I’m sure all fans of The Dead Daisies will be aware that whilst recording the album that saw the return of John Corabi – ‘Light ‘Em Up,’ producer Marti Frederiksen heard the band jamming an old Blues standard and had an idea – why not jam and record a few more? What started out as a bit of fun ended up as The Dead Daisies next record. You can read more about that in our interview with John HERE.
Ironically when I first spoke to John Corabi in our first interview 15 years ago I mentioned that I thought he’d have a great voice for the Blues and here we are 15 years later and I can finally confirm that he certainly does. The Daisies new record, coming so soon after the wonderful ‘Light ‘Em Up’ is a real reminder that Rock and Roll owes its all to the Blues but like every art form, love and reverence is just as important as innovation and change.
With a cover that sports a picture of the legendary juke joint ‘Po’ Monkey’s Lounge’ in Mississippi, an incubator for the Delta Blues that sadly closed it’s doors in 2016 when Willie “Po’ Monkey” Seaberry died, you might expect this to be a more traditional Blues record. Heck with a sign proclaiming “No Loud Music, No Dope Smoking, No Rap Music.” Maybe even a Delta Blues record? But that of course just wouldn’t be the Daisies modus operandi at all. It might even be a bit boring?
John told me that the band went into the recordings with no objective at all – they just jammed some old numbers they all knew whilst recording ‘Light ‘Em Up’. But when that bit of fun became a little more of a project, they took the line “What would Led Zeppelin do?” fully knowing, John added, that it would end up sounding nothing at all like Led Zeppelin! But that was the idea anyway remembering that it took the British Invasion of the 60’s and early 70’s to really reintroduce the American public to the Blues.
This album is a solid Rock album, but with a twist. You may know some, or even all of the songs in the tracklist, or you may just be familiar with them from earlier covers – like Cream or Lynyrd Skynyrd’s take on ‘Crossroads’ or even Aerosmith’s take on ‘Walkin’ the Dog’. But this is a set of songs that The Dead Daisies don’t just want to reheat and serve up again, they’ve taken the songs and attempted to make each and every one their own. They all work, but some work more well than others and you’ll all have your own favourites.
Opener ‘I’m Ready’ is given a real Hard Rocking sheen and much like ‘Evil’ from Corabi’s first album with the band ‘Revolucion’ just works, it’s a straight ahead ‘meat and potatoes’ number that everyone surely knows and one that plunges you right into the record. It’s also one of the most covered songs here, originally by Willie Dixon but covered first by Muddy Waters back in ’64. With notable covers by Sonny Landreth and everyone from Frankie Millar to Long John Baldry. Here The band takes what the legendary Humble Pie did with the classic and amp it even more! It’s a great way to open the account.
John told me that this wouldn’t be a record for ‘Blues aficionados’ when we spoke but I think whilst this is very much a Rock album, the source material and previous interpretations are given a lot of respect here. It may be ‘amped up’ but you can also feel the joy the guys must have had laying this down. ‘Going Down’ is maybe even better than that opener, wit the Freddie King number sounding fresh and dangerous.
‘Boom Boom,’ the John Lee Hooker staple, released as a single this month, is a slower take on the classic with a great groove and cool harp and it’s probably as Bluesy as you get, with a kind of Blues Brothers jam band feel rather than the sort of take The Animals went for. It sounds like it should – like a live band, and that ‘from the floor’ sound is exactly the way a lot of these tracks were recorded. Three songs in I’m sold. This is all working wonderfully well.
Saying that it’s not an album that plays it straight and ‘Black Betty’ is one of the more obvious examples of that, eschewing the obvious Ram Jam take, there’s more of a groove here, and whilst it keeps a lot of the dynamics of that famous cover, there’s more harp and slow burning attitude. Obviously when you cover such a song that’s already ingrained in our collective consciousness you’re going to polarize opinions. There more I listen to this one though the more I like it.
It’s the slower B.B. King number (originally by Roy Hawkins) ‘The Thrill Is Gone’ that pops up as a highlight for me, it was one of the songs I singled out in the interview as a favourite, and even though John wishes he could have done more with the vocal, to me it really hits the spot. For me this is where his voice really elevates the dynamics of the wonderfully poised guitar. Those spaces are just magical and the guitar tone is to die for! It’s a great take.
Everyone surely must know Albert King’s timeless ‘Born Under a Bad Sign’ one of the great Blues/Rock crossover songs released back in 1967 and covered by Cream a year later (though credited there to Booker T Jones and William Bell). It’s a great version and not a million miles away from that Cream take which is interesting as ‘Crossroads’ that follows, the famous Robert Johnson track that Cream also covered is a fresh interpretation, distancing itself from Clapton’s take on Mr. Johnston. You’ll love both!
As we get to the pointy end ‘Sweet Home Chicago’ that (other) famous Robert Johnson standard (that itself was based on earlier songs) brings the party. It’s one that doesn’t stray too far from recordings made by the likes of Foghat, Fleetwood Mac, Clapton or The Blues Brothers and sounds an absolute blast. The biggest departure to what you might have expected is probably the version of ‘Walking the Dog’ that comes next. As a huge Aerosmith fan, as John is, and I imagine most of the band I’d expected a Rock take along the lines of that classic cover of the Rufus Thomas original. What we get is entirely different. The opening few bars and repeated backing refrain give it a 60’s lilt and the guitar is cleaner and leaner than most here. It did take me a few listens I must admit!
Closer Willie Dixon’s ‘Little Red Rooster’ sees us go out with the same artist as we came in with. It’s a laid back cover that you to take you into the night and hopefully will have you revisiting some of these classics, As covers albums go it’s a huge amount of fun, and just as tight as you might imagine. I can’t stop playing it, but you’ll just have to wait till May to crank it up!
Of course you could argue for a heap of Blues standards the band could have covered. I’d have loved a version of ‘Love in Vain’ or even ‘I Can’t Quit You Baby’ and let’s face it there’s so many standards in our collective consciousness you could go on endlessly. What I love about this record is that it’s not afraid to reinterpret those classics, and whilst that might sit uncomfortably with the purists, that reinterpretation is what to me at least The Blues and Rock and Roll as a whole is all about. As Larry Williams once said “Rock and Roll has no beginning and no end for it is the very pulse of life itself.” Amen to that.
As the press release notes “The idea for the album came together unexpectedly. While wrapping up sessions for their latest rock record in Muscle Shoals, the band started casually jamming on some of their favorite blues standards late one night—Robert Johnson, John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, and others who shaped their musical DNA. The chemistry was undeniable, and producer Marti Frederiksen made the call to start recording. What followed was an impromptu session at the legendary FAME Studios, captured live and unfiltered. The result is ‘Lookin’ For Trouble’ – a raw, high-voltage set of classic blues covers reimagined through the lens of a band known for their sheer power and precision.”
If you love The Dead Daisies and have loved the Rock covers they have made their own over the years then this album of Blues staples is simple unmissable. I’m just anticipating how they will place these in the live set.
9 / 10
The Dead Daisies album ‘Lookin’ For Trouble’ is now live for pre-order. This Blues infused album containing ten classic tracks re-recorded by The Dead Daisies in their own style is a great dedication to the pioneers of modern music including songs originally by legends like BB King and Robert Johnson. With ‘Crossroads’ already released and ‘I’m Ready’ being part of the live set over the last few tours, you know that this album is going to be unique!
