Track Listing
- Hoosier Lottery
- Different Name
- Bad News
- Mississippi
- Reasons
- Train In The Distance
- Livin' This Love
- Rainin' In The Real World
- Ruby's Blues
EB Rating - 4.5
- Larry Grisham
lead vocals, guitar, harmonica
- Britt Meacham
lead guitar, vocals
- Russell Gulley
bass, vocals
- Paul Scott
drums, percussion
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The The Beat Daddys band was formed in 1986 in Indiana
by founding member and lead vocalist Larry Grisham, but the band now
calls the SouthEastern US home. The band has released two CDs on Malaco/Waldoxy, but released this Live CD
independently. It was recorded at The Breakroom Too on May 9-10, 1997.
For this live recording The Beat Daddys stick to
a fairly strict agenda, running tightly through a set of strong, all original blues and blues-rock.
The band manages to vary the mood considerably without the use of ballads, funk, or jump blues.
The songwriting is excellent, the entire CD is interesting an engaging. Lead vocals are powerful and
convincing, and there's plenty of excellent (but not overbearing) guitar work throughout. Recording
quality is very good, too. In fact, there's not a single significant negative aspect of this CD.
Because of the CD's level of consistency, picking favorites from this one is
truly a challenge. "Hooshier Lottery" kicks things off with a spirited, upbeat feel,
and was an excellent choice for the opening cut. "Mississippi" is a medium paced blues shuffle that
downshifts to low gear and throws in some slide midstream for an interesting change-up. "Train In The
Distance" features some more nice slide work and a heavy beat. "Livin' This Love" has a melancholy feel,
a feeling that's enhancd by Grisham's heavy vocals. The staight ahead slow blues cut, "Ruby's Blues",
closes out the set, and leaves the listener glad to have the blues and wanting more.
This Live CD should appeal to many blues
fans. Throughout the disc the band delivers a style of all-original blues and blues-rock that is
far from meek and mild, but at the same time never approaches the level of heavy-handed aggressiveness.
The Beat Daddys style falls compfortably somewhere between those two extremes.
Strong vocals and songwriting, plenty of guitar for most blues-rock fans, an interesting
set list, and very good live recording quality. These guys cover all the bases pretty well on this disc.
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