Customer Reviews

Homewreckin' Done Live

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

 

 

I've revisted Homewreckin' Done Live many times since I picked it up late last year. His last album, _Neckbones and Caviar_, was enough for me to want more Mel. Homewreckers are one tight band. If you like covers done well, this album has 'em. Mel says he "never plays the same thing twice". He has the musical mind and talent to make other's songs his own. Songs like M. Jackson's _Billie Jean_, Cream's _Spoonful_, and Hendrix's _Hey Joe_ take you on a roller-coaster ride. I put this on at a party here last night, and guests were at first mesmerized, then became dancing fools. Mel doesn't waste a note on his big blues axe. For an album produced in a smokey Canadian nightclub, the production is excellent. Wish he was still doing that gig, as I'd drive many miles to see him play. At least, I hope there's more in the vault like this one.

Some of the most inspired Blues and Soul I have ever heard! Mel Brown needs to be known more by the fans (true insiders and other artists know who he is for sure though! Ask Joe Louis Walker!). He can sing the sweetest soul inspired lyric one minute and play fiery riffs at the same time then change the groove the next minute as he whispers delicately into the mike and into your soul and lets his fingers glide to some smooth Jazz tinged notes that crawl up your skin ever so slowly and deeply! His version of "Hey Joe" takes this song where it has never been taken before into uncharted territory (Reggae and Jazz blend!) with a band so tight (John Lee, playing deep keyboard Soul, Al Richardson on funky, sweaty, thumpin' thrue your veins bass, Jim Boudreau brewing a hoodoo, danceable, freaky, smooth, soulful drum beats that get your hips, legs and butt shakin' like never before!) the whole bewitchin' brew sizzles over and over into your Soul! Play him over and over and over at The Crazy Coyote Blues and Jazz Power Show 1490 KOTY in southcentral Wa. state.

Although I have read some sentence about this HOMEWRECKIN' DONE LIVE record just as -is ordinary at best; for a normally well-regarded artist, a low spot- I believe that is unjust, while it is not a five stars record, but it is a good authentic CHICAGO BLUES record with some touches of Soul as M.Jackson's "Billie Jean" theme (that by the way I don't like it) and also Jazz, Reggae, R&B reminiscences. Brown is very good guitarist with 67 years old is considered as one of the last great blues guitar players of his generation or like the great Joe Louis Walker says, Brown is probably one of the greatest guitar players in any style, but let's go to comment on the songs of the record. It's a record full of well done covers recorded in live at Wally' s Pub, Ontario with deep, relaxed and very long themes as the good classic Chicago Blues B. B. King' s "Wake up this morning", the phenomenal Elmore James' s "The sky is crying", the classical Muddy Water' s "I'm your hoochie coochie man" a very good interpretation, the typical Albert King's "I'll play the blues for you" with some touch of Soul and good piano work, another magnificent interpretation, especially in piano and guitar with the fast Blues "Honeybee", the always classical Willie Dixon's Spoonful", the well-remembered song Billy Robert's "Hey Joe" which Jimi Hendrix elevated to heaven and here the friend MEL carries out a great Blues interpretation with Reggae rhythm reminiscences and a little Jazz flavour although if you want to hear versions I recommend to listen also apart from Hendrix's cover the David Kearney's cover, David musically well-known as Guitar Shorty who is Hendrix's brother-in-law, or the one that carried out the called "best unknown guitarist in the world" the magnificent Roy Buchanan in his superb "That's what I am here for" record. In short a good register with stellar moments, I give it 3,5 stars.