Colin Linden
RAISED BY WOLVES
Compass 4284
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As startling and eye grabbing as the cover art is, it does not hold a candle to the aural pleasure and surprises that are contained on the disk. Now if you don't like your raw blues mixed with gospel, Rock-a-billy, and New Orleans rhythms this may not be your cup of tea unless you just flat love good and innovative music. If you take Howlin' Wolf (Linden's friend and hero) mix him with the slide guitar work of Ry Cooder ( this isn't the raw Elmore James style), throw in some early Band and just for good measure some Gospel Harmonies in the style of Sam Cooke and the Soul Stirrers, you are beginning to get an idea of the richness of the sound here. Fertile and full is the sound ( and the quality of the sound) combined with a wide variety of musical styles, these combine to make for an disc that never gets dull or 'same' sounding. There is a real appreciation and love for the experience of this music that is displayed and comes through on this disc. This is a disc that was made to express the appreciation Colin Linden, and he has assembled, feel for this music. From the deep swampy sound of LOVE EVERYONE to the funk sound that crosses Memphis/Muscle Shoals and New Orleans of, TWISTER, to the gospel tinge on RIDE WITH ME, on through all the others I am not mentioning due to lack of space, this disc bubbles and percolates with a solid in your face attitude towards the music. John Whynot sitting in the producer's chair probably lends big support to Linden's relaxed style and manner. This is that rare capture on disc of a band just after its final sound check with all the technical things tweaked and twisted, bubbling with straight ahead brashness, that is just cutting loose to get it out and play it to the hilt because no one is listening so damn it all and lets just play. All I can say is either of Linden's two Compass discs (THROUGH THE STORM, THROUGH THE NIGHT), are absolute stunners get them!
Produced by Colin Linden and John Whynot
Songs and writers(times not given) - all songs by Colin Linden except where noted
1 TOO LATE TO HOLLER
2 LOVE'S LIKE RAIN - Colin Linden and Jim Weider
3 ANYTHING, ANYTIME, ANYWHERE - Bruce Cockburn
4 RAGING RIVER - Colin Linden and Colin James
(5 EASY RIDER)
6 HE WASN'T FOOLING
7 BEFORE THE BLUES
8 LOVE EVERYONE - Tom Wilson, Colin Cripps, and Colin Linden
9 GEORGE CHUVALO
10 HOLY FIRE
11 TEN YEARS
12 RIDE WITH ME
13 TWISTER
14 DO REMEMBER ME
Musicians
Colin Linden - guitars, vocal
Gary Craig - drums, percussion
John Dymond - bass, backup vocals
Richard Bell - piano, organ
with
Rodrick Paulin - tenor saxophone
Alonzo Bowens - tenor and baritone saxophone
Jamil Shariff - trumpet
John Touse - trombone
Scott Paulin - trombone (13, 10, 11)
Bruce Cockburn - harmony vocals (2, 12)
Colin James - harmony vocals (3, 2)
Janice Powers - harmony vocals (1)
Tom Wilson - harmony vocals (6, 8)
Stephen Fearing - harmony vocals (7, 10)
Colin Cripps - harmony vocals (8, 10)
John Whynot - electric guitar (10), acoustic guitar (7), percussion (8, 4,12)