Review

Rev Ferriday & The Long Dogs: “Nine Beats” (Ferriday Recordings)

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the union of this man and this band with this new album, filled with the holy trinity of rhythm and blues (see what I did there?) This is the gospel according to the Rev Ferriday and his blues disciples!

If you like Seasick Steve and that stripped down, raw, live sounding boogie blues, you’ll like this one. Musically it is superb. The vocal takes a few tracks to bed in, and is perhaps a tad below the standard of the music, but to be fair; on subsequent listens the vocals have grown on me and whatever I say here; it works on this material. Dylan as a singer ain't exactly Pavarotti, is he? Overall it is a pretty pleasing release.

Rev Ferriday’s musical journey began in the late '80s when he formed Loop with Robert Hampson, an indie rock band who had critical success with their debut album, “Heaven’s End” including a top spot in the NME charts and sessions on the late John Peel’s national radio show. Ferriday then joined country rock band Sintra in the '90s, touring with bigger names, until he joined National Debt with Michael Messer and Owen Bray.

Last year the good Reverend dropped his debut solo album, J.F.D. - which mashed together country blues and rock and roll flavours. In a kind of Seasick meets Cash meets The Stray Cats.
Glen Ferriday plays slide guitar, drums and sings lead vocals on this album. Owen Bray also gets a go on guitars and harmonica, while Neil Sadler provides bass and some drums. A tight little unit and lots of chemistry here. The album was recorded in the summer of this year in Wokingham, and a fine job on production by the Rev and Mr Sadler. No fuss, no frills, pretty sparse and letting the songs – all nine penned by Ferriday - and the performances speak for themselves.

It has a lo-fi, down 'n' dirty core and has been said to be “somewhere between Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds and Johnny Cash.” I’d say; if you think Seasick Steve and the kind of sounds eminating from many Texas roadhouse juke joints, you’d not be far off as to what this is all about. Some infectious riffs cropping up and in the main, it's uptempo, groove-laden stuff. It certainly doesn't sound like a typical British blues album. The Rev is one mean slide player (and by that, I don't mean he hides when it is his round either!)

Here endeth today’s lesson…….

 
Words SIMON REDLEY