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LIVINBLUES CD REVIEW - THE
MISSISSIPPI HIPPIES/ by Gary Tate
Who cares about such details as to why they call themselves The Mississippi Hippies, especially when you're getting an adrenalin rush from their explosive
carnival of 'rock-em/sock-em' revivalism. These musical Canadian veterans,
by way of Toronto, have souls firmly immersed in the rich
Delta soil that cultivated the likes of
Muddy Waters,
Sonny Boy Williamson,
Howlin' Wolf,
B.B. King, and
Bo Diddley. The
Mississippi Hippies honed their collective chops in the
wide-open late 60's and early 1970's. A time period referred to as
the 'Toronto Sound'. When Rock n'
Roll culture ruled, and Toronto's Yonge Street Strip
served as its temple. |
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This upsets the whole 'apple cart',
so to speak, since The Mississippi Hippies have taken the Blues kicking
and screaming from whatever museum it's been hiding out in, while
simultaneously breathing new life into it. Chalk it up to some of the most engaging
songwriting (all 10 songs written by Leggat/ Leggat/ Dickie) that this reviewer has heard in
many years. The magic begins on the opening notes of
Rockalator, a revelatory rocker that catapults you into a
swirling ride of reverb-drenched guitar, churning horns, and
raw smokin' vocals. Sci-Fi Baby and
Dangerous Curves maintain that
Little-Richard/Chuck
Berry-indebted momentum, before things cool down a tad
on the groove-alicious Funky L'il Thang. John Dickie, the
closest thing to a white incarnation of
James Brown, is further validated on the staggering
Cruisalatin' Time. Cool organ (Rob
Gusevs, Norm Brown) and hip horns (Gord Myers, Chris Mitchell, Pat Perez) abound on
the soulful, I Ain't Got The Blues.
Three more thunderous tracks (Luv Pad, 96 Miles, Rayleen) cook with natural gas. The guitar/slide work of Gordie Leggat is
right on the money, totally restrained and adding the precise
shading for maximum satisfaction. The rhythm section of Hugh Leggat (bass) and
Mike Sloski is beyond reproach, keeping everything tight
and true. It's completed, with
the non-intrusive production qualities needed, with much thanks to
engineer Tom Atom. This
is the most satisfying collection of original Rockin' Blues to come to my
attention since the heyday of
King Biscuit Boy and
The Fabulous Thunderbirds!
-Gary Tate/ LivinBlues |
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RARE AND
GENUINE EXCITEMENT
- by Greg Quill/ Toronto Star/- In joyful acknowledgement of Toronto’s enduring passion for
bedrock Blues, these proudly un-reconstituted Young St. saloon
warriors bring a raw and elemental edge to 10 originals that recall
the trademark antics of every major American Blues legend from
Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf to Chuck Berry
and James Brown, and pull it off with great authority and,
more importantly, without actually mimicking their mentors....read
more! |
