asylum) Ap- what they are – try too hard any awards. Duo partners One (Fantasy With Meters parently, when and rarely succeed. – SS Patty Griffin and Ruthie Records) The bass great George Porter, ex- Jackson Browne produced Forster do make up some of Mavericks front- Nevilles guitarist Brian stoltz, Zevon’s major-label debut in B.B. King, And the ground, vocally. – SS man’s latest solo project is all and New Orleans mainstay 1976, God wasn’t available. His Orchestra Live original material that bounces Russell Batiste, Jr. on drums, so he had to settle for David (Acrobat) The The Doors, Live from country to Tex-Mex to calling this funky would be an Lindley, Waddy Wachtel, and master is in fine At The Matrix roots rock and roll. Regard- understatement. stoltz exhib- Lindsey Buckingham on gui- form, with a crack band led ’67 (Rhino) Two less of the mood, Malo’s its a strong Hendrix influence, tars (and bassist Bob Glaub, by trumpeter Calvin Owens, CDs of the band mellifluous tenor combines and Phish keyboardist Page saxophonist Bobby Keys, and captured in concert in Cannes, near its inception, in a tiny equal parts sinatra, Jones, McConnell joins in on this drummer Larry Zack). This France, in 1983. B.B. gets a (and nearly empty) club in san and Orbison in one beauti- extremely live set. – DF 164 VINTAGE GUITAR MARCH 2009 VintageGuitar.com.

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