Customer Reviews

Flash Forward

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With "Flash Forward," The Siegel-Schwall Band releases its first album of new studio recordings in 31 years.

Despite the title, the band serves notice from the top that its Chicago blues sound and sense of humor both remain intact with the kickoff shout from Corky Siegel's harmonica and the line "If I don't tell you I love you, you should kick me in the shin."

Highlights include "Afraid of Love," the song quoted above, written by Siegel and sung by drummer Sam Lay; Siegel's "Twisted," a first cousin to his 1970 classic "I Don't Want You to Be My Girl"; and Lay's "Going Back to Alabama," which injects country blues changes on the guitar into a full band setting.

Guitarist Jim Schwall grabs his mandolin and hops in his Geo Metro for the Old-Timey romp "On the Road" and has some fun with a too-literal reading of the Bible in "Hey Leviticus." A not-so-subtle dig at George W. Bush, Schwall's down-and-dirty "The Underqualified Blues" recalls the band's "I Won't Hold My Breath" and "Out-a-Gas?" from the `70s and features perhaps the grungiest solo he's ever recorded.

The album's real gem, however, is bass player Rollo Radford's surprising jazz song, "Pauline," which features perhaps the sweetest, most melodic playing Schwall has ever recorded.

Fans of 1973's "953 West," in particular, should feel a warm vibe listening to "Flash Forward," but, really, any fan of Siegel-Schwall should rejoice at hearing this smart, fresh set of new songs.

For the unacquainted, it's better to know the players involved to fully understand the music of the Siegel-Schwall Band. Though not as renowned in all circles, the predominantly white band was brewing Chicago-style blues at just about the same time the Paul Butterfield Blues Band was doing it. They opened for the likes of Quicksilver Messenger Service in the '60s, played the Fillmore West, and were an omnipresent force in '70s Chicago.

Formed in the mid-'60s by harpist Corky Siegel and guitarist Jim Schwall, their self-titled first album was released in 1966. They were known for amazing covers such as Jimmy Reed's `Going To New York' and Howlin' Wolf's `Shake For Me', among titles of their own, like Corky Siegel's `Angel Food Cake' and Jim Schwall's `You Don't Love Me Like That'.

Flash Forward is the Siegel-Schwall Band's first studio release in thirty years, marking it a milestone for fans, to say the least. The lineup is still Siegel and Schwall, along with longtime bassist, Rollo Radford, who joined the band in the early seventies. Add in former Howlin Wolf and Paul Butterfield drummer, Sam Lay, and you've got the `Flash Forward' version of the Siegel-Schwall Band.

Though it may not be for everyone, true blues fans, especially Siegel-Schwall fans of old, will love the laidback, smooth, and genuine blues songs on Flash Forward. It's a blues collage, proving to all that they're a very different and innovative band.

All I have to say is wow! My friends stumbled upon the Siegel-Schwall Band in a record store a while back and now we're all hooked. These guys sound like they're just having a good ol' time making music. They would be a great band even if the music wasn't phenomenal.

I like it ok, but why the back-up singers?, not needed at all, ruins it, the whole album seems forced, it isn't loose like, say, in the Wooden Nickel era, I guess you can't go home after all, some of the songs don't seem to fit, o'well, I guess I should be happy they got together at all, Jim Schwall still is "Mr. Slowhand", Corky sounds great, maybe it will grow on me.

given as a gift to a blues expert and he loved it!!

it's not that this is a bad cd, but I remember them as being much more inovative in the 70's