Walter Trout and Friends
Full Circle

(Ruf)

First Appeared in The Music Box, March 2007, Volume 14, #3

Written by John Metzger

On Full Circle, his first collection of new material since 2001’s Go the Distance, Walter Trout pays tribute to the many musicians with whom he has worked over the course of the past 35 years. As a result, the outing turns the blues upside-down. While Trout may be singing about the difficulties of life and love, the overriding ambience that pervades the set is one of celebration. Joined by an array of special guests — Joe Bonamassa, Bernard Allison, and Coco Montoya, among them — Trout leaves no stone unturned as he weaves together a stylistically eclectic examination of the space where blues and rock collide. With the help of Eric Sardinas, Trout gives birth to the fiery, acoustic refrains of Firehouse Mama, a song that sounds like a long, lost track from Led Zeppelin. Similarly, his collaboration with John Mayall on She Takes More than She Gives is a slowly simmering epic that suitably explodes in a burst of churning, gut-wrenching passion. Elsewhere, he teams with Junior Watson for a brief but playful romp through Slap Happy, and he and Guitar Shorty put a charge into Wrapped around Your Finger. Trout’s single-take approach to recording Full Circle lends to the endeavor the kind of urgency that can’t be manufactured. On the other hand, it also means that there are moments when he loses his focus by allowing the jams to meander. Still, in forsaking the soulfulness that from time to time has surfaced within his work, Trout has crafted an energetic and stirring affair that effectively captures the intensity of his live performances. ½

Of Further Interest...

Albert Collins - Live at Montreux: 1992

John Mayall - In the Palace of the King

Jimmy Witherspoon - Live at the 1972 Monterey Jazz Festival

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Ratings

1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!

Copyright © 2007 The Music Box