Customer Reviews

First Blood

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

...by a great undiscoved talent. When I first met Mike he was playing great mandolin and flat top guitar in a bluegrass-folk band in Collegetown USA (Columbia, Mo). He went to Nashville to make his living doing the same in sessions and along the way wrote for everybody from the T-birds to Trisha to the silver screen. But he's at home on this album, and he's good enough Reese Wynans is doing some of his best work on the keyboards for him here. (Delbert McClinton does some background for him on another album.) If that's not enough, the liner notes on this one, that call Mike's slide work "stunning," the band "some men I wanted to play music with, and the album "the magic of a great blues man and a great band," are from no less an axeman than Mark Knopfler. Mike's not just a jack of all trades he's a master, covering classic blues with supberb electric, acoustic and slide guitar, harmonica and a voice for the blues better than most. Don't let the cowboy hat fool you, this is a bluesman. If you want to see how well he can write blues check out "Thicker Than Water." Oh yeah, his country ain't bad either.

I first came upon THICKER THAN WATER and bought this not long after. Both these CD's are now among my favourite blues CD's
and I've introduced a great number of people to this band. For
good time rocking blues with great vocals and superb guitar work
you should not go past this band. Their sound is a bit like the STONES as it is a bit loose and 'DIRTY'. That is not a critisism
as it only adds to the overall flavour of this CD. Not much to fault here. GREAT ROCKING BLUES and not one bad track.

Mike Henderson and the talented members of the Bluebloods have produced a home-run blues CD! Henderson's guitar and harp work are stellar, and the songlist is solid top to bottom. Highly recommended. FYI: Don't miss the opportunity to see these guys live--they blow the roof off the dump!

This album has it all- Mike Henderson is an outstanding slide guitarist and blows a mean blues harp, too. The boogie-woogie piano riffs added by Reese Wynans (of SRV & Double Trouble fame) make for some high energy, very danceable blues. FUN stuff. Mike's vocals are terrific, too, lending a honky-tonk quality that's slightly reminiscent of Stevie Ray (but with more of a whine than a growl). Don't get me wrong- Mike Henderson is no SRVannabe; he's doing his own thing, and I haven't enjoyed a blues album this much since I bought Texas Flood 15 years ago. A must for all Texas (Nashville?) blues fans.

I never heard of this guy, but I decided to give him a listen. Mike's great! I've been disappointed recently by highly-touted blues albums by so-called guitar wonders. This is the real thing. It reminds me a lot of 50s-60s blues. There's even some B.B.King-style shouting in here.

Picked this up at a used cd bin for $1.99! Had no idea who this was but bought it on the recommendation in the sleeve from Mark Knoppler of Dire Straits. What a find! Really great, solid blues, this band sounds like they've been playing together for years. Highly recommended, even at regular price

UPRIGHT BASS, DRUM KIT, PIANO AND AWESOME SLIDE GUITAR AND HARP. A GREAT MIX OF TRADITIONAL AND ORGINIGAL BLUES TUNES.

This is the bar band you wished played in your neighbourhood! It's the sort of recording that reminds you that there are so many great musicians out there who should be marquee names. Henderson's blues is a revelation for those who know only his country CDs. Great voice, sensational slide (and harp) playing, and an understanding of the blues that puts some better known 'blues' heroes to shame. Reece Wynans' barrelhouse piano leads an outstanding supporting cast. I don't know if this was played 'live' in the studio, but 'First Blood' certainly sounds like a live band at work. (Footnote: Check out Henderson's version of Sonnyboy Williamson's 'So Sad To be Lonesome' - a spookily accurate impersonation of Peter Green, both vocally and instrumentally.)

i have been listening to blues since 1953, and mikes version of ride my pony kicks ass. i would buy this cd just for that song alone. lucky for me the rest is pretty damn good too.great stuff.

Great rocking boogie blues. Reese Wynans is awesome on the piano. I recommend this CD to anyone who likes rockin blues.