The Fortune Teller [Single]

Too Slim and the Taildraggers | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 14, 2007)
• Original Release Date: 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Single
• Label: Underworld Records
• ASIN: B000NQ2FUO
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #110,611 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Some people might get bored eating at the same restaurant, despite its delicious and diverse menu, but Too Slim and The Taildraggers' reliable musical offerings have always appealed to me, without exception, and in whichever genre they explore.

Prolific composer/vocalist/bluesharpist/guitarist (slide, acoustic and electric) Tim 'Too Slim' Langford strikes me as a sort of mystic southern U.S. cowpoke, even though his real roots are in Spokane, Washington. That being said, he's equally at home rockin' your plimsoul as he is when playing country blues.

Longtime drummer John 'Midnight' Cage has stepped out on this recording, replaced here by the equally adept and perky Zach T. Cooper. Solid bassist Dave Nordstrom, who replaced Tom 'The Stomp' Brimm a couple of CDs ago, completes Tim's core playing team.

Bonus instrumentation comes courtesy of guests Oleg Schramm on accordion and keyboards, and Robert Greenidge adds a Latino flavour with steel drums. Lauren Evans and Amanda Tsubo add pleasing and non-intrusive backing vocals, and D. Cernile (one of the five co-producers, including Tim's wife, Nancy Langford) also provides guitar and percussion.

Tim's tendency to absorb and meld his varied musical influences into a style of his own should garner him appreciation from fans of the Arc Angels, the Allman Brothers, ZZ Top, David Lindley, Creedence Clearwater Revival, T-Rex, Tom Petty, Frank Zappa, Junkhouse, Bad Company and Ray Bonneville, all wonderful recording artists in their own right (and very sadly missed, in some cases).

The Taildraggers' super-forte lies in Mr. Langford's introspective and comprehensive lyrics. Although his vocals have always been strong and masculine, he's a masterful storyteller, creating vivid portraits of a motley crew of characters the fortuneteller, the unremorseful snake oil seller, the pacifist-turned-vigilante, the guilty heartbreaker, the frustrated dreamer, the grateful gigolo, the sexy lover, the voodoo queen, givers and takers, and the lonely and the lonesome.

Veering away from the blues-rock anthem feel of the album is Mexico, a happy-go-lucky, enchanting holiday song featuring the above-mentioned steel drums, coupled with Tim's trademark sassy slide guitar work. Baby Likes to Ride is another of those sexy tracks that first endeared me to them, but Potent 8 (from King Size Troublemakers) remains my favourite score in that regard.

Another example of standout musical fare is the Lonesome Alone ballad, gently strummed on acoustic guitar with subtle accompaniment on accordion (which could easily be substituted with a harmonica). It recites a classic lovers' conflict, 'I'd rather be lonesome alone than lonesome with the one I love', but with a plea to reach out and communicate rather than call it quits - very memorable.

Cowboy Boot and The Fortune Teller are already receiving airplay on KKZX 98.9 FM in Spokane, but the hard-driving Big Guns, She Give Me Money or Spell on Me would probably be even better received on a mainstream classic rock station. Still, each and every track on The Fortune Teller (or any other of the Taildraggers' numerous recordings) would blow a hole in most other 'new classic rock' songs I've heard lately.

How many more awards does a band have to win to get international recognition for their talent? --D.M. Wells, Rockin' the Blues from Canada

