Pedal Power
This is a funked-up, lively offering. Opener Amped Up is self-explanatory, and has delightful
echoes of Prince in its excitement, whilst second Born Again begins with superlative bass lines and Randolf’s pedal
steel before launching into another echo, this time holding up a melodic mirror
as it runs along the lines of Stephen Still’s Love The One Your With and awaits, presumably, the serving of a plagiarism
writ. Third New Orleans mixes an Hawaiian
tinge into the pedal steel whilst adding injections of rap, and the eclecticism
is established.
Fourth Take the Party
is perhaps more New Orleans in overall sound than its predecessor with those
horns, vocal shouts and soulful chorus, but it is Randolf’s scorching pedal
steel that whips and wheels about most distinctively. The most funked-up funked-up
track is fifth Brand New Wayo which
is more instrumental than most, and not surprisingly as it features a
blistering duet with Carlos Santana as well as virtuoso bass from Danyel
Morgan.
There’s more from Carlos on Black Joe, a slower track where the fire is oddly doused by the
blandness of the melody and the dirge of the singing. A strange aberration
continued, unfortunately, in repetitive follower Love Rollercoaster where the empathetic heights are not attained.
Ninth All American
returns strongly again in Prince mode. Tenth Get Ready is Randolf’s pedal steel assailing that instrument’s and
his playing’s impressive heights, segueing into and out again from a gospel
interjection. Superb. Penultimate Welcome
Home has some beautiful soul singing with harmony, and the pedal steel
whirls around within to weave that traditional sound to its own
distinctiveness. The album closes on The Rascal’s Good Lovin’, a great song given an appropriate upbeat performance
and sounding so similar to Born Again
which sounds like - well, you know - it has got me wondering if Stills was ever or should still be looking over his own mirroring
shoulder.
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