Steve Hill: The One-Man Blues Rock Band Review
The truest definition of a one-man band, Canadian Steve Hill performs standing up while singing and playing guitar, his feet playing bass drum, snare drum, hi-hats and with a drum stick fused to the head of his trusty guitar, any other percussion within reach. An overnight sensation 20 years in the making, I can remember getting his first eponymous CD back in 1997. He had his own band back then, but recently, to great effect, has performed in the one man band format.
All this and some of the most fabulously attuned song writing skills from his vast back catalogue are on show and thereby providing the rounded sound of a full band in action, no more so than on opener “Rhythm All Over”. Hill then pounds his stand-up drum kit through blues/rock stompers “Go On” and “The Collector”, before adding harmonica on the country blues of “Tough Luck”. “Never Is Such A Long Time” shows Hill back to form, followed by the stomping “Hate To See You Go”. Things calm down for the next few tracks before the stomp box yet again brings us to “The Ballad Of Johnny Wabo” , amazing stuff! Closer “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)” is shown all the respect it deserves!
Steve Hill is proof, if needed, that men can multi-task and in his own words, “If there’s one album that really represents who I am and what I do, it’s this one”.
The Review : 9/10
Can’t Miss Tracks
– Rhythm All Over
– Damned
– The Ballad Of Johnny Wabo
– Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
– Never Is Such A Long Time
The Big Hit
– Never Is Such A Long Time
Review by Clive Rawlings