Text © Robert Barry Francos / FFanzeen, 2015
Images from the Internet
MVD Visual
85 minutes, 1995 / 2015
www.JoeLouisWalker.com
www.mvdvisual.com
Tom Rose: rhythm guitar / back-up vox
Mike Eppley: keyboards / back-up vox
Tony Saunders: bass
Curtis Nutall: drums / back-up vox
Set List:
Can’t Get You Out of My Mind
Rain in My Mind
You Got to Lose
Street People
I Didn’t Know
Bluesifyin
Funkin’ Blues
Play’em Where They Lay
Encore:
Lost Heart
Hidden Feelings
Images from the Internet
Joe Louis Walker: Live in Istanbul
Directed by UnknownMVD Visual
85 minutes, 1995 / 2015
www.JoeLouisWalker.com
www.mvdvisual.com
More often than not, Joe Louis Walker
goes by the moniker JLW, and so I will respect that. He is usually referred to
as a blues artist – which is hardly surprising as he has been inducted into the
Blues Hall of Fame – but seriously, that is a bit short-sighted.
JLW crosses genre boundaries left and
right, fret by fret. Sure, there is a definite undercurrent of electric blues
with JLW at the helm on his flashing guitar, but his style sways to boogie,
blues rock, funk, soul and so on. He’s part Prince, part Jeff Beck (or any of
the other Yardbirds' guitarists…do I seriously need to name them?), even a bit
of Hendrix, and a smattering of Joe Tex.
He starts off strong here, but for
me, it really starts to roll on the second song, the blues rock “Rain in My
Mind,” followed by the rockin' R&B of “You Got To Lose.” Of course, every
song is punctuated and taken to an aerie place on the tips of JWL’s fingers and
he does not just finger his guitar, but takes it to a whoh-nutha-level.
Listen, I’m not one for endless guitar
solos, and usually tend to find them kind of whatever, but JLW’s fretwork is
more than impressive. A good example of that is “I Don’t Know,” whose solo is
nearly as long as the rest (and for some reason, part of the solo is shot from
the back). But that’s not to say that the band, the Roadmasters, just backs him
up, as they also have their moment to shine, especially during the band member intros
of “Funkin Blues,” including Mike Eppley playing the Hammond XB-2 (he’s
talented, but man, the only place I can truly appreciate an electric piano is
on ‘60s style garage rock and Tex-Mex), who has a wailingly long time to strut.
On rhythm guitar –also getting a
chance to show off – and is Tom Rose, who may look like he stepped out of the ‘70s,
but holds his own on guitar. Bassist Tony Saunders shows off some funkification
right down to the classic wah-wahs, though I could have done without the
orgasmic face and tongue action, honestly (Eppley is guilty of this, as well). He
starts of a bit perfunctory, but Saunders knows his stuff and through employing
a series of petals, he takes the bass into many different strata, all of which
have a wow factor. Similarly, drummer Curtis Nutall starts with a simmer and
brings it to full boil.
“Bluesifyin” could have been right
out of the BB King playbook, with its screaming guitar that you can’t take your
eyes off of, not that you would want to do so. Walker’s finger slide works
overtime in Bonnie Raitt style (as a descriptor). “Play’em Where They Lay” is
straight-from-the-1980s rockin’ boogie R&B. I can easily have seen this song
up as music video from back then.
After that heavy number, they come back for a two-song encore, starting
with “Lost Heart” and finishing with “Hidden Feelings,” both of which has a
strong, later Motown vibe. With a leaning towards the Four Tops, they made me
smile.
The sound is exceedingly clear, but
the visuals are a bit fuzzy, seemingly shot on VHS. That being said, the
further back of the room the camera is, the harder it is to see, and that seems
to be from cigarette (hookah?) smoke. I remember those days, trying to take
pictures of bands in clubs as the air visibly drifted by, in a way reminiscent
of the bathroom scene in Rock and Roll
High School.
The songs are all upbeat, bypassing the
ballad for the quicker pace, making this eminently danceable at the most, and some
serious foot tapping at the least. I may have made some comments about the
physicalness of some of the musicians, but it’s kind of a moot point, because
if you plug this in and just listen to it like an LP (or its digital equivalent),
it’s the sounds that come out of the speaker that count. With the resonance being
jacked and the music worthy of multiple listens, that’s my strong recommendation
on how to get the most out of this DVD.
Band:
Joe Lewis Walker: vox / guitarTom Rose: rhythm guitar / back-up vox
Mike Eppley: keyboards / back-up vox
Tony Saunders: bass
Curtis Nutall: drums / back-up vox
Set List:
Can’t Get You Out of My Mind
Rain in My Mind
You Got to Lose
Street People
I Didn’t Know
Bluesifyin
Funkin’ Blues
Play’em Where They Lay
Encore:
Lost Heart
Hidden Feelings
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