Taylor, Hound Dog / The Houserockers / Brewster Phillips - Tearing The Roof Off: Hard Rocking Chicago Slide Guitar Blues 1962-1982 : 2 x CDs (Mega Blowout Sale)
SKU
23-JSP 2505
“When I die, they'll say 'he couldn't play shit, but he sure made it sound good!' Hound Dog Taylor While producing this set JSP's John Stedman remarked 'the reason this music is so tough, it's played by tough old bastards.'
Hound Dog Taylor and The HouseRockers (Hound Dog on slide guitar, Brewer Phillips on guitar and Ted Harvey on drums) were indeed tough - both on and off stage. Greg Lawrie, a musician who toured with Hound Dog during a 1975 Australian tour (with Freddie King, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, Alexis Korner and Duster Bennett) described Hound Dog and the HouseRockers as 'one of the rock 'n' rollinest bands ever, completely authentic, 100% raw blues, real rock and roll blues. Hound Dog tore the roof off every night with his slide guitar. He was a fantastic player, very basic, but he hit what needed to be hit, no more, no less.'
Bruce Iglauer described Brewer Phillips as: 'The rawest and most energised bluesmen I ever heard. His playing and singing were totally unpolished. He took lots of musical chances and made tons of mistakes, but his playing was full of infectious rhythmic drive, and he had more fun on the bandstand than virtually anyone I've ever seen.'
Brewer's guitar sound is described as 'deep rooted in the Delta blues' and as having an 'ice pick-in-your-ear sheet-metal tone produced from his battered Telecaster executed with a thumb pick and bare fingers.”
“This is a good collection of Taylor/Houserockers no holds barred music. Along with second guitarist Brewer Phillips and Ted Harvey on drums they made some wild raucous music in the best traditions of tough sounding barroom blues. Influenced by Elmore James among others, if this music doesn't keep you awake then goodnight.
Included here is the earlier album from Phillips that fits right in with Taylor's own style of music. Listen to Phillips' rough edged playing (using a thumb pick) which fits right in with Taylor's slide guitar style. Also here are Taylor's early singles, plus there's live tracks with Lefty Dizz and the Houserockers, but the focus is primarily on Taylor. Plus there's a live track from Australia from a tour the band did. There's also a number of live tracks from Florence's Lounge from '69/early '70s that's an example of how Taylor sounded in his element. They're a bit rough sound-wise but still listenable and authentic and exciting for Taylor fans.
This is tough, no holds barred electric blues with Taylor's exciting slide guitar out front. And having Phillips' album is a plus. Played a bit ragged but just right, it's the real deal of a style of blues now hard to find. If rough edged roadhouse blues is your thing--this is it.” - Stuart Jefferson