Artist:     Bachman

Album:     Heavy Blues

Label:     Linus Entertainment

Release Date:     04/14/2015

84

BUY DIGITAL

BUY PHYSICAL

Now deep into the fifth decade of his hit-filled career, Randy Bachman is still takin’ care of business with the recent release of Heavy Blues, an 11-song set that delivers exactly what the title implies. The guitarist/singer/songwriter—a two-time inductee into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame as a founding member of The Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive—has assembled a Who’s Who of fellow six-string superstars to guest on this sonic ride back to his musical roots, the ˊ60s British blues invasion.

Heavy Blues opens with “The Edge” and its speaker-rattling opening riff, reminiscent of The Who’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” is Bachman attacking his axe accompanied by his female rhythm section, drummer Dale Anne Brendon and bassist Anne Ruddick, doing their best Keith Moon and John Entwistle, respectively. Bachman immeidately hits you over the head with “Ton of Bricks,” a Led Zeppelin-like (think “Immigrant Song”) sonic sledgehammer featuring guitarist Scott Holiday of the Led Zep-leaning Long Beach, CA foursome Rival Sons.

Produced by Kevin “Caveman” Shirley (Joe Bonamassa, Led Zeppelin, Rush, Journey, Iron Maiden), Heavy Blues roars on with pedal to the metal guest performances from Joe Bonamassa (“Bad Child”), Neil Young (“Little Girl Lost”), Robert Randolph (“Oh My Lord”), Jeff Healey (“Confessin’ to the Devil”) and Peter Frampton, who goes toe-to-toe (neck-to-neck?) with Bachman on the album’s tumultuous title track.

If you thought you’d seen and heard all there was to see and hear from Randy Bachman, Heavy Blues proves that indeed you ain’t seen (or heard) nothing yet. Clearly the Great White North native is re-energized and will be a slave to the rhythm of rock and blues for years to come.

-Jim Villanueva