Blue Fox has been a fixture on the Vermont Blues scene since he arrived here in 1991. He's hosted jam sessions at Papa's Blues Cellar and the Vermont Pub and Brewery, and he's well known locally as a player of relentless energy, passion and showmanship. And now, the latest version of his band the Rockin' Daddys (with Larry Vigneault on bass and vocals and Paul "Van Ludwig" Hislop on drums) has fashioned a compact disc collection that is a good reprsentation of their live show, mixing eleven originals and four covers.
James Montgomery once compared Blue's playing to a cross between Muddy Waters and Buddy Guy, but I see an even more complex hybrid of styles with influences running the gamut from Magic Sam to Jorma. Like Blue's solid grab bag of musical styles, the songs exhibit a multitude of beats and regional styles. Country, swing, shuffle, funk, rap and boogie seasoning can all be found in this musical stew.
The original instrumentals "Blues Blast" and "Back Porch Harp Attack" allow Blue to showcase his harmonica prowess, while Vigneault contributes a bedrock foundation, with nice quick solo runs in "Funk You, Funk Me" and "Runnin'." Hislop provides steady drum work throughout the album. Solid, concise and to the point musicianship allow the songs to shine, with especially good dynamics in Robert Johnson's "Champagne and Reefer." [actually, it's Muddy Waters'] The other covers, standards by Dylan, Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters, are given fresh treatments and sound good in the context of the album as a whole.
One of the highlights of The Way Things Are [The Way Things Go] is the song "I Love My TV", which could be the theme song of the MTV generation as they lament that without television... they might have to learn to read for entertainment!
Produced by Blue Fox and the Rockin' Daddys at Low Tech with Gus "The Man" Ziesing at the board, this fine sounding disc was mastered by Lane Gibson at Charles Eller Studio in Charlotte. Listen to it LOUD and ENJOY! - "Mister Charlie" Frasier