DeWolff & Blues Pills at Z7 on April 7, 2026 - #278

 DeWolff & Blues Pills at Z7 on April 7, 2026

A double bill. I knew  Blues Pills, but I never bothered to dive deeper into their music. There was something missing in their music, too bland, too non-original, too I-don't-know-what. In short, I had no media of theirs in my collection. Had. After the gig, I went away with a couple of albums from their merch table. Interesting performance it was. First,, they come across much more direct in a live situation and it suits them. The band performs a Hard Rock kind of music. There's not much Blues to be heard, it's R-O-C-K- all the way and they did a fantastic job on stage that evening.

Actually, the Blues Pills were second on stage and I had to adjust my opinion about the band in a few minutes. Gone was the kind of feeling that there was something not right about the band. The venue (Z7 in Pratteln Switzerland) has a 100 DB limit (as all others in Heidiland) and I've seen and heard gigs there,where I wished that this limit was non-existant. I'm not sure wether the Blues Pills would have gained from a 110 DB output, but I'm sure, it would have lifted the roof.

I was actually a bit confused when they came on stage and there were those four women. No don't get me wrong, I think all female bands have taken an upsurge during the last decades, at least in the 2000s. And more power to them. It was just, that in my limited knowledge, I only knew that the singer was a women. I had the time to ask AI what was going on and got the reply of three males and one female in the band. Chatting with AI is like pulling teeth at the dentist, it doesn't hurt anymore these days, but it's something you still don't look forward to. My first question actually said that I was standing on the floor and that I was seeing the band on stage and there were four women. 

Maybe AI didn't understand my pidgin English. I repeated the question again, with a slightly different wording and got the reply, yes, there are now two women in the band, the singer and a new bass player. Third attempt. I see four women unless I need a new pair of glasses. Reply: Uh, yes, there are at the moment four females in the band. The drummer is a substitute as the usual one is out of the game for a while because of health issues. The fourth one, I can't remember wether she is a permanent member of the band or just and interim replacement for whatever reason. Me haggling with AI during a gig is worthwhile of a Monty Python skit.

But, actually, I was at the event because of DeWolff, a band I might have heard of, but certainly had no idea what their performance would like to be. I hadn't even listened  to samples of their music online. I got the ticket from a friend who bought it well in advance and was looking forward to the gig, just to have health reasons, serious enough, to cancel his attendance and so I got to widen my horizon. In hindsight, I wouldn't want to have missed the gig. To call DeWolff a "Psychedelic Southern Rock Band" is a bit of a stretch, I didn't hear anything Psychedelic or Southern. There was a band on stage that had an excellent repertoire of songs and they shone. DeWolff opened the evening with an approximate 70 minute set and had to cut it short, or so it seemed, because the Blues Pills were waiting in the wings.

Remembering a round table discussion I had recently with a few "experts" on tags re musical style etc., I'm not sure where to file DeWolff's style. Rock seems to be the best. And that's all there is, folks! The way the band pushed their songs from the stage is remarkable and maybe just fell into my preferences. Unlike some other bands in the genre, the DeWolff's repertoire was like chiselled. No room for a muddy mix, every note loud and clear and no noodling. The band consist of three members and I'm not sure what the current line-up is. DeWolff were founded in 2007 in the Netherlands and are still on the road and in the studio. With almost 20 albums listed on Discogs, they are no slouches.

While writing this, my CD-player worked through the "Live & Outta Sight" album (released 2023). I will certainly try and get some more of their albums, but the aforementioned CD is exactly the problem, while the music is absolutely here to stay, it doesn't represent the band's live performance very well. Too much is held back soundwise and while I can't really complain about the music here, it's all a bit subdued and I doubt I would have bought the album on its strength alone. It needed the push via a live (as in LIVE) performance, It's not just that I should have set the Stereo at 13, I believe one can hear the shortcomings of a tincan vs. live. A bit strange is the use of a trumpet on the CD. Sounds like an afterthought to fatten a song. I believe they played this one at their gig as well, judging from the drum solo within. If you thought these solos are so 70s, think again. This one was and is actually in my top two.

Needless to say (but I'm saying it anyway), the next time either of these bands play in the vicinity, I'm there and will enjoy some handmade music that hits bullseye in my opinion. And I will check their other releases I haven't bought already.

