This 1997 release by
Too Slim & the Taildraggers is chock-full of the wide-ranging spectrum of blues in its plethora of styles as done by this fun group in their own inimitable fashion. The thing that always seems to come through on this group's discs is their love of playing. This band is rooted in the blues, but they are not confined to any one style of playing, and the wide-roaming influences of non-commercial radio expose wider and wider varieties of music which burst out all over this disc. A brief sampling of the styles shows that you've got the rockabilly swing of "Uranium Blues," and the Chicago sound of "A Girl Like Mine," and the New Orleans-influenced, Caribbean-inflected rhythms of "Have to Let You Go." Their version of the old
Duane Eddy/
Lee Hazlewood tune "Tiger Love and Turnip Greens" has some excellent country-style picking and shows how far afield this group can range and still come out sounding good. One might question how much of this is played well with such wide variety; this band can stand and play toe to toe with bands that come from any particular genre. They have their licks down and play them with all the verve and intensity that any good band has. They have a strong foundation in blues and are able to rock & roll with any other group that has similar roots in any of these broad categories. Tim Langford (guitarist, aka
Too Slim) and Thomas C. Brimm (bass) wrote ten of the 15 cuts, each of which can stand on its own. Particularly touching is "Blues for Eb," a song of tribute and love to an inspiration for this album. There are times the singing begins to fall a bit short, as on "Killing Me," but the playing never falters. This is a great group to put on and watch the miles float by on the highway, as there is always some mighty good playing and energy to keep you going. ~ Bob Gottlieb