Customer Reviews

Speak No Evil

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

 

 

For someone who's been recording since the early 80's, amazingly Tinsley Ellis is somehow overlooked on the contemporary electric blues scene. From the wah wah pedal and hammond B-3 on the opening cut "Sunlight Of Love", this music grabs hold without letting up. Once considered an average vocalist, Ellis has a developed into a nuanced and distinctive singer. His songwriting stays clear of the tried and true blues cliches. It's intelligent electric blues, sure it veers towards southern rock and r&b but it's done without the usual bombast of some artists today who mistake technical proficiency for emotional depth. "Loving For Today", a slow burner is an excellent example of a soulful vocal performance, all substance, little flash. Expert songwriting, perfect complimentary backing and yet another fine recording in the Tinsley Ellis catalog.

I had not heard of or listened to Tinsley Ellis before purchasing this disc, but I could not have been more pleasantly surprised with my purchase. Ellis steps up with a very traditional approach to hard edged guitar blues including straight ahead arrangements and excellent picking every step of the way. The production and sound reminds me of Robin Trower of Procol Harem fame and his independent music from the 70's and 80's. The only drawback that keeps my review from 5 stars is the choice of lyrics. I know, lyrics are not supposed to be deep in the blues, but in this case, they just seemed like an afterthought that proved more distracting than appealing. Overall however, I can enthusiastically recommend Tinsley Ellis to anyone yearning for more of that classic blues/rock approach that seems to be harder to find in today's slick over-produced music scene. Strongly recommended.

While I have not seen Tinsley Ellis in person since the mid-1990s, I have continued to follow his work and this album is one of his best in the last decade. In particular, "grow a pair" is solid song. "Amanda" is another winner; a full sound mixed well. In short, if you want a great example of contemporary electric blues you can't do much better than this album.

With his Hendrix inflected blues based style and rock based sensibilities Ellis is a guitarist who deserves to be more widely known. Thats 4 sure!

This strong recording from Tinsley Ellis exemplifies the best in guitar driven blues rock. Ellis shows off his mindblowing chops in what is arguably his most rockin' effort to date. Cool vocals and excellent backup work from his formidable sidemen make SEE NO EVIL a must. "Slip And Fall" is one catchy tune too!

I have one of Tinsley's CD from 1992 which is OK. But this one is unbelievably great. If you love blues, this is the best $5 investment you will make this year. This guy has developed into a great blues guitarist/singer.

Speak no Evil is the second CD I have in my collection by Tinsley Ellis with great blues rock guitar vocals band & catchy tracks so if the other CD's hes realeased are as good as Speak no Evil and Moment of Truth definitely will continue listening to his music ... Recommended .

Tinsley' last two albums are both classics. I never much cared for him before but his recent efforts have improved songs, vocals and a lot more grit. He is an exceptional player without all the unnecessary flash of Walter Trout or Joe Bonnamassa.His songs hit hard but they groove as well. Any fan of blues rock will like this. A must have.

If you like the blues .. BUY IT...if you like the Tinsley Ellis you must have this as well as all his other cd's... the guy is killer....