Review by Shawn Perry
Encouraged by the likes of Neil Young, Randy Bachman took a risk and released his 2015 solo album Heavy Blues, a record that very much lives up to its name with its hard rockin’ blues edge, and a guest list of guitarists that includes Young, Peter Frampton, Joe Bonamassa, Robert Randolph, Scott Holiday of Rival Sons, Luke Doucet of Whitehorse and the late Jeff Healey. Along the way, he established a solid chemistry with what he told me was “the rhythm section I’ve always wanted — a Keith Moon and a John Entwistle” — bassist Anna Ruddick and drummer Dale Anne Brendan. A man with a filled schedule of radio shows and personal appearances, Bachman has worked in a few Heavy Blues shows for 2015, and I was fortunate to catch his set at the Coach House.
Bachman, Ruddick, Brendan and second guitarist Brent Knudsen appeared on the stage a little after 9:00, and blasted off with a stomper from Heavy Blues called “Wild Texas Ride.” It would be one of only three played from Heavy Blues, which left me somewhat disappointed until I considered the man’s body of work. To my pleasant surprise, he and his band not only plucked out BTO classics like “Hey You,” “Roll On Down the Highway” (with Knudsen handling the lead vocals) and “Looking Out for #1,” they also covered a few Guess Who gems — “No Sugar Tonight” (with a Bo Diddley tempo), Johnny Kidd & The Pirates’ “Shakin’ All Over” (covered by both the Guess Who and the Who) , “No Time” and a snippet of “Undun,” a song Bachman says he was inspired to write after hearing Bob Dylan’s “Ballad In Plain D” on the radio.
Bachman swerved and deviated from the format a bit when he told a story about how Stevie Wonder originally wrote “Superstition” for Jeff Beck, but instead gave him “Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers,” which remains a staple in Beck’s setlist to this day. Bachman then tackled the song ala Jeff Beck and showed the room just how accomplished he is as a guitarist. Ruddick played a short solo of her own before falling into a few bars of Led Zeppelin’s “How Many More Times,” followed by “The Edge,” the opening track from Heavy Blues with its powerful “Won’t Get Fooled Again” intro.
The main set finished out with “You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet,” “Heavy Blues,” and “American Woman” — three numbers that succinctly provide an accurate picture of where Bachman has been and where he’s going. Of course, no one was about to let him leave the building without playing “Takin’ Care of Business,” which got everyone on their feet with fists in the air. The night ended with a tasteful jazzy blues number written by Roy Buchanan called “The Messiah Will Come Again.” It offered yet another glimpse of Bachman’s incredible skills on the guitar, and also gave his young band a chance to show everyone how much fire and fearlessness they’re able to bring to the music — be it new, old, classic, timeless or all of the above.
