Post by Erik Rupp on Sept 18, 2011 19:07:58 GMT -5
The Allman Brothers Band. Dickey Betts. Govt Mule. David Allan Coe.
Warren Haynes has quite a resume. And with good reason - he's a very good guitar player and a better singer than many give him credit for.
So with the release of his latest solo album, Man In Motion, he once again has the opportunity to showcase those talents. Man In Motion is a laid back Blues Rock album with some R&B influences. And it's a good one.
Unlike his work with Govt Mule, Man In Motion really goes for the R&B tinged Blues Rock that puts the guitar in a supporting role much of the time. Now, that's not to say that there isn't any of Haynes' fretboard talents on display - because he gets plenty of opportunities to shine - but the guitar playing here is tasteful and often in the call and response category rather than a bunch of big riffs. This is a more vocal oriented album than a guitar oriented one. And that is a good thing given how Haynes' world weary voice carries this kind of material.
Organ, piano, horns, sax - this album is loaded with a rich sound with a lot of different textures. And all of them are given plenty of sonic space to be heard. The audio production is impeccable. This is as crisp and clean a recording as I've ever heard for this kind of music. But it isn't the crisp and clean of the overly harsh digital recordings as this album has warmth.
This isn't Rock and Roll. This isn't pure Blues, either. This is that Blues/Rock/R&B hybrid that is timeless. It could have been recorded in 1987, 1997, or 2007. The songs have that timeless quality to them that will serve this album well in decades to come.
Classy, mature, engaging - this is a very good album well worth adding to your collection if you are inclined to enjoy the more laid back style that Warren plays so well on Man In Motion.
4/5