Hard Believer

Tommy Castro | Format: MP3 Download

Product Details

• Original Release Date: August 11, 2009
• Label: Alligator Records
• Copyright: 2009 Alligator Records & Artist Management, Inc.
• Total Length: 49:49
• Genres:
• ASIN: B002JIK5A6
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #51,664 Paid in MP3 Albums (See Top 100 Paid in MP3 Albums)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars He is what he is.........Baby, August 11, 2009

By 

dickydo "Richie D" (Warwick, RI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hard Believer (Audio CD)

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.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hard Believer Delivers Over and Over, September 16, 2009

By 

Robert Weaver Jr. (South Florida) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hard Believer (Audio CD)

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.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You can't just rip one or two/, September 11, 2009

By 

D. Young - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hard Believer (Audio CD)

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