Music critic Morley Lowbead calls Son Powers’ LUCKY “the best album yet”

LUCKY gets right down to business; it’s the best album yet by Mr. Powers, and he has some excellent help.
 
March 24, 2011 - PRLog -- Aside from handling vocals, Fender Bass, guitars and keyboards himself and writing all the songs, he’s got Rob Piazza on drums and vocals, Chuck Nash on guitars and vocals, Billy Bowers on guitars and Walter Mingledorff on piano and Hammond organ.

    To let you know what the album is like, on the first and title cut, a tough song called “Lucky,” the vocal effect is a trademark of Son’s and puts the vocal front and center. The excellent Telecaster guitar solo is courtesy of Billy Bowers.
“Raiford Death Row Blues” refers to the infamous Florida prison, and has a Sonny Boy Williamson “Help Me” or Booker T And The MGs “Green Onion” type groove.
“Hard Luck & Trouble” is a minor key Blues ballad with a decidedly unsentimental bass line. Son complains that his woman “puts brake fluid in my beer.” I personally hate when that happens. Walter Mingledorff’s piano smokes, and his organ solo is also pretty vicious.
“Little Man” is in 5/4 time, and is probably the most innovative cut on the album. It’s also my personal favorite.  Author Terry Southern identified the refrain (…little man whip a big man every time if the little man keeps trying…) as the motto of the legendary Texas Rangers. Special mention should be made of "Mahavishnu" Chuck Nash's guitar solo on this track.
“Creeping Blues” has an intro reminiscent of Howlin’ Wolf, used throughout the song, and is driven by a prominent “piano” figure.
   
    “Your Little School” features a happy, upbeat New Orleans style groove, despite less than happy lyrics. Walter Mingledorff plays an excellent “Professor Longhair” style piano.
”Now My Days Are Numbered” (great hook) is a minor key Blues ballad that features an interesting short solo which sounds as if a whale was hooked to a volume pedal (probably Mr. Powers).

    “My Baby Don’t Love Me” has a bar of 3 followed by a bar of 4. Fooling with time signatures is one of Son’s favorite devices. I’m guessing that he doesn’t plan this stuff, but simply wants to hear it that way, and it adds a refreshing twist to the Blues.
“They Get You” has a Spencer Davis “Gimme Some Lovin” type groove, and adds one more color to a nicely varied album.

    The collection ends with “You Left Me These Blues,” a ballad with a “Bring It On Home To Me” feel. The bridge’s great “summertime, wintertime, springtime and fall, you stole ‘em away, you took ‘em all” is repeated again in verse form. I, for one, am glad Son Powers left us these Blues.

    Son Powers is a reclusive southern blues songwriter and occasional performer.  An alumnus of the blues/rock trio Worldwide Hoodoo, Powers’ earlier bands include Crosscut Saw, King Bee, Parker Brothers, and Charles Atkins & The Blues Boys.  The new album “Lucky” is available on CDBaby.com, eBay.com, and other music websites.  You can learn more about Son Powers at http://www.sonpowers.com.

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Eclipse Recording Company has been North Florida's number 1 recording studio for almost 10 years. Jim Stafford is the owner and chief conspirator.
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