Customer Reviews

Live One

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

 

 

Great outrageous slide blues from the Australian slide guitarist Dave Hole ! A must have album for every discoteque !

If you're not familiar with Dave Hole, this is a good intro to his work, with many of his signature songs. I tend to favor studio versions over live albums (eg, Up All Night Thinking on Working Overtime), but this album has a lot of energy. Like Sonny Landreth, his awesome slide work is somewhat offset by weaker vocals, which is why I withhold one star. If you like this album, I can also highly recommend Landreth's live album Grant Street.

Finally, the live one has hit the racks. As one of the most prolific bluesmen in Australia, Dave Hole has gained a large following with his unique method of playing slide guitar "upside down". Hole effortlessly punches through the 12-bar progression, flying over his fretboard like a hummingbird on amphetamines. The album was recorded over three separate dates in 2002: July 26 at House of Blues Chicago, July 27 at Chord on Blues in St. Charles, and December 17 at The Charles Hotel in Perth, Australia. The transitions from key to key and erratic volume changes provide an accurate glimpse of the onstage furor that Dave Hole Projects through his guitar. The album includes technically perfect covers of Purple Haze by Jimi Hendrix, and Bullfrog Blues by Canned Heat. His band consists of Roy Daniel on Bass, J Mattes & Ric Eastman on Drums, and Bob Patient on Keyboards. Brett Lemke

Reckless, gritty, unforgettable.Dave Hole, Australian for Blues.

Very few albums exceed my expectations. live one by dave hole is one of the best guitar blues albums i have ever laid my ears on. his blues slide guitar style is very unique and absalutly fantastic. A must have for any blues guitar fan.

So, I rounded it up to four. Hole is a great slide player, and this allows us to hear him in the live element. After a while, the songs start to soungd the same to me.

This guy is a great slide player, he has his own style of playing, and excellent tone. I can't say he sounds like this guy or that guy. Any slide guitar fan should buy this CD, you will not be disappointed.

I got a copy of this from a friend, and had never heard of the guy before, but I'm sure glad I did. A pure explosion of slide guitar brilliance. His singing is great too, and sounds more than a little like Danny Joe Brown of Molly Hatchet, but it seems to me his mic wasn't turned up quite loud enough at this performance, and that's basically the only reason I give this less than 5 stars. other than that, this is simply brilliant. His guitar work puts him up with Duane Allman, Sonny Landreth (OK, so Dave and Sonny sound nothing alike.... you get my point), Johnny Winter, and even the King of the Slide Guitar, Elmore James. Dave Hole kinda makes me think of a cross between Jimi Hendrix and Elmore James. An excellent addition to ANY collection, be it blues or rock, especially if you are (like me) a slide guitar player!!

I have all 7 of Dave Hole's CD's and this is light years ahead, start to finish, of any of his others! This CD, has many long, live performances! (Remember what the blues master Shaq always says: "You can't get the blues in 2-3 minutes!) Dave makes so many different sounds with his guitar, a grown man, has to giggle! That's right, the blues master Shaq said giggle! This CD covers everything from blues ballads, to an indescribable cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Purple Haze". Dave rocks, you, screeches, ya, blues, ya. All on one long, live CD, buy it now!

Dave Hole
"The Live One"
Alligator Records ALCD 4890

Australia's Dave Hole fell in love with music as a youngster and spent his teenage years learning how to play the blues. Now, after 6 wild studio releases, he unleashes his outrageousness as recorded live in Chicago and Perth. The searing disc was produced by Hole and Bruce Iglauer. Together, they have captured more intensity and authentic artistry than the studio discs. As expected, there are plenty of guitar jams on the CD's eleven mighty blues-rock tunes. More than half are originals and last longer than six minutes in length. With a softened roadhouse voice, Hole handles all the vocals, but the lyrics are not significant. This is a guitarist's album. At 73 wailing minutes, it's an exhausting set for both Dave's fretboard and your speakers. Hole is definitely on the rock side of the blues spectrum with his songs about women, engines, tempers and the psychedelic. He slings notes that sound like they came from a laser gun and feel like they would slice you in two. When he isn't firing lasers, he is playing so hot and sweaty that the paint will be stripped from your walls.

With quick, smooth song segues, there is no time to catch your breathe, return your heartbeat to its normal pace, or lose any excitement. On the highly igniting "Short Fuse Blues", Hole plays the slide as sweet and aching as it can get. Then he lets rip -- depicting images of live wires crackling and popping. Here, the rhythm section (Roy Daniel bass, J Mattes/Ric Eastman drums) supports with a foundation that trembles. "Every Girl I See' is driving and pumping with excellent fills from Bob Patient's keys. On it, Hole solos wickedly accompanied only by the drums. Words cannot describe this experience. The guitar is made to weep before exploding into sheer confidence on "Up All Night Thinking". "Berwick Road" is a pondering instrumental that incites one to pursue live long dreams. It is a slow and incredibly passionate tune that would be widely accepted in many genres. He tells the tale of a 1958 Southside adventure while injecting plenty of Elmore James riffs on "Take Me To Chicago". Patient finally is given the nod to take a solo and it is savage. The screeching 4 minute guitar solo introduction to "Bullfrog Blues" would have been better left on the stage or at Ozzfest. However, the remainder could be the best song on the CD. It is full of energy, power and surprise.

Sure, at times there is more feedback than Ted Nugent, Eddie Van Halen guitar playing, and a tribute to Hendrix. However, Dave Hole is a modern day rock and roll slide guitar master. In years to come, he will be on the same pedestal as Duane Allman and Johnny Winter. However, why wait when you can enjoy it now? This Aussie is a hole-y terror. We've got ourselves a real live one here!

-- Tim Holek