REVIEW: Bill Wyman and the Rhythm Kings, Struttin' Our
Stuff
- Linda Scott
Six years ago, Bill Wyman left the Rolling Stones; his 31-year run as the Stones' bassist came to an end when he developed a dissatisfaction with touring. After he left, Wyman pursued non-musical interests setting up London's Sticky Fingers restaurants, writing his autobiography, Stone Alone , and doing professional photography. Luckily, the musical call was too strong, and Wyman has been exploring musical genres other than the hard rocking Stones style.
His latest musical excursion is the ambitious Struttin' Our Stuff . Wyman has a new group, The Rhythm Kings; and the band has produced a 12 track debut album featuring blues, R&B, and jazz styles dating back to the 1920s. Struttin' Our Stuff is challenged to take this variety of genres over a long time period and captive 1998 listeners. A difficult project, Wyman was wise enough to select talented musicians for The Rhythm Kings (Beverly Skeete, Terry Taylor Dave Hartley and Graham Broad) and season the music with outstanding guests including Eric Clapton, Peter Frampton and Albert Lee among others. These performers add a level of sophistication and polish to the debut album.
Struttin' Our Stuff has a polished, professional sound that's striking even at first listen. The album opens with a cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival's 1969 hit "Green River". An instant attention-getter, this version is so close to the original that it's startling when Wyman and Skeete come in on vocals. Taylor does excellent guitar work here. The cover of the Stones' "Melody" is not as close. The jazz/blues sound is still there, but the lyrics have changed somewhat to accomodate the male/female duet of Fame and Skeete. Clapton comes in on guitar - always a showstopper. Wyman wrote a blues ballad, "Bad To Be Alone" which Skeete sings to perfection in the style of the 20s blues clubs, and the Wyman/Taylor composition, "Going Crazy Overnight", possesses a distinctly Southern feel.
The band also covers Willie Mabon's "I'm Mad" (1953) and Howlin Wolf's 1961 track "Down In The Bottom". The album's closing track, John D. Loudermilk's hit from the early '60s, "Tobacco Road" features Paul Carrack on vocals with Frampton on guitar, and solidly wraps up this collection.
Struttin' Our Stuff is an ambitious album with different styles and several performers. Great performances from The Rhythm Kings and Wyman's guests make a professional 'debut' album belying the fact that each track was done in 1 to 3 takes. The album is quite good, with lots of excellent covers interspersed with original works, but it remains primarily for those with a broader musical interest range.