Cheers

Roland

Daddy Long Legs vs. True-Blue - #277

 Daddy Long Legs vs. True-Blue

Thrift shops are sometimes great and more often not. Lately (the last couple of years) I had the feeling I was looking, no, not at things, but at more interesting offers. I've no idea wether this is another purge, this time initiated because people are only streaming nowadays and want to get rid of their media such as LPs or CDs. I believe the secondhand market re Vinyl is hanging on by a thread, still breathing but in ER. The equivalent re CDs is dead and not even a Frank Zappa quip can rectify the situation. There are a few CDs that are still worth something, but altogether ... try selling a bunch. You'll see, there are no takers, except when YOU pay them to take the load off your hands.

And sometimes you come across a band you've never heard of, yet they could be your next door neighbours. You listen to the CDs, because CDs they are most likely and no, it doesn't work out to be a long lost masterpiece of a completely underestimated band. And voilà, we're talking Daddy Long Legs and Tru-Blue.

Don't spend any money on these things, even one EUR is about 99.9 Cents too much ... make it a hundred. Both are of the kind of band you'll find at the local Jazz Night in your very own hamlet. Where the only bands they could afford were local outfits who are usually playing for their moms and dads and their friends (if they have any of the latter at all). Jazz Nights have grown to epidemic proportions and they can be found in every place that has a population of more than 10 cows. They all, and I mean ALL, started out as Jazz Nights or Days or Weeks. It was always and ever Jazz. No Rock, no Blues, no subgenre like R'n'R, RnB and that means in other words, shuffle to Dixie and Swing and pretend it's the roaring twenties again and either a) it's cold as fuck outside (these events are always outdoors or b) it's pissing down cats and dogs or c) the beer is warm, the food is cold, the people you're with take the opportunity to go ape because they recognize a Bix Beiderbecke tune and you're looking for the next beer.

And when Pop and Rock reared its ugly head at these events, it was then, that you got bands like Daddy Long Legs or True-Blue. Just squeezing in a word sideways, these are not the well know Daddy Long Legs (or Daddy Longlegs). And it was then, you'd wish you had the flu and stayed at home. Bu no, you moved from stage to stage and the people you're with couldn't place their butts in one place for more than ten minutes (come to think of it, that was probably the positive side). I have no idea wether any of these two bands ever played at one of these rockin' out events for the elderly and for the ones for whom this is the only night of the year, when they hear something like Pop or Rock.

"Pleading Soul" by Daddy Long Legs is thankfully only a 4-Track, 15:34 minutes EP-CD. They must have been (I assume they don't exist anymore)) from around the Basel area. From what I hear, my first guess is, students. The music sound so lifeless, so academic and there's nothing that makes me want to buy this album and it's one of the bands that would make me leave the the venue after about five minutes.

For a band that made the CD probably with borrowed money from their parents, it's quite a remarkable recording. Spell MOR as MOR as you can and you're there. I don't doubt for a second that the folks murdering their instruments know what they do, but there's absolutely no heartbeat. This is polished until the silver shines.

The singer, a Sarah Cooper, is bloody awful, as she tries to ape a line of top performers. I hear a messed up attempt at Janis Joplin and I really wouldn't buy a secondhand car from her.

The band itself is made up of eight(!) individuals when half would have done the trick. And the backline is guitars, keys, piano, bass, drums, percussion, saxophones and trumpets. The list of people thanked for is longer than the last printed telephone book I saw for the NWS part of Switzerland. I won't part without at least one positive note: Of the four songs on offer here, only one is a coverversion (O. Redding's "Hard To Handle"). And this is amazing, three originals, even they might be so amateurish, they make you cringe. Glad I never got to see them live.

While Daddy Long Legs are only on the fringe of your typical "let the cows fly" one nighters, True-Blue hit the nail squarely on the head. Judging from all the addresses that are mentioned in the insert, the band must hail from the Basel countryside area. The CD has been recorded at the Galery Music Bar (long since closed) and the Maribu (still going strong and trying to inject som culture into our very own hillbillies). Tru-blue is not as sophisticated (or pretending to be) like Daddy Long Legs. And you can hear it. Barely out from their practice room, they take to the stage and play to an audience of ten farmers. 11 Tracks and 10 of them coverversions. A piece of advice, when you rely on other folk's songs, try to give it a twist, otherwise I'll stay at home and listen to my records.

