“Waistin’ Away” with its deep organ opens Walter Trout’s 2014 CD, The Blues Came Callin’. This blistering, prophetic tune of mortality is especially poignant as this great electric bluesman recently had a liver transplant. Hoping to celebrate his 25th year as a solo artist, everything has been put aside while Trout regains his health. We are damn lucky to have this 12-song CD from the man.
A snaky snare starts off “The World Is Going Crazy (And So Am I)” with Trout y wailing from the get-go. The organ provides a heavy up-front presence with Trout’s amazing curlicue leads and slightly sardonic lyrics. “The Bottom Of The River” comes from a dark swamp-like vibe; it has harmony, a tom roll of a beat, a subtle bass, Trout on acoustic and some introspective words from the man. Once the electric kicks in, we are well into a song of regret.
I so dig the funk slink of “The Whale.” Trout’s vocal here is just about as perfect as his playing in and around the tom beat and organ, We’re pushed along at more than a medium speed on “Willie” with Trout’s over-driven guitar, organ and harmonica all grooving on and around the main riff. As a celebrated sideman with John Mayall, Trout’s piano boogie woogie of “Mayalla’s Piano Boogie” isn’t out of place. On this instrumental, the electric guitar takes a back seat to the piano until half way in with a clean and short lead. Trout is positively soraing on “Born In The City,” a beautiful down and dirty electric ditty.
“Hard Time” smokes with its muted string chink-a-chink with a rimshot opening that mutates into a tight strut informed by bass and organ with Trout picking his place perfectly. This is studied, mature electric blues at its best, the very heart of what Walter Trout is about. As he recovers from surgery, we thank him for The Blues Came Callin’.
~ Ralph Greco, Jr.
