REVIEW: Walter Trout, Walter Trout (Ruf)
- Linda Scott
The European success of Walter Trout, yet his relative anonymity in his own country (United States), is as much a mystery to him as to his fans. An ace guitarist who ranked #6 among the Top 20 all-time greatest guitarists in a 1993 BBC poll (just 2 votes behind Jimmy Page) can not possibly have been ignored by American music fans - but, unfortunately, he has been.
At 46, Walter Trout is a man that has given his life to music. Known as a soulful, bluesy lyricist/vocalist with a killer guitar, Trout at one time played here for Canned Heat and John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. A Danish promoter and label rep spotted Trout and persuaded him to come to Europe, start his own band, and make some albums there. Over the past years, Trout has released seven albums in Europe only two of which including this current one have also been available in the US.
In Europe, Trout is known as a passionate, versatile blues/rock musician who likes all kinds of music from hard rock to sweet ballads, all of which he lays over a blues edge. High marks for songwriting and for singing where his good range and husky, masculine tone compliment his near-perfect delivery. Trout makes his eponymously-titled album a joy to listen to.
Trout has a three member band - bass, keyboards, drums - but he is clearly the band's focal point. The band does a good job on the 16 tracks of Walter Trout, and you can hear the influences from the Beatles to Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchel and Paul Butterfield. There are some lovely songs and some lonely songs. The first single off the album is "Tender Heart" promoted with a limited edition, heartshaped disk. The producer responsible for pulling all this together is none other that Jim Gaines who did such fine work for Blues Traveler, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Steve Miller, and Carlos Santana. The album is a professional one from the first track, "Got A Broken Heart", a blues rocker that shows what Trout can do. Who's going to like Walter Trout? People who like rock, people who like beautiful, meaningful lyrics, people