DVD REVIEWS
Joe Louis Walker Live in Istanbul (MVE) Sure I had heard of
Joe Louis Walker. I knew he was a member of the Blues Hall of Fame. I also knew that he is a four-time Blues Music Award winner. I had heard his records,
but somehow I had missed out on ever seeing him perform, either live or on film, so it is no small surprise that when he and his band kicked off in fifth gear on this concert, I was both mesmerized and blown away at the same time. I love his vocals, his style, his lead gui- tar and his slide work. The man is a force to be reckoned with! Now I can add “dynamic live performer” to my ongoing list of adjec- tives when describing Walker. This ten-song set finds Walker giving 110
percent from start to finish. By the third song, he and the band are drenched in sweat, which seems to only make them play harder, from funky throwdowns to heart-wrenching blues; from heartfelt lead solos that would make Buddy Guy envious, to scorching slide guitar, the band doesn’t let up. I really don’t know what else there is to say, other than, if you love blues music like I love blues music -if you love to hear a master on guitar - you owe it to yourself to pay a visit to Istanbul. Virtu- ally, of course.
- Michael Buffalo Smith
The Stray Cats Live at Rockpalast (MIG Music) Those rockabilly mad- men that ruled the 1980’s are captured here in two complete shows, both logging in at around 70 minutes each. The program starts with the must recent concert first,
an Open Air show in Loreley, Germany on August 20th, 1983 that found the band on the charts and burning up MTV. Guitarist and singer Brian Setzer, Lee Rocker on bass, Slim Jim Phantom on drums are joined by Mel Collins on Sax. The guys rock it out with pas- sion and fury from top to bottom, beginning with “Baby Blue Eyes,” and hitting on crowd pleasers like “Built for Speed,” “Runaway Boys,” “Stray Cat Strut,” “She’s Sexy and 17,” and “Rock This Town.” Of course there are some excellent surprises as well, like Brian pulling out the banjo and playing “Foggy Mountain Breakdown.” No kidding! It’s rad! And before you can say “blurring the lines,” the hip Cats launch into George Jones’ “The Race is On!” No we are talking, cats and kit- tens! Another great cover here is the classic Buddy Holly chart-topper, “Oh Boy!” Seven- teen tunes in all, performed in sweat soaked hipster garb on an outdoor stage at the height of the summer heat. Ya gotta love it. The other show took place two years prior
at Satory-Sale Cologne, Germany on July 16,1981, just as the band was beginning to break big. Brian and company rocked some Eddie Cochran (“Somethin’ Else”), Webb Pierce (“Sweet Love On My Mind”), and Charles Underwood’s “Ubangi Stomp,” along
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