I believe that certain portions of children’s musical tastes and
influences are shaped by their parents. I still remember going to
A&P with my mom when I was about four, and she bought the
Funk & Wagnalls Family Library Of Great Music over the
course of 22 weeks. To this day, I still love classical music, even
though I don’t listen to it as much as I’d like to. In turn, I’m
willing to bet my daughter will probably have an affinity for hard
rock, blues and jazz when she grows up.
Derek Trucks grew up in a musical environment (his father,
Butch, is a member of The Allman Brothers Band). So it shouldn’t be
surprising that Trucks now is creating music that has its roots in
both the blues and in Southern rock. The latest album from The
Butch Trucks Band,
Out Of The Madness, is both a good contemporary blues album
and an almost carbon copy of the Allman Brothers Band.
Trucks’s guitar work is good, though I have to admit I’m not the
biggest afficianado of slide guitar – especially when it’s used
through a good portion of the album. The core of the group –
keyboardist Bill McKay, bassist Todd Smallie and drummer Yonrico
Scott – all combine to form a solid rhythm section that is as tight
as one could want.
To augment the lineup, Trucks brings in a series of vocalists –
including bluesman Larry McCray (“Ain’t That Lovin’ You”) and
former Allmans member Warren Haynes. The end result is a more
enriched sound, although I would have preferred hearing just one
vocalist throughout the album, no knock meant against any of the
three singers.
Each particular vocalist brings their own kind of grit to the
tracks. Whether it’s McCray taking his turn, Matt Tutor putting the
touches on “Preachin’ Blues” (one of two Son House tracks on this
album) or Haynes adding almost a whiskey-soaked quality to classics
from Sonny Boy Williamson, House and Howlin’ Wolf, the band answers
with a solid backbone in the performance.
And the lessons of the Allmans have been learned, as the Derek
Trucks Band proves to be as powerful of a jam band (if not
overzealous, as the longest of the instrumentals is almost nine
minutes); tracks like “Younk Funk” and “Kicmin’ Back” attest to
this.
The only drawback (if one could call it that) is that it takes a
few listens to really warm up to this album. By the third spin, I
had found a lot to appreciate about Trucks and his band. But for a
disc clocking in at just over an hour, that’s a lot of time to have
to put aside to truly enjoy this one.
Still, if you enjoy traditional blues as well as a bit of
Southern rock thrown into the mix for texture, then
Out Of The Madness will be a wonderful addition to your
collection. It takes some time to really warm up to, but is a
testament to the talent of Trucks and his band.
