Ramsay Midwood
Undone
(Vanguard)
First Appeared at The Music Box, October 2003, Volume 10, #10
Written by John Metzger
Forget the Doors of the 21st Century. Ramsay Midwood is the true
reincarnation of Jim Morrison. Shoot Out at the OK Chinese Restaurant,
his debut, provided plenty of fodder in support of this theory, but his recently
released EP Undone is a more accurate representation. The pairing of the
traditional Rattlesnake with Rollin’ in My Sweet Baby’s Arms is
brought to a slow, Bo Diddley-style boil, that calls to mind Morrison’s frequent
jaunts through Who Do You Love?, while the opening wallop of Prophet
Omega Riff and Chicago simmers in its Gloria-derived groove.
It’s clear that Midwood not only understands Morrison and his love of the blues,
but that he also has a firm grasp of those artists who inspired him. A cover of
the Grateful Dead’s He’s Gone is darker, duskier, and far grittier than
anything that Garcia and company conjured — think of what the Dead might have
done with it had Pigpen been the lead vocalist — and Link Wray’s Hobo Man
veers off into a hybrid of country, blues, and rock that warrants comparisons
with Creedence Clearwater Revival. At no point, however, does Midwood sound like
he is simply mining the past to create an imitation of it. Instead, his heartily
impassioned performances on Undone are full of the blood and guts that
Morrison spilled on stage, night after night, at the peak of his abilities. 
˝
Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2003 The Music Box