Customer Reviews

Renegade Gentleman

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Since he left the Crusuders in 1977, Larry Carlton has recorded about a dozen fusion records which have increasingly become less rock-oriented and more of the generic-sounding soft music you hear on "smooth jazz" radio stations. This is unfortunate, because anyone who has heard Steely Dan's song "Kid Charlamane" just once knows that LC is a damned good blues-based rock guitarist at heart.

A few years ago Carlton enlisted lesser-known blues harmonicist Terry McMillan and recorded some songs that bring back this side of Larry, and it is a real treat to hear him in this format.

For this record, Carlton chucks the too-perfect pristine guitar playing in favor of some good 'n' dirty blues-rock licks that reminds us that he can spit and chew with Clapton as well as he can with Atkins. In McMillan he has found a soulmate for this project, a powerful harmonica player who is somewhat reminiscent of Little Walter and who holds his own against LC's super-charged guitar. I sure wish he had sang on more songs, because he did some pretty good blues wailing on "Cold Day in Hell", my favorite track on the record. But almost every other song is good, too. Larry himself sings on a couple of tracks, but he was never much of a singer. "Farm Jazz" is a high-powered and superior version of the song he orginally released on "Kid Gloves". Other songs range from Allman Brothers to Robben Ford.

Carlton breaks no new ground on the record, but it is his most fun and enjoyable record in many years. He should do more of these. Welcome back home, Larry.

On Renegade Gentleman, Larry Carlton joins with Terry McMillan for a Southern Rock affair with excellent blues overtones. Anyone familiar with Carlton knows that he is ever changing and always growing as a guitarist. Whether it's an acoustic outing such as "Alone But Never Alone" or "Minute by Minute", electric pop such as "Kid Gloves" or in combination with other greats such as Steve Lukather, you usually get something a little different and more refined with each release. This time out, Carlton has joined with Terry McMillian and has gone in yet another direction. McMillian is a blues harpist that has played with Neil Young, Ray Charles and Jerry Lee Lewis to name but a few. His style is reminiscent of Little Walter or John Mayall and he blows with authority. To ensure the proper blues flavor, Double Trouble's Chris Layton appears on drums for five of the discs eleven numbers. All original compositions and the combination here is potent and extremely satisfying.

Untill now I had only heard the smooth jazz version of LARRY CARLTON and it always left me a bit cold. Yes he is a brilliant technician, but his material often lacked fire and soul. No such reservations here. THIS SIZZLES!!!.
Unexpected fire and passion plus his incredible technique, make this a stand out CD in any genre. While not being pure blues, it borrows some of the emotions from the BLUES and the musik of CARLTON is the better for it.
If you like the guitar or LARRY CARLTON specificaly, this should be in your collection.

When I first heard the song "Cold Day in Hell," with Larry Carlton's powerfully soulful vocals and Terry McMillan's bone-crushing amplified harmonica, I knew I had to buy this CD! I'm glad I did. It's a great blend of blues and rock, and this is the first I've heard of harmonica player Terry McMillan. The guy's got serious harp chops! Consider me a new fan of both these great musicians.

Gave this cd 4 stars only because I don't like All the songs. I am a guitarist and I love Carltons phrasing and creativity. If you are used to Carltons "Sweet" stuff, this will definitely be a departure for you. Don't let that stop you from buying the CD however, as this is the other side of Larry Carlton one that you may remember from the days of the Crusaders!!! I listen to this Cd at least 2-3 times a week I like it that much. Larrys collaboration with with Terry McMillan is a perfect match on those bluesy cuts. And of course anything Rosen and Grusin produce is usually gold. Enjoy

I originally found this CD in the blues section at the local library and considered it worth buying. Not being a Jazz fan, I had never heard of Larry Carlton who shows his guitar ability on this rock, rock/blues and Jazz album. Terry McMillan contributes some great harmonica. The best tracks are the up-tempo rock tracks and the few blues tracks featured. The lack of vocals on most tracks is a minus. Crazy Mama is by far the best offering.

This album is a southern fried/blues recording, which features tasteful guitar from Larry and jamming harmonica and vocals from Terry McMillian. It is not jazz oriented like Larry's other albums are, but more straight up rock and blues. I'm a Carlton fan and love his records, but this timeless classic is awesome (clean too!).

Larry proves to the world he can do it all. This CD shows a different side of Larry from blues to southern flavored rock it's all here.

As a harmonica player and Terry McMillan fan I bought this CD to hear Terry in a different setting than I'm used to. He was, until his death in 2/07 at the age of 53, THE Nashville session harp player (he was also a percussionist and wonderful singer). He was also big on the Christian music circuit. Check out his videos on YouTube. He's incredible. His own Christian-based CDs are excellent. On this Larry Carlton CD Terry fits in well with the various blues/rock/jazzy grooves that Larry Carlton lays down. If you like Southern rock and roll you'll probably like this record and if you like jazz rock you will like it as well. Larry Carlton can definitely rock out. Fans of Terry McMillan might wish that he sang more and was turned up a bit more in the mix on the bluesier tunes. Blues harmonica players that don't know about Terry- check him out! Terry McMillan- God bless your soul.

This is just a fun album, a long time coming for Carlton. Being a big fan of Sapphire Blue and his live work, I was happy to find that Renegade Gentleman really lets loose that live feel some of his gentler releases repress. "Sleep Medicine" and "Anthem" best showcase Carlton's technical ability while remaining musically interesting, but "Farm Jazz" is the the album's best track - it's a thoroughly upbeat and melodic piece that displays, within a tuneful boundary, Carlton's and McMillan's talent. "R.C.M." has a killer groove and lead melody, but, like a few of the tracks, it might lose listeners who are more interested in pop-structure than technique. That's what's interesting about Renegade Gentleman - its a southern-blues jam that is self-conscious; it's aware that it's a really a jazz session guitarist's experiment. This is part of the reason I enjoy this work - the phrasing and production are top-notch but the thematic effect is a bit "dirty". Of course, this may also be a reason why "true" blues fans may find it a little unsatisfying (though McMillan's presence should rectify this). My only big problem - the vocal tracks are awful.