I have an inkling that this CD wasn't really meant for the general public, but for their families and friends "look what we've done Ma". The lead vocalist is better than what we've got from Sarah Cooper. Even though his performance is also somewhat deep in aping and knowing that they come from a farm only a short distance away, this is not a lot street credibility. The sound is not quite as polished as "Pleading Soul" and I can well imagine that this outfit went down well at midnight after the umpteenth pint. Sometimes I hear far far away shades of Alex Harvey. Interesting choice for "Sweet Louise" which is a Steve Walwyn original. The low point is the last song "the Rose" from the film with Bette Middler. What a messed up end to a not promising career.

Cheers

Roland

Joe Bonamassa (And Band) - Zurich Hallenstadion - May 3, 2026 - #276

 Joe Bonamassa (And Band) - Zurich Hallenstadion - May 3, 2026

I can't remember when I became aware of Joe Bonamassa. It was the early stages and I must have filed the name in the place where it says "to be checked out ... if I have the time in future. This usually means never to be seen and heard again. Mind you, it wasn't because of his music, which I mustn't have heard at this time, it was the sheer numbers of artists climbing the ladder into the light. And it never changed, I can't have my paws in everything that the tabloids sell as the next best thing since sliced bread.

The second time I heard (or read) about Joe Bonamassa, I still hadn't listened to his music and ... fast forward, a year or two later, it was still the same situation. My interest was probably nudged via Beth Hart. I can't say how, why, when, where etc., but I can't imagine otherwise. Now, me and Joe (can I call you Joe?) have a strange kind of relationship. While I've bought a number of records (CDs and/or LPs), I'm not queuing up when Mr. Bonamassa is releasing a new album. There's a high probability that I will buy it eventually, but there's no rush. But the thing is, I've bought records from lesser artists and I've not been as picky. On a scale from worse (1) to excellent (6), I'd rate Joe's music at a solid five. Why a five only, I hear you ask? My top positions are fixed and anyway, the differences between a five and a six are minimal to begin with.

Sometimes, me and Joe had a kind of fall-out and this was (and still is) mostly about some statements he's made in interviews. Nothing serious, but enough to get my old 1-bit software into gear. Since I had received a ton of concert vouchers for my last birthday, I needed to bring one up and get me a ticket. The Hallenstadion in Zurich is probably the biggest indoor venue for gigs in Switzerland. I've seen Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Alice Cooper, Gianna Nannini and a lot of others there. The sound is usually very good and you actually can enjoy the music. With a capacity of 13000 plus (standing room only) or around 5000 plus (seated only) or a mix, the place is made for larger events. Yesterday's gig was seated only and even then, it was clear, it wasn't sold out. Joe Bonamassa mentioned from the stage that more than 5000 people were in attendance. That's what maybe the promoter told him. At that number, the place should have been packed. And it wasn't, empty seats and rows of chairs set so far apart, you could think they were making way for a proposed expressway through the hall. A more realistic number would have been around 3000 folks (and no plus).

From the start of the proceedings till the end, the band and Joe himself were in excellent form and presented a mix of the tried and tested as well as deeper cuts (at least to me). And I almost got a lesson, live is where the meat is on the bone. This was one of the very few occasions where I realized, you can have as many records as you want, but there's a difference between home entertainment (wether studio or live albums) and the real McCoy. LPs and/or CDs are but a faint memory of an excellent gig. Even the drum solo (I checked wether there was a time travel involved and it was the mid-70s, but no, it still was 2026 - no back to the future experience) was something to write home about. I can do without another drum solo in my lifetime (and haven't waited for one the last couple of decades) but this one easily made the top two. I can't remember the other one, but there was one, eons ago. One of the most interesting solos ever (and that also includes guitar, bass, organ, tin whistle and bagpipe etc.).

Funny thing, as per Joe, Zurich was their last station on this leg of their current European tour and then he mentioned, that the next day, they were off to the U.K. to play two gigs at the Royal Albert Hall. Reminds me of the British tabloids claiming "Fog In Channel - Continent Cut Off". Wether that story is true or not, it's a good one. The gig was an early one and even Mr. Bonamassa ... uhm, Joe ... mentioned this. Must have been due to their schedule. There was no "special guest" or any other fancy gimmick. Or maybe it was because of us old folks and Joe was considering our health, so that (almost) afternoon performance was o.k. and I made it just in time back to the retirement home. From 7 pm to 9 pm it was an experience, a down to earth one. I'm not sure wether it's an age thing, but lately (the last couple of years), it looks like the quality of gigs has improved, I'm mellowed out, I'm not properly hearing anymore, I slept throught the gig (don't remind me!) or I actually wanted to be at the local Bingo hall and didn't realize. 

Cheers

Roland

Mick Clarke on CD and Vinyl #275

 Mick Clarke on CD and Vinyl

I'm not the downloading type. As in almost never. And the few times I did it was either for a piece I'd written on rockzirkus.de (which has been taken off the net just recently and I have no idea wether it'll be back) or just a plain test (coupon inside the LP-sleeve - but I never used the downloaded file). That's me.

Now, Mick Clarke. I've been on board the MC-train since around the end of the 80s. And I didn't pay any attention wether it was the Mick Clarke Band or the man on his own. Up until around 2007, the releases came from labels such as Taxim, Appaloosa or Line. Taxim was probably the label who really pushed Mick Clarke into awareness (at least on the European circuit). Around the end of the 2010s, there was a cut in labels and most seemed to have gone to Rockford, which I take now as being Mick Clarke's own imprint. 

There was a catch, however. While not impossible, the releases were quite hard to get. At least I couldn't find any in my neighbourhood shop. At the time, I probably relied on the big river, but I can't really recall this any more. But it got even worse. For a while all you had to listen to, was new music on downloads. No LPs, no CDs, just files from wherever you where pointing your browser at. And not too far in the past, I realized that there was mention of CD and LP releases on his website (see Mick Clarke - British Blues Guitar) who release the new music of Mick Clarke.

The media seems to be CD-rs and lathe cuts. Now, I never had problems with lathe cuts, but apparently they are not as sturdy as proper vinyl pressings. The fact that I was handling lathe cuts and CD-rs never occured to me as it was never a benchmark for me. From the production side, this is as good as can be. Slight problems with the sound originate probably from the studio side. Judging the CD "Blues Before Sunrise", it's clear, that this is not a polished to death item. And quite rightly so. Maybe a touch of more brightness would have done the trick, but overall, this is what I want. 

elasticStage are not doing any fiddling with the files they get, what you hear is what their client has recorded or got his paws on. So it's fair to say, you get what the artist wants you to hear. Maybe limited by their home studio or, if they went to the length, an external studio. When you order from elasticStage, be prepared to wait a few weeks, but don't get nervous, it'll all get to you in time. The sleeves and inners are excellent, no cheapo stuff there.

As for me, I'm very glad that the break in releases had an end for me and that I can again listen to Mick Clarke's output in a decent way (and I do not call downloads decent, wether mp3, flac, wav or whatever fancy file comes down the line). And "Blues Before Sunrise" brings back Blues and Bluesrock at its best. 

If you're interested in elasticStage, here's the way to go: Create, Buy & Sell Custom Vinyl & CDs | elasticStage

Cheers

Roland

Lovin' Spoonful - Summer In The City - #274

Lovin' Spoonful - Summer In The City (CD)

I bought this CD (sealed) in a thrift shop just about two weeks ago for the grand total of the equivalent of one Euro. Sometimes I just buy items in these shops to check the music out, not because I'm a fan of their output. I then realized, I had a previous album (LP) of theirs sitting in my collection and that was a "Best Of" and I remembered I had a conversation about a month ago, where we talked about folks claiming the 60s were the best decade for Pop/Rock ever ... at least up to this point in time. My take, people claiming this know their charts from that time and that's it. They never dove into the deep end of the 60s and just dismiss everything that didn't make the top ten at that time.

And truth be told, there were a lot of substandard releases that didn't rightfully go anywhere. And this is where I come in. I realized just now, that I know the Lovin' Spoonful's "Summer In The City" and that's all folks, all I ever needed to know. I must have wiped the presence of the "Best Of" LP from my mind. Fast forward to 2026 and I'm listening to the CD mentioned above (and shown here) and ... seldom there was a more boring and helpless offering on CD by a totally untalented boygroup. Apart from the title song (and as far as I'm concerned only hit and worthwhile song), I began to ask myself, who on earth would record the other nine tracks that can be found here.

This is like almost all fillers and no killers (save the "Summer In The City" which has its merits even now). Nine of these tracks are a showcase of someone trying to fit musically in to the scene as it were back then and failing miserably. I've no idea wether the selection here is representative and I don't want to further inquire. Give it a miss, except when disaster is your middle name.

Cheers

Roland

R.I.P. # 273

R.I.P.

Two that have passed recently.

Joe Ely

It was July 4, 1991 when I witnessed the Flatlanders (including Joe Ely) on stage at the Montreux Jazz Festival. One of the best gigs I've ever seen at the lake. And if memory serves, Doug Sahm joined them on stage. From then on, I was a lifetime fan of the band. And there are even a few Solo Joe Ely CDs in my collection. 

Raul Malo

The Mavericks. Great, great band (in the beginning). Let's say, the first four albums and then it went all downhill and they became a MOR Pop band. But they will be forever a light at the end of the tunnel for me. I didn't like the fact that they took a hiatus for a couple of years, even though this was during their depression era, and popped up unexpectedly again (probably the money was in short supply). But they never caught up with their earlier success again. Still, when it mattered, they were a great band.

Cheers

Roland

Remaster Or Remix # 272

Remaster Or Remix

Personally, I shy away from each remix and rather look for an original copy. I truly believe it's a joke when someone who's just out of his/her diapers thinks he/she can put their stamp on decades old recordings, when they were not part of the initial process (and in most cases weren't even born). Although I don't collect the Beatles, I think the remixes (of which I haven't heard one) is one of the cheats that need to be pointed out. I put myself into the position of a collector of the releases of said group and I want the original sound. Not someone's interpretation of it.

Remasters are a different topic and tastefully done, are actually quite welcome to me. They don't really alter what the original product is and the changes are mostly quite subtle. But the real spirit of the music recorded and produced is still there and I don't have to listen to some Steven Wilson (to name but one) crap, "reinventing" stellar records with an updated mix half a century after the fact. Of course, I know this is all marketing and the labels would like to sell you the same old same a hundred times over. Ultimate remix! Just like it should sound! In glorious forest green wax! With new liner notes by the butcher down the street! With a hole in the exact middle of the record!

I believe, I own only one remix and that is a Deep Purple one. As in the band Deep Purple, in case you'll ask. And frankly, I either saw it too late or it's actually a set with a remastered and a remixed version. I can't remember exactly and I'm too lazy to dig for the item now. Which brings me to an interview I've read in the German language Classic Rock with Roger Glover of Deep Purple (the band) fame. The first page about Remaster and Remix can be seen in full. It's a case of opposition to remixes and Roger Clover is very clear about it, there is no reason for a "remix". It was done the way it was done and it should stay that way. To read between the lines, one can easily extract that noone has the right to do a remix (legal matters notwithstanding).

The very short version:
How well do you know Steve Wilson? I've never met him.
Have you ever heard his music before? No.
What do you think about his new version of "Made In Japan"? Paice and I have chosen the tracks on the original album and it's kind of sacrosanct to me.
So, the Original version is the best? Yes, that's the one who's catapulted us into stratosphere.

I know, it's all about money. Used to be and still is. But I don't buy one word the marketing gurus try to push at me. And, I hope for the sake of Steven Wilson, he's doing this for his bankaccount only. Which is okay with me, you have to pay the bills somehow. As for any value in artistic expression, you might as well sell snakeoil in the old West.

Cheers

Roland

Dr Feelgood Remasters 2025 (CDs and LPs) - # 271

 Dr Feelgood Remasters 2025 (CDs and LPs)

"News" from the Dr Feelgood release front. The first four albums will be on the market in a remastered form. That's all folks!!! There's absolutely nothing for a Dr Feelgood fan to get excited about. I checked some of the websites that announce the upcoming release and the general view is like, you don't need it. Not if you already own the albums. I'll give it a pass, but that's me.

And a couple of the following albums are on the web as being released for the 50th anniversary, albeit with the same release date as the remastered ones, that is late July 2025. Excuse me? In any case, this seems like a typical moneygrabbing exercise. Thank you, but, no, thank you.

Cheers

Roland