Customer Reviews

Ledbetter Heights

5 star:		(42)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Ledbetter Heights is a very strong debut album from Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Shepherd's guitar style is very reminiscent of the late, great Stevie Ray Vaughan. Most of the material here is very strong. The opening tracks "Born With A Broken Heart" and "Deja Voodoo" received extensive airplay on AOR radio and are both excellent tracks featuring Shepherd's outstanding playing. Other strong tracks include the slow blues of "Shame, Shame, Shame", the soulful "Riverside", and the driving "Aberdeen." His version of Howlin' Wolf's "I'm Leaving You (Commit A Crime)" is also an excellent track. However, the best example of Shepherd's playing may be on the slow live track "While We Cry" and the killer ending title track which sounds like it would fit in nicely on Vaughan's Texas Flood album. Other tracks such as "Everybody Gets The Blues" and "What's Goin' Down" are decent, but not as strong as the rest of the album. A great debut, highly recommended to fans of blues guitarists such as SRV as well as the new breed of blues players like Jonny Lang.

Although I think KWS's "Live On" CD is his most original release yet, in some ways this one is even better. In my opinion, Corey Sterling is a more natural singer, less forced or put-on than his replacement, Noah Hunt. And this one features some great keyboard work by Jimmy Wallace, who isn't even on the "Live On" release. The first half of the CD is incredible, with several songs ("Deja Voodoo", "Born with a Broken Heart", "One Foot on the Path", "Everybody Gets the Blues", & the soaring instrumental "While We Cry") rating as good as anything Shepherd's recorded so far. Also, the songwriting is actually better here than on the two follow-up releases. A couple of weak tracks, ("Aberdeen" & "Riverside") keep this one from rating 5-stars.

Kenny Wayne shepherd burst onto the scene as a young major league guitar slinger. A couple of releases later and he seems to have disappeared.Kenny Wayne earned and deserved all the accolades given him.Ledbetter Heights was and is still an excellent CD. Mostly originals with a few covers thrown in, Ledbetter Heights is his most bluesy effort.He has a solid and talented band.I have no preferance between Corey or Noah on vocals , both are strong singers.
Shame,Shame,Shame is my favorite cut, a great blues jam.Kenny has a great extended solo that hints at Stevie Ray. Born Under a Bad Sign, Deja Voodoo and Aberdeen all enjoyed radio airplay and are fine blues\rock songs.Aberdeen is a Bukka White song, it starts with acoustic sound with some slide guitar and then the band kicks in, theres plenty of slide guitar fills its a cool song.While We Cry sounds toooo much like The Allmans song Soul Shine, but it is a good showcase for Kennys deft and subtle touch. I'm Leaving You is a Howlin Wolf song played ala SRV. Let Me Up is a true blue Texas shuffle, short but sweet.Riverside sounds like a haunted night on the bayou ,very eerie.The last two tracks sound like filler material to me, not bad ,but not up to the standards set by the rest of Ledbetter Heights
My hope is that Kenny will put out a CD that will pay tribute to all the blues legends he mentions in the liner notes. Ledbetter Heights gave me a taste as to how good he can be.One day he will be mentioned in the same breathe as these greats but he will need to release more great Cds like Ledbetter Heights.

I decided to hear this album after seeing it on my recomendations for a couple months. It is so good! The best track is "While We Cry". I didn't know so much emotion could be put into a guitar solo, its amazing. Other stand-out tracks are "Born With a Broken Heart", "Aberdeen" and the instrumental "Ledbetter Heights". This CD is put in the category of "Blues" and it is mainly blues. But I hear sort of a blues-rock-country sound, but maybe I just don't know what I'm talking about. Whatever it is, it sounds great! Kenny Wayne Sheppard is an excellent guitarist! This album rocks, now I need to hear "Live On" and "Trouble Is"!

Kenny Wayne Shepherd came on the blues scence with his first debut album Ledbetter Heights proving us all he's the next best young blues guitarist. Ledbetter Heights is filled with blues on songs like Deja Voodoo, and Shame, Shame, Shame. Their is also some slide guitar on Aberdeen. He does Stevie Ray Vaughan's cover on here also titled Im Leaving You (Commit A Crime). Ledbetter Heights is better than Trouble Is...the guitar playing is better I personally think. Kenny Wayne also does a slow song live titled While We Cry its alot like Lenny or Little Wing still has power. Ledbetter Heights is one of the best blues albums for any guitarist Highly Recomened!

At the young age of 7, Kenny Wayne Shepherd met a man that would forever change his life. Stevie Ray Vaughan, one of the most influential blues masters picked up young Shepherd and placed him on his amplifier where he watched an entire show unfold. Something was passed through Vaughan to Shepherd that day, and it is very apparent in Shepherds first album, Ledbetter Heights.

Almost 9 years later, a 16 year-old Shepherd emulates his idol Vaughan in ways that even fool me. I find myself truly wodering if Shepherd himself may be Vaughans spirit on songs like "Shame, Shame, Shame". But do not be mistaken, this is not a copycat album. New territories are explored and mastered making this one of the best blues albums from the 90's. "Aberdeen" is a gripping slide-guitar jam that smokes. "While We Cry" is one of the most amazing blues instumentals since Vaughans rendition of "Little Wing". I would highly reccomend this to anyone familiar with SRV. I strongly believe something inside Shepherd was touched by Vaughan, and rightly so. If Vaughan was the king of blues, then Shepherd rules the kingdom now as his heir.

This is K.W.S's 1st release and the S.R.V influence is readily noticeable. Kennys' riffing combined with Corys' vocals are almost luminous The band is tight(though tentetive)and the song writing wonderfully charasmatic, As a blues afficiando I would whole heartedly recommend this compilation to the new listener as well as any other TRUE BLUES (all styles) fan! Too bad these artists don't receive the accolades that are so readily bestowed upon their TOP 40 pop cousins. Kennys' 2nd disc is great also.

This is an update for a mistake of my previous writing on this cd. I didn't look at the dates on the cd's. Trouble is and then Live On are both 5 star cd's with the new lead singer. the lead singer Corey Sterling will continue being super with another band.Noah Hurt sings with kenny's each note.My apology for first review.I still give this cd 4 stars if not 4.5. Blues is like being Black or White or Red or Yellow or green or blue you are what you are.And this cd is the Blues with great people like Jesse Thomas and James Brown helping and memories of SRV.Get all 3 KWSB CD's you want regret it if you like Blues.

This CD is absolutely the closest to my heart. If you are a blues lover, this CD will rock you world. "While We Cry" is a masterpiece that will leave you in tears but never leave your soul.

But beware new Kenny fans...Noah Hunt is NOT the singer on this album, however, Freight and Jimmy are still in the band.

If you are thinking of getting this CD expecting Blue on Black you will be dissapointed - this is a true blues album.

For a blues neophtye, I found this CD to be just what needed to be heard now that SRV is gone. The first track just snaps right out and energy is top level all the way through to Ledbetter Heights. This CD is a must for anyone looking for more sounds of blues like Stevie Ray Vaughn.