Too Slim and the Taildraggers recently released their 14th album, Fortune Teller. Despite numerous best-of awards and hall of fame inductions from three Blues societies, this was my first encounter with them. There seems to be a lot of Internet chatter about these guys in the blues genre. Personally, I don't hear it on Fortune Teller. Fortune Teller is a straight forward rock and roll record that mingles seamlessly between southern, swamp rock, Americana, and even a slight calypso-ish sound in Mexico. In the CD booklet Too Slim says that the making of this CD was a very difficult process. You certainly can not tell that from listening to the album. Fortune Teller is a great 'sitting on the front porch with some friends drinking whiskey' album, and I say that having test driven it on just such an occasion. This CD will appeal to fans of Skynyrd, The Drive-By Truckers, and electric blues acts such as the North Mississippi All-stars. I really look forward to diving deeper into Too Slim's more bluesy back catalogue and you can look for them to be featured on Nine Bullets more in the future. A quick note about the title track, Fortune Teller. Apparently it is based on a true story about Too Slim having a strange encounter - with a real fortune teller named Yogi, in a town square in Oslo, Norway, who seemed to know too much of Too Slim's past and present for comfort. Turns out he was equally accurate in the future area as well. Says Tim Langford, 'it was quite unnerving. My conversations with Yogi led to some serious life changing decisions for me. I know it sounds like I am making this up, but I promise you, it really happened.' --Nine Bullets

Too Slim and the Taildraggers is a bomb-blastic trio from Seattle, Washington. With an international reputation, they are known to be among the best in the West and have been one of the Northwest United States hottest acts. With 13 previous album releases and innumerable road hours touring has come a mature confidence reflected in The Fortune Teller. As a well established guitar master and artist, Tim 'Too Slim' Langford has become a free man to record well crafted songs and expand his gifted songwriting abilities. Since there is nothing left to prove, his music doesn't have to fit into any box or category, and he has freely evolved and melded various styles into his own sound, creating his own genre: Too Slim and the Taildraggers music. Langford is a prolific composer of original material,with the 11 new songs on The Fortune Teller. A new Too Slim and the Taildraggers album is always a celebratory occasion. The Fortune Teller is a completely enjoyable CD. For some reason, when played in the car, especially, it makes my wife and I want to listen more closely. Like soul food, the songs stay with you long after the album is over. The album is a great package, too, with a separate lyrics booklet (thank you). The art was based on a quilt of original art by Seattle artist Darbury Stenderu. Band manager Nancy Langford did all the design and layout of the CD cover. The Fortune Teller was produced by Todd Smallwood who was once a member of Mick Fleetwood's band. Mick Fleetwood's drums were set up in Smallwood's living room and the band was allowed to use them to record the drum tracks. Too Slim also had free range of Smallwood's vintage guitar collection. Guest artists include Lauren Evans on harmony vocals, D. Cernile - guitars and percussion, Oleg Schramm - accordion and keyboards, Robert Greenidge - steel drums, and Amanda Tsubo - background vocals. The title track is based on a true story about Too Slim having a strange encounter with a real fortune teller named Yogi in a town square in Oslo, Norway (where he has developed a fanatic following). Says Too Slim, 'I love the Fortune Teller track myself. My conversation with Yogi led to some serious life changing decisions for me'. That opening guitar riff announces that long-time fans will not be disappointed; this is a guitar driven album. --James Walker - Blues Blowtorch Society

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars They Just Keep Getting Better, October 23, 2007

By 

Sea Viewer (Long Beach, Wa.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Fortune Teller (Audio CD)

I've had the pleasure of seeing these guys live on several occassions over the past decade. Tim and the crew put on a very good show. They are true musicians who really enjoy what they do. I bought this album from Tim himself at Jazz Bones in Tacoma last December. From the first cut to the last this disc is excellent.Buy it now...you won't be disapointed!

5.0 out of 5 stars Maybe Their Best., January 11, 2012

By 

Misterian (Sandy, OR) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Fortune Teller (Audio CD)

With albums like "Free Your Mind" and "The Fortune Teller," the transformation of Too Slim & The Taildraggers is complete. "Too Slim" Tim started out as a deep, dirty barroom blues kind of guy, but now he's penning straight-forward, upbeat rock and roll masterpieces. Just try the first two tracks, "The Fortune Teller" and "Cowboy Boot". These rank up there with all of the best classic rock radio hits that have gone out over the airwaves in the last few decades. Okay, so they're not a blues band any more. They're a damn good band, and that's all that matters. Get this album, and "Free Your Mind" too!

5.0 out of 5 stars What Reviewers are saying about "The Fortune Teller", April 4, 2009

By 

Nancy Langford - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Fortune Teller (MP3 Download)

BLUES REVUE ISSUE # 110, Feb/Mar 2008

TOO SLIM & THE TAILDRAGGERS

The Fortune Teller

Underworld 13

By Hal Horowitz

The pride of Spokane, Washington, checks in with yet another quality album - this makes 13 of them - that further begs the question of what it's going to take to get Tim "Too Slim" Langford and his Taildraggers some national respect. The trio, led by guitarist/singer/songwriter Slim, is received well in Europe, but their home country barely recognizes them. They're the kind of guys who open for a major headliner and leave audience members asking "Who were they? They rocked!"

If there's any justice, The Fortune Teller will put the Taildraggers on the map. From the sparse swamp-funk of "Baby Like To Ride" and "Ain't It Lonsome" to the familiar Chuck Berry/Stones/George Thorogood riffs of "She gives Me Money," and even some acoustic guitar and accordion on the lovely closing tune, "Lonesome Alone," Slim and his bandmates shift styles effortlessly while staying true to their blues-rock spirit. His guitar drives the tunes with fiery yet surprisingly subdued precision reminiscent of ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons.

Even with tight playing, any band worth their three sweaty sets a night needs quality tunes, and Slim has no problem providing this album's 11 original cuts. While nothing here reinvents the roots-rock wheel, each track has a catchy chorus you'll be singing along with after a single spin. Better yet, Slim's lyrics - all reproduced in the booklet - are sharp, funny, and much smarter than they need to be. The melancholy tale "Cowboy Boot" features a protagonist with no more money hidden in his footwear. The song's loping midtempo melody and killer riff connect with Slim's deep voice as he talk-sings his way through lines like, "Now I'm way past 30 and I'm gettin' tired/ I got nothin' to show for my ramblin' life/ But a bunch of gray hairs and an achin' liver/ And A million promises I couldn't deliver" If those lines hit close to home, it's because Slim sings with the "been there, done that" honesty of a blues journeyman who deserves a better hand in life than the one's he's been dealt.

ALL MUSIC GUIDE REVIEW

The Fortune Teller

By Hal Horowitz

Although generally lumped into the blues-rock arena, Tim "Too Slim" Langford and his band fall into whatever category a combination of Tom Petty, Creedence and ZZ Top would create. Perhaps swampy Americana is closer to the trio's sound, especially on this terrific album. Slim's been at it for quite a while; nearly two decades, yielding a dozen or so releases when this disc appeared in 2007. But that hard work has paid off, big time. Langford writes melodies and especially lyrics that show him to be an under the radar talent who has gone unnoticed for too long. Vocally his gruff voice is somewhat similar to Top's Billy Gibbons and this album is a good example of what that Texas band might have sounded like if they hadn't cheesed out with synths and dance pop in the '80s.

Its bluesy swagger on the simple but energetic T. Rex styled boogie of "She Gives Me Money" and the greasy sex of "Baby Likes to Ride" are remarkably effective due to Slim's suggestive vocals on the latter ("she don't like no automatic, gotta be a stick") combined with his slithery slide guitar and the band's in the pocket backing. Meanwhile, Slim's smooth yet edgy slide playing also kicks "Spell on Me" up a few notches. There seem to be a few subtle overdubs but most of the album connects with just the three piece working through arrangements that make the most of the trio's abilities.

At six minutes, "Givers and Takers" is the disc's longest cut and its most philosophical. Here Slim resigns himself to a world of "total disregard for other people's needs" played against a mid-tempo groove, aided by guest Oleg Schramm's dramatic organ fills, that heats up as the song winds on. He returns on the closing tune, this time playing a stark accordion that makes the already melancholy "Lonesome Alone" even more heartfelt and moving.

While there is plenty of boogie, Slim's evocative words and distinctive growling vocals bring surprising introspective depth to music that could easily deteriorate to bar band grind status. This album is several levels above that. Even with all the miles already on Slim's life odometer, there is plenty of gas left in his tank. His journeyman experience makes these songs resonate more passionately than what's on the surface and connect on a deeper level.

~ Hal Horowitz, All Music Guide