| Track | ||
1 |
She's All Mine |
7:43 |
2 |
I'll Be Back Someday |
4:52 |
3 |
Long Way From Everything |
7:58 |
4 |
So Many Roads |
14:12 |
5 |
The Thrill Is Gone |
6:53 |
6 |
Flat Broke |
4:52 |
7 |
Moving On |
4:00 |
8 |
Watch Out |
4:28 |
9 |
If I Could See Through Your Eyes |
7:09 |
10 |
Help Me |
8:56 |
Glasgow's nimmo Brothers' Coming Your Way was our readers' choice Album of 2001; the band were also named Blues rock Band of the Year. this 71-minute live set was recorded in front of an enthusiastic hometown crowd, at the 1st West End Jazz & Blues Festival at the Cottier’s Theatre the same year.
Six of the brothers’ originals from Coming Your Way are here along with covers of “The Thrill is Gone”, “Help Me”, “So Many roads”, and Peter Green’s “Watch Out”. Sassenachs Lindsay Coulson (bass) and Mark Barrett (drums) provided the ideal framework for the brothers’ powerful vocals and incendiary guitar work- the guitars are mixed on either channel, with Alan’s often effects enhanced instrument on the left. Frazier Spiers added welcome harp on the ‘chunka chunka’ shuffle “Flat Broke”.
Twelve bars dominate the repertoire – none of that namby pamby AOR stuff that is sometimes marketed as blues rock here! Along with the ‘Glasgow kiss’ styled blues are subtler numbers, such as “Moving On” where they swap their Strats for electro-acoustics. The minor-keyed reading of “So Many Roads” is so many choruses, so many minutes (14+) and the quiet segment is almost inaudible at full volume on my walkman. The ballard, “If I Could See Through Your Eyes” however, comes in slightly shorter than the original recording. The Nimmos many fans will want this in memory of their live shows and any fan of post-Vaughanist guitar-led power blues will find this recorded set to their taste.
close
The Nimmo Brothers play their hometown on this recording of their appearance at the 1st West End Blues Festival, May 2001. They open with the self-penned She's All Mine. This is Rory Gallagher style blues rock with stinging guitars from the brothers Stevie and Alan and a driving beat from bassist Lindsay Coulson and drummer Mark Barrett. I'll Be Back Someday is a swinging blues and shows how stunning a live act these boys are. The third self-written track in a row is the slower Long Way From Everything and although they have slowed the pace down they still produce the now signature searing guitars.
The first of four covers is So Many Roads and they keep the speed down for this too. This is a true blues song and although the guitar introduction is a bit long, it is well worth the wait for the excellent vocal. It's always a risk covering a song that is instantly associated to another artist and the brothers certainly meet that risk head on with The Thrill Is Gone. They've funked it up a bit, made the guitars grittier and it works because they haven't tried to sound like B.B. King. Returning to their own songs for Flat Broke and Moving On they hit a rich vein of form. Flat Broke is a stomping blues with the excellent Fraser Spiers on harmonica and the acoustic-led Moving On is one of the highlights of the set. This has to be the vocal performance of the album.
Watch Out is a Peter Green song and they show their professionalism once again. The guitar playing is some of the best that I have heard recently and believe me, I've heard a lot! The last of the self-written songs is If I Could See Through Your Eyes and this shows their versatility with the boys turning in a power ballad with a strong finish. They finish up with the Sonny Boy Williamson/Willie Dixon song, Help Me and it's a tremendous close to an excellent set. I've only got two questions, why aren't the Nimmo Brothers household names and why has it taken so long to release this performance?
close
Catalogue No: ARMD00018
Release Date:01/Jan/2004
Copyright © Armadillo Music Ltd