Customer Reviews

Hard Believer

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

A change in record labels has certainly not done much to change the Tommy Castro band. Not a bad thing mind you. Coming on the heels of the excellent 2007 Painkiller, this disc does a terrific job of capturing the band's energetic live sound. A phenomenal cover of Allen Toussaint's "Victims of the Darkness" is the highlight of arguably the bands best disc in years. The not so hidden treasure is the incomparable sax man Keith Crossen, who's work is brilliant throughout. Castro's lead guitar work is tight and economical, no wasted notes here. At times John Porter's production smooths out the rough edges of this potent brew of soul infused blues, but be it the slow shuffle of the title track or the funky reading of Dylan's "Gotta Serve Somebody", the band is in top form from beginning to end. The BB King entertainers of the year for 2008 have put the party on cd. Let the fun begin.

Tommy Castro delivers a great combination of originals and uniquely arranged covers on "Hard Believer". If you like the blues or soul or R&B or rock&roll, you will like this CD. Tommy's guitar riffs, his soulful vocals, and the horn arrangements come together beautifully to provide a number of tracks that you will want to listen to over and over. Tommy has risen to the occassion to pen some really good songs for this CD with "Definition of Insanity","Monkey's Paradise", and "Trimmin' Fat" standouts in my mind. Throw in a rocking blue eyed cover of a Wilson Pickett classic, a moving version of an Allen Toussaint number, and a fresh approach to Dylan's "Gotta Serve Somebody" and you've got a CD that covers all the bases. Best of all, I am so glad Tommy put "It Is What It Is" on this CD. What a fitting tribute to the late guitar legend and inspiration to many, Stephen Bruton.

You don't want to rip one or two songs, you want to listen to all of it. One of Tommy's best yet.

Tommy Castro vocally ABSOLUTELY CHANNELS the late Wilson Pickett on "Ninety-Nine-and-a-Half". I'm writing this review on 8/22/09....next Fri (8/28) he's appearing at a club here (Albuquerque) and WE WILL "get up and boogie" when he plays "Make It Back To Memphis". Haven't been to ANY concert/show in YEARS, but the moment I heard he's coming I said "I'm there!"

This award winning album has been living in my car CD player since I bought it. After listening to it all the way through several times, I more fully appreciate the mix of songs, the arrangements of each and the flow of one track to the next. Although I have seen the Tommy Castro Band live several times in the past year, I am now looking forward to the next opportunity even more. In fact, I'll have a chance to see them in just a couple of days and can't wait to tell the band how much I enjoy the CD.

Not hard to believe..."Hard Believer" is good beginning to end. Tommy Castro Band gets a HUGE sound out of 6 musicians.

If you like blues, with bluesy horns, a bluesy organ, mean guitar and a lead voice that draws you into the mood, Tommy Castro's band is a great choice. I really enjoy this disc but make no mistake, its blues. If its rock you're after look to one of Tommy's other offerings.

was here in a matter of a couple of days! thanks for the good service! id recomend!

With Castro's most recent release he has made the move to the Alligator label, but what he delivers is exactly what his fans have come to expect. Soul driven blues with a sometimes hard rocking edge. The album is a mix of covers and originals that does not break any new ground, but should be more than satisfying to fans of the blues man from San Francisco. The covers are all good especially Tommy's take on Bob Dylan's "Gotta Serve Somebody", The Righteous Brothers "My Babe", and Allan Toussaint's "Victims Of The Darkness". Of the originals the rocking "Make It Back To Memphis" and the humorous "Trimming Fat" are both highlights. The album closes with an almost Jimmy Buffett like number "The Trouble With Soul" which is a nice departure from Castro's usual sound. Castro's guitar work is pristine throughout, although he really never stretches his solos out very much. As always his band is tight and solid as well. Overall this is another very nice Tommy Castro album that should make his fans happy.

One of the better albums I've heard in a log time. Great mix of blues, blues rock, rhythm and blues with a lot of soul. Not a bad song on the album, This has made me an instant convert. Tommy has chops to burn, a killer guitar tone, great feel, and an emphasis on excellent songwriting. Criminally overlooked album in my opinion, better then any my usual artists put out and possibly the best I've heard all year (although for other fellow guitarists, hard to beat Jimmy Herring Lifeboat). I'll be buying more of this guy's stuff, absolutely. High points on the album: Trouble With Soul, If I Make It Back to Memphis, and Trimmin' Fat. Excellent.