CD’s, VINYL & DOWNLOADS
Dear Constant Reader. My humble apologies for falling so far behind on CD reviews for this issue. I suddenly found myself with a major book deadline and the Kudzoo deadline on the same day, and have been burning the midnight oil to get all of the cool interviews and everything else together. Look for an expanded CD review sec- tion, next issue, and to those I promised a re- view, I will get them for the next issue. Meanwhile, please follow our new KUDZOO blogsite for updates,
http://kudzooblog.blogspot.com/. Thanks. - Buf- falo
Neil Young Peace Trail (Reprise) Neil Young, without a
doubt one of rock’s most instantly recognizable voice, is back with Peace
Trail, one of his finest records in a few years, and a truly 1960’s vibe featuring Byrds-like guitar, acoustic guitar and harmonica. From the lyrical title track set to jingle-jangle
guitar and Native American drums, to the totally original “My New Robot,” a look at the almost out of control rise of technology, these are ten tracks filled with thought provoking lyrical content. “Indian Givers,” a song that looks deep into
the plight of America’s indigenous people is sim- ply outstanding. As a man with Cherokee blood mingled with the Irish of my ancestry, the song speaks to me. “Behind big money justice always fails,” Neil sings. Truth never sounded sweeter. The same goes for the somber “Show Me.” Listen closely to the words. Virtually every song here has its own personal
poignancy. From “Terrorist Suicide Hang Glid- ers” to “John Oaks,” “Can’t Stop Workin’,” and “Texas Rangers,” to “Glass Accident” and the amazing recitation, “My Pledge,” another instant classic from Young. Definitely my personal fa- vorite cut on the new disc.
Peace Trail is Neil Young at his best. Much like
Bob Dylan, Neil is the voice of not only the 60’s generation, but also all of the generations that followed. He is just as impactful and important in 2017 as he was in 1969, some 48 years later.
-Michael Buffalo Smith
Jack Mack & The Heart Attack Back to the Shack (SSR Freeroll Records) There’s a big, boda-
cious, and retro sound imbedded in Back to the Shack, the latest release by
the Jack Mack and the Heart Attack Horns. Front-man Mark Campbell invigorates each song with his powerful and soulful vocals as the band tops them off with rhythm, blues, and copious amounts of brass. It’s impossible to miss the Stax and Motown influences which seem to be deeply rooted in the music. Guitarist Ed Berghoff artfully introduces
“Before the King” on acoustic guitar. The track, which features the talented guest backup vocalist Melanie Taylor, soon turns into a smokin’ blues number complimented with smooth horns, a snappy piano accompaniment, and blazing guitar from Andrew Kastner. Keyboardist/vocalist Mike Finnegan also makes a guest appearance on this album, serving up some of his finest splashes of sound on the swaying blues ballad, “Somethin’ in the Water”. I love the funky bassline and James Brown inspired singing on the mucho danceable “Bad Habit”. Bad habits lead to bad decisions, which happen to be the theme of “Serves Me Right”, a funky little mix of soul and country with a nice twangy delivery from Kastner. “Never Too Late” hits big and hits hard, showing positive proof just how tight of a band this is. Campbell sings with dedicated conviction on this hot elec- tric blues tune immersed in a sea of horns and
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