Blackie And The Rodeo Kings are a band that takes on almost mythical importance to some people. I have seen one of their number, Stephen Fearing a couple of times and you can guarantee that when he asks if anyone has any requests someone will always shout for a Blackie song.
Never mind the music, I love them for this reason: they flew from Canada to Shropshire in the UK to play a festival show a couple of years ago. There were no other shows on the run: “we never thought,” deadpanned Fearing when he played over here last year.
It might be, in fairness, because they have other things on their minds.
One of The Rodeo Kings, Colin Linden, is all over this too. Playing guitar with Luther Dickinson (and any man who was in the Black Crowes etc etc) in a style as rootsy as anything has been since Elvis trotted into Sun Studios and says: “alright mate, I wanna record something for me mum….?”
Ok, he didn’t say that, but goodness me, this record belongs to a different time, anything in this 10 song collection could have come out at any point in the history of rock n roll – and what’s more it wouldn’t have sounded out of date, either.
The true genius – and maybe genesis too – of this, though doesn’t come from Linden or Dickinson (as gifted as they are) but rather that each track is so distinct given all the guest vocalists that are used.
“Careless Love” – as befits a record called “Amour” – appears twice, an instrumental version starts the album in wonderful fashion as the guitars mesh in a dreamy state, while Rachel Davis adds some mighty vocals to the later take.
Davis is on a couple of times, her other appearance, on the bluesy chug of “Honest I Do”, and the trad DNA of it is given a soul-infused makeover here, and this is a record that is hard to pin down.
“Don’t Let Go” whips up a real honky tonk flavour to kick thing off in a magnificent way, for example, while the vibe is totally different and stripped down on “Crazy Arms” which is sung by Sam Palladino (who Linden has worked with on the Nashville TV show) and there is even some humming as if to exemplify the carefree attitude to all of this.
Not a particularly lengthy record, there is an incessant quality to the one that does stretch out. Ruby Amfanu who supplies vocals to many of them is at her sultry best on this.
It’s true gem, though, is “Lover Please”. As the legendary Billy Swan sings a song he wrote and which others – notably Clyde McPhatter – had hits with, this version is more than nostalgia, though, there is just a wonderfully authentic feel here.
Amfanu is back to deliver something with a palpable sense of misery on, “What Am I Living For” while “Dearest Darling” is acoustic and swampy, as well as being gospel infused.
It ends in quite an odd way, though. “Forgot To Remember To Forget” – featuring another of the Nashville stars in Jonathan Jackson – is almost trippy as it drips in reverb, and is a reminder that the backing band here of Dominic Davis (bass), Bryan Owings (drum), Fats Kaplin (violin and accordion), and Kevin McKendree (keyboards) is one that could turn its hand to anything.
This “anything goes” feel is matched by the almost matter of fact way the band speak about the record. Take this from the Press Release: “Most of these songs I have known my whole life, and they reached me in the same way,” says Linden. “I mentioned the idea of recording them as a collection to my friend Luther Dickinson, who said it was a good idea—and that it would be cool to work on it together.”
It’s a bit better than that in all honesty. You’ll find plenty to love in “Armour”.
Rating 9/10
