From the Ozone to Alabama
Billy C. Farlow left the original Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen when they disbanded in 1976 (and immediately re-appeared the following year as the Commander Cody band, in fact the new name used by Cody for his post-Airmen solo career). In 1991 it sounds that Farlow who had penned some of CC&HLPA best known songs ("Too Much Fun", "Seeds and Stems " and the band's theme song, "Lost in the Ozone"), was apparently still under influence. Apparently only.
The first half of the album features some solid Texas and Nashville style rock'n'roll songs that would have fitted well the CC&HLPA repertoire : a Texas swing revisit of “Too Much Fun”, “Love Bandit” (which strongly reminds Dylan's famous “Isis” on his 1976 album “Desire”), “Sit On Daddy's Knee”, “Demon Lover” (starting with a very Rolling Stonian riff close to the intro of 1971 “Can't You Hear Me Knocking”).
Nashville producer Fred James, also an excellent multi-instrumentalist and almost an alter ego of Farlow, brings his guitar and organ skills on more than half the titles (the album could almost have been released as from Billy C. Farlow And Fred James).
Recorded in Nashville's famous Creative Workshop studio, this diverse album sounds like a transition work, from his early Californian years with CC&HLPA and later with a Western swing-rockabilly band formed with pianist Billy Philadelphia and guitarist Tommy Thompson, to a return to his Southern roots. ●
One foot in Texas, the other one in the Delta, the third one in the swamps of Alabama... I know it's three feet but hell ! who cares ? OK, let's start again : one foot in Texas, the other one in the swamps of Alabama and both hands in the Delta (is that better ?), Alabama-based Billy C. Farlow (ex-member of Commander Cody and the Sam Lay's Band) joined with Tennessee native bluesman Bleu Jackson, also ex-Sam Lay's Band, and guitar and mandolin player Fred James (ex-Sam Lay's Band too) who also produced the album. No need to say that the three are used to work together.
Farlow is dealing with the harmonica sharing the vocals with Jackson while this latter one and James share the guitar work. They looked mainly towards roots Delta blues to record the dozen titles on the album, but brought a clear touch of electric rock groove to most of the tracks with here and there a pinch of country music and soul. All the tracks are signed by Farlow or Jackson, except “Don’t Mess With Me Baby” co-penned by Jackson, James and backing vocalist Mary-Ann Brandon,
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| Bleu Jackson |
The other half features more traditional electro-acoustic country blues numbers like “Magnolia Bend”; “It's Gonna Rain”; “Dark As Midnight”; the excellent other highlight of the album “Blue Highway”; the nice “Jockey On My Back” ; and “Don’t Mess With Me Baby”.
In both styles, Farlow, Jackson and their accomplice-producer James are delivering a heavy sound thick like a hot damp night in the Delta, especially enhanced by the pounding bass (Bob Kommersmith) and drums (Andy Arrow). It comes up to the point that you hope for a thunderstorm to cool down the sultry atmosphere ! On that point Farlow & Jackson shot right in the heart of their target.
A pleasing effort to adapt Delta country blues to more contemporary standards. ●
The swampy atmosphere of Alabama soaks the 14 songs of this exciting album although surprisingly Farlow has partnered with a French band : Mercy. Formed in 1995 by singer, songwriter and appealing guitarist Jean-Paul Avellaneda (JP), and based in southern France, Mercy featured in 2009, when the album was recorded, Bruno Quinonero on bass, and on drums JP's son Stéphane Avellaneda, otherwise full time touring drummer with the Ana Popovic band. JP in particular delivers a sound worth the best US southern blues guitar and dobro players. The band accompanied Farlow on several European tours between 2009 and 2011.
Though it was recorded in the South of France, this rightfully titled album sounds as wet, steamy and greasy as can be. Heavy mid-tempo titles like “Snake Eyes”, “Magnolia Darlin'”, “Good Rockin' Mama”, “My Name is Trouble”, “Alligator Crawl”, “Black Lazarus”, probably the rootsier number of the album, feel like coming straight from an old Deep South roadhouse joint saturated with smells of soul food simmering in the back kitchen, of sweat from the band rattling the raw wooden stage and of perspiration from the people dancing in the greasy heat.
In the middle stands out the superb “What Have I Done?” with great guitar from JP again, and the strange “Yella Pocahontas” coming right out of the bayous around New Orleans. On the final track, “Wild About You (Je Suis Dingue De Vous)”, Farlow is even enjoying singing in French.
While this one is better than ever on his harmonica, Jean-Paul Avellaneda is an exciting discovery for somebody like me who didn't know him, decidedly an outstanding six-string master than should be put in the high ranks of any best guitarists' list.
A highly recommended album indeed. : Merci Billy C. ! Merci… Mercy ! ●
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| Billy C. Farlow (third from left) with CC&HLPA |
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| J-P Avellaneda (Mercy) with Billy C. Farlow |
■ Billy C Farlow, France, 2010 : https://youtu.be/xZYk44lFFpA
■ Billy C Farlow & Mercy :
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| Bleu Jackson |
■ Mercy :
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| The Ann Arbor years |
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