The Robert Cray Band – 4 Nights Of 40 Years Live cd/dvd

album by:
The Robert Cray Band - 4 Nights Of 40 Years Live
Version:
cd/dvd
Price:
£12.67

Reviewed by:
Rating:
5
On 5 September 2015
Last modified:5 September 2015

Summary:

This cd/dvd collection can do no wrong as far as I’m concerned, this is a great homage to nothing short of a living legend, Robert Cray, we salute you.

The Robert Cray band have been around knocking on for well over 40 years, and in that time have released some amazing blues music, led by singer, guitarist and songwriter Robert Cray this latest release was recorded over four nights at four different venues in Los Angeles. The album showcases the music that spans Cray’s four-decade career. The bonus CD includes archive footage from the 1982 San Francisco Blues Festival and a 1987 appearance on the Dutch TV.

The thirteen cuts are selected from the Cray Band’s recording library of 20 releases.  Among them are rock radio favorites “Bad Influence” and “Right Next Door (Because of Me),” the soul searing “Love Gone to Waste,” and “These Things,” a bluesy ballad that features one of Cray’s string-bending heartfelt guitar solos.  The live CD is the fourth Cray Band release produced by Steve Jordan, who plays drums on several cuts. Also guesting are vocalist Kim Wilson and harmonica player Lee Oskar, tenor saxophonist Trevor Lawrence, trumpeter Steve Madaio and saxophonist Tom Scott.

Robert Cray is a blues master, the talent on display here is nothing short of sensational, the way he allows the band to play, to be an integral part of his make-up is the sign of a musician at ease, the band may be named after him, but they are just as important to the overall texture of the music. The way he understates his playing on ‘Won’t Be Coming Home’ is truly magnificent.

For me though, ‘Poor Johnny’ will always be the song to mark Robert out as a true great blues guitarist, this six minute masterpiece captures Roberts understanding of relationships quite like no other person can, his singing rich and emotive, his playing just soars and drags you into the song, willing you to be a part of it, truly captivating.

The DVD opens with Black and White stills of Robert Cray and him talking about the music, the  rehearsing  and other backstage snippets. There are observations of Robert by Eric Clapton, Jimmie Vaughan and many others praising Robert Cray’s live, emotional and  powerful performances.This cd/dvd collection can do no wrong as far as I’m concerned, this is a great homage to nothing short of a living legend, Robert Cray, we salute you.

CD 1

  1. I Shiver
  2. I’ll Always Remember You
  3. Poor Johnny
  4. Won’t Be Coming Home
  5. On The Road Down
  6. Sittin’ On Top of the World
  7. Wrap It Up
  8. Love Gone To Waste
  9. Bad Influence
  10. These Things
  11. Right Next Door (Because Of Me)
  12. The Forecast (Calls For Pain)
  13. Time Makes Two

 

Disc 2 (bonus disc):

  1. I Guess I Showed Her *
  2. Right Next Door (Because of Me) *
  3. Smoking Gun *
  4. Still Around *
  5. Too Many Cooks ^
  6. T-Bone Shuffle ^

* Live at Dutch TV Show “Countdown” 1987

^ Live at SFO Blues Festival San Francisco 1982

Dvd track list:

Intro / I Shiver

T-Bone Shuffle

Love Gone To Waste

I Guess I Showed Her

I’ll Always Remember You

Your Good Thing Is About To End

Too Many Cooks

Wrap It Up

Won’t Be Coming Home

Smoking Gun

Sittin’ On Top of the World

Two Steps From The End

Bad Influence

These Things

Right Next Door (Because Of Me)

The Forecast (Calls For Pain)

Time Makes Two

 

This cd/dvd collection can do no wrong as far as I’m concerned, this is a great homage to nothing short of a living legend, Robert Cray, we salute you.

About David Farrell

General Manager and 'THE' competition guy at planetmosh.com. Manager of The Goddanm Electric www.thegde.co.uk, Tour manager for Serpentine, and ex-general Dogsbody at Hammerfest.co.uk. Media partner to numerous bands. Also takes photos, writes reviews and likes classic rock, with a touch of thrash to get the blood flowing.