Goose Blackstone self titled album released, available at shows on vinyl Options

[dangum]

Ed Kowalczyk has released his Goose Blackstone album. It features 11 tracks and is currently available on vinyl at shows.

More details here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/LiveStreetT...55476897851171/





Tracklisting:

1. Long Way Home
2. She Got Me Rollin'
3. The King Is Back
4. Sugar Wheel
5. Leave The Radio On
6. Gimme The Story
7. You Know I Got It
8. Field Tested
9. Take A Chance
10. Hard Time Killin' Floor Blues
11. Dancin With The Dead

[PaulZAR]

I've been listening to the album for a few weeks. I must say that it has grown on me. On first listen it sounded very country blues to my ear. There are a few songs that I was familiar with from previous releases:
- Hard Time Killing floor (previously released as a collab with Moby) (Track 10)
- Leave the radio on (played at some concerts) (Track 5)
- She Got Me Rollin (released as a +LIVE+ track recently) (Track 2)

With these as pillar tracks the album feels at least rooted in the familiar. The first track on the album is "Long Way Home" and it is the most country-vibed song on the album, mostly because of the rhythm section and I was worried that the album could go off the rails as a bad imitation of country-blues. It reminded me of "Horse/Untitled" from Throwing Copper. But then we get "She Got Me Rollin' ", subsequently repackaged as "Lady Bhang" as a +LIVE+ track. The third track is back into a blues flavour, and this is a genre I really like. Ed gives a great vocal performance on this one. Track 4 is "Sugar Wheel", you will have heard it from this forum. Track 5 is "Leave the Radio On", a more familiar adult contemporary style. Next up is "Gimme the Story" sung with falsetto, and an insistent rhythm and some slide guitar, quite a good mid-tempo track. "You Know I Got It" is back to countr-ish territory, with some braggadosious lyrics. "Field Tested" at Track 8 is becoming a favourite. It is a harder rocking track and is the most reminiscent of +LIVE+ rock tracks in the style of the "I Walk the Line" cover they recorded. Third from last is "Take a Chance", back to a blues style, wiith a train based narrative lyric, and very mellow. The penultimate track is "Hard Time Killing Floor" which has been around for a while. Lastly "Dancin' with the Dead" starts as a brooding track, again with prominent slide guitar, it builds nicely and could be a track that fits on a +LIVE+ album with Ed giving a familiar vocal performance.

Overall, I enjoy this album. But I am a blues fan and it may not be to your taste if you don't already like the blues. There is prominent slide guitar on the album and the rhythm section is often providing a country-tinged back drop. I can see why it wasn't pushed as an Ed or +LIVE+ release, but it is an enjoyable release, sounds like something recorded as a pet project for the enjoyment.