ON THE LEVEL – Live At The PBC

Self released, 2011
By Shane Pinnegar
8/10

Live at The PBC catches On The Level in blistering form, playing their trademark rocking boogie & blues with style and charm, and perfectly balancing a fun & tight delivery with their natural rawness.

Dave Gillam’s voice is charcoal mellowed and perfectly suited to the blues – dripping in bourbon, sweat and cigar smoke on a great selection of originals (Déjà vu, Baby Gone Left, I Don’t Know What, Bottom Of The Bottle among others), no less than four Status Quo covers (Break The Rules, In My Chair, Don’t Waste My Time and Railroad – the latter featuring a harmonica spot from guest Rick Steele), keyboardist Bill Brissett’s Find A Place, John Brim’s sleazy classic Ice Cream Man (younger readers may be more familiar with Van Halen’s supercharged version), Moon Martin’s Bad Case Of Loving You and to wrap things up, Johnny Guitar Watson’s Looking Back.

The band – Gillam singing & playing guitar, Paul Fitton on lead guitar, Bill Blissett on keyboards, bassist Jim Awram, and drummer Ian Ironside – are splendid throughout, rocking, rolling, boogieing and playing up a storm.

Above all else, the CD imparts the sense of fun and sweaty atmosphere of an On The Level gig, making it hard not to get up and dance, even in the comfort of your own living room – and you can’t ask for more than that from any album!

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http://www.onthelevel.cjb.net

Category: CD Reviews