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On disc: The Enemy Within



- Post Modern Blues - Claudia Ehrhardt - 7 stars









Post Modern Blues

Post Modern Blues
(Castle Music - 2003)


This album was originally released under the title A Touch Of Sunburn and later released as Two Greens Make A Blues which was a nice play of words. Now this re-released is called Post Modern Blues and has 2 bonus tracks. The is electronic blues experiment was quite successful in the 80's when it was released first. Part of their success are the involved musicians who are Peter Green, Mick Green, Gypie Mayo, The Raven and Ed Deane who are well-known in the blues / blues rock community. On this album comes in a remastered version and the booklet has some insightful liner notes. The second track Chinese White Boy is a good example for the description as electronic blues, coz the voice is electronically altered. It also shows that this project was ahead of time, coz their songs still sound fresh and up-to-date. To combine bluesy guitar riffs, slide guitar and The Raven's electronically changed voice was a risk in 1986, but the kind of all-star line-up proofed that it was worth to risk. A highlight on the disc is for me the track Doctor which is written by The Raven. Modern blues... Yes, this is modern blues! And so this is not necessarily an album for blues fans who are into John Lee Hooker, B.B. King and all the other legendary blues musicians, but if you give it a try, you might learn that this electronic blues songs are as emotional as the traditional blues. Even if different. Songs like Four Minute Melody are probably too modern for traditionalists... On the other hand this modern, electronic blues might get music fans from other genres interested in blues. It was surely a walk on the razors edge to do this kind of music. Looking back we can now say that it was good that they took the risk and recorded this outstanding album. Camel's Eye Blues sounds partly like some 80's pop song - no surprise, coz the album was recorded in 1986 - with blues elements and the typical saxophone sound of that days. A track which could be played at nowadays 80's pop discos... Even if the guitar lines might be a little too far from the typical 80's pop... But they never had the intention to be part of that. But there is the spirit of the 80's audible here and there.
The two bonus tracks were recorded in 1997 and so they sound different, but are a carry on of what they started in the mid-80's. Even So Bad The Blues is way ahead of the old stuff, while Monkey Man could have been on the original 1986 release and is a more traditional blues song like many others on this album.


7 stars

Claudia Ehrhardt
 

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