Track Listing - Just Gettin' Started
- Blue Swede Shoes
- Ony God Knew
- She's So Fine
- Bad Connection
- Devil In Disguise
- She's Insatiable
- Change My Ways
- For All My Sins
- Jesse James (Part II)
EB Rating - 4.0+
- Chris Fitz
guitar/vocals - Justin Meyer
bass - Steve Brophy
drums | This is The Chris Fitz Band's first release. What we have here is straight up power-trio style blues, featuring hard-hitting and very aggressive blues-rock guitar playing. This CD was well recieved by Northeasterners attending the band's shows, but some critics labeled the band "one-dimensional" after listening to the disc. So Chris took steps to eliminate that label on the band's subsequent release, This is My Church, a disc on which he rather dramatically modified his approach to the blues, going for a significantly more refined and polished style.
But back to "Just Gettin' Started", which features rough-cut, loud and raw blues-rock and hard blues. Nine of the ten songs featured are originals. Vocals are sometimes a little on the harsh side. Not distractingly so, but the real reason to listen to this music is for the guitar playing. The guitar is very much up front and lead breaks are frequent, powerful, and often furious. Chris wastes no time setting the mood of the CD, as he rips through the lead intro of the opening cut, "Just Gettin' Started". Despite the runaway nature of Chris' playing, he never sounds lost or unsure about what he's doing. Oh, there are one or two instances when Chris runs a few unexpected notes by you, but there's no doubt it was intentional.
Moving from the opening cut, Chris next features a somewhat funked up version of "Blues Suede Shoes". I'm not particulary fond of the band's interpretation of this song, but Chris easily wins me back over with an intense, wah-wah drenched lead break in the middle of the song. After those two opening cuts comes a blues-rock ballad of sorts, giving the listener a chance rest up a bit. But then it's back at it for some intense, slow blues with "She's So Fine", some straight rock with "Bad Connection", and then some even more intense, extended slow blues with "Devil In Disguise".
Moving again to a slightly lighter but still furious mood, the band does a little jump blues with "She's Insatiable". "Change My Ways" is another rock song, and is followed by "For All My Sins", a very nicely done minor blues instrumental. Closing out the set is "Jesse James (Part Two)", that has a Jimi Hendrix kinda of feel.
"Just Gettin' Started" is one of those CDs that comes with a "not for the weak of heart" warning. It's raw, loud, unbridled. This is a CD for heavy handed guitar affectionados only. Blues-rock fans who fit that discription will not be dissapointed with the work on this CD.
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