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Recorded by the Island Mobile at Birmingham Town Hall and Leicester University, Autumn 1976
Roden finally emerged as a solo artist in the mid-1970s on Island Records with his 1974 self-titled solo album.
He then formed The Jess Roden Band (originally Iguana – based in Southampton). The initial album sessions were with Steve Smith (and featured Steve Winwood on Hammond organ), but these were eventually discarded in favour of producer Geoff Haslam, with whom the group's first two studio albums were recorded – Keep Your Hat On and Play It Dirty, Play It Class. A major touring draw, the band never achieved significant record sales and disbanded in early 1977. This was after the release of their live album, Blowin', which was recorded during capacity shows at Birmingham Town Hall and Leicester University in late 1976.
The former gravel-voiced Butts Band shouter sounds riotously confident on this live album, which has no real agenda except documenting a hot night before a British college crowd.
Roden's band is slick and proficient, with guitarists Bruce Roberts and Steve Webb being the standouts, though percussionist/saxophonist Ron Taylor gets lots of space, too. Roden and company manage to show themselves as diverse performers and crowd-pullers at the same time -- no mean feat when hits drove the engine of '70s mass-market rock.
The preeminent sound is slinky, laid-back pop-funk, as exemplified on story songs like "The Ballad of Big Sally" or "Me and Crystal Eye."
Cut from similarly breezy cloth, "In a Circle" is an example of how Lowell George might have sounded if he'd grown up across the pond. The band stretches out on "Can't Get Next to You," which dips into the blues bag, but Roden's husky howl shines brightest on the glistening title track (which also makes clever use of varying internal rhymes).
There's also a blistering boogie in "Jump Mama," where Roden pushes his throat in the manner of peers like Frankie Miller and Maggie Bell.
The album ends on an unconventional note with a brief, piano-led reprise of "Blowin'." Unlike many live albums of this period, there's no side-long solos to pad out an average evening -- just a proficient band and their frontman throwing down before a packed house. The story would change after Britain went punk, but there's no denying what Roden could offer.
This isn't an easy album to find, but worth the hunt if you see it.
Side A
A1. The Ballad Of Big Sally - 5:56
A2. In A Circle - 5:52
A3. Desperado
Side B
B1. Me And Chrystal Eye - 7:10
B2. Blowin’ - 5:14
B3. Jump Mama - 4:45
B4. Bowin’ Reprise - 2:43
Companies, etc.
- Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Island Records Ltd.
- Copyright © – Island Records Ltd.
- Manufactured By – Island Records Ltd.
- Distributed By – Island Records Ltd.
- Pressed By – Island Records Manufacturing Ltd
- Printed By – Robor Ltd.
- Recorded By – Island Mobile
- Recorded At – Birmingham Town Hall
- Recorded At – Leicester University
- Mixed At – Island Studio, Hammersmith
- Published By – Island Music Ltd.
- Published By – Warner Bros. Music Ltd.
Credits
- Bass – John Cartwright
- Design [Sleeve] – Bloomfield/Travis
- Drums – Pete Hunt
- Engineer [Mixing, Assistant] – Terry Barham
- Engineer [Mixing] – David Jordan
- Engineer [Recording, Assistant] – Bari Sage
- Engineer [Recording] – Howard Kilgour
- Guitar, Vocals – Bruce Roberts, Steve Webb
- Keyboards, Vocals – Billy Livsey
- Photography By – Keith Morris
- Plated By – EG
- Producer – Jess Roden
- Saxophone, Percussion – Ronnie Taylor
- Trombone, Percussion – Chris Gower
- Vocals – Jess Roden
Notes
Release: 1977
Format: LP, Vinyl
Genre: Blues rock
Label: Island Records
Catalog# 25005 ET
Vinyl: Goed (VG)
Cover: Lichte Gebruikerssporen (G)
Prijs: €10,00
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