Europe's top blues band returns 34 years aft er its founding with another top-notch studio album. CD in three-piece digisleeve and limited LP on Rhythm Bomb.
Some 4000 live acts worldwide, multi ple winners of the German Blues Award, winner of the Deutsche Schallplatt enkriti k, 17 albums, voted “best band” or “arti st of the year” not only by
German but also Briti sh and French media, shows in more than 20 countries – the Hildesheim quintet around brothers Michael and Andreas Arlt has achieved incredible things.
Aft er "Breaking Point" (2021), the quintet with its stunningly lively vintage cocktail of blues, rhythm & blues and soul did not need much asking: of the 14 brand-new numbers, seven are
amazingly confi dent original compositi ons. In additi on, Ray Charles, Chick Morris, B.B. King, Albert King, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Johnnie Taylor and Linda Ronstedt are put into the spotlight
in wonderful new interpretati ons. The magnifi cent brass players Tom Müller and Simon Hartl put the icing on the cake of this emoti onal and stylish round trip through the golden age of
US light music. Insane solos and fantasti cally grooving rhythms seem to be pulled from a hat by this world-class troupe. Europe's most successful blues band once again impressively puts
itself in pole positi on!
BB And The Blues Shacks - Lonesome In The Moonlight
Side A
01. I Go To Bed With A Worry (Chick Morris)
02. Big Blue Diamonds (Earl Carson)
03. That´s A Lie (Ray Charles, Jimmy Holiday)
04. Heart Fixing Buisness (Homer Banks, Allen Jones)
05. Ain´t Over Yet (Andreas Arlt, Michael "Maddy" Arlt)
06. More To Life Than This (Andreas Arlt, Michael "Maddy" Arlt)
Side B
01. Feed The Fame (Andreas Arlt, Michael "Maddy" Arlt)
02. Steppin´Stone (Andreas Arlt, Michael "Maddy" Arlt)
03. Dead Notes (Andreas Arlt, Michael "Maddy" Arlt)
04. This Time I´ll Be True (Deadric Malone)
05. I Told My Eyes (Andreas Arlt, Michael "Maddy" Arlt)
06. Long, Long Time (Gary White)
B.B. And The Blues Shacks – Lonesome In The Moonlight (Rhythm Bomb Records)
Ageing like a fine wine with each and every album release, B.B. And The Blues Shacks issue another effort on Rhythm Bomb Records. The superbly titled, Lonesome In The Moonlight, sees B.B. And The Blues Shacks new album with a mixture of self-penned and cover titles with a total of fourteen songs recorded. It makes for a compelling listen with song titles referring to many a breakup (or perhaps it’s the result of one single relationship) with examples such as ‘Dead Notes’, ‘Heart Fixing Business’, ‘More To Life Than This’, and ‘Long, Long Time’ suggesting much heartbreak. If relationship woes are not your concern, then do not let that be an obstruction to what is a finely executed album of blues and rhythm and blues, which has made a name for this combo throughout Europe after thirty-four years in the business taking in approximately four thousand live shows worldwide, and the winners of multiple music awards in their native Germany. Musically, B.B. And The Blues Shacks lift any notion of the “blues” as far as emotions go because the blues sound emanating from the band during opener ‘I Go To Bed With A Worry’ is certainly uplifting. The vocals are full of flavour during the expressive ‘That’s A Lie’, and picking up from there is the lively rhythm and blues of ‘I Told My Eyes’ where, once again, the vocals of Michael Arlt impress greatly. Fuelling the quality of songwriting further is the quick tempo of ‘Feed The Flame’ with piano, harmonica, and vocals really powering its musical cogs. Certainly fans of music and open to other songwriters’ compositions, B.B. And The Blues Shacks reflect this with a performance of ‘This Time I’ll Be True’ written by Deadric Malone, to fronting a version of B.B. King/Jules Taub’s ‘I’ve Got Papers On You, Baby’. Ending the album in perfect fashion with the vibrant ‘Ain’t Over Yet’, B.B. And The Blues Shacks continue their fine form with yet another consistent and thoroughly compelling set of songs that sees Lonesome In The Moonlight among their best works to date.
Nathan Olsen-Haines (Rhythm Bomb Records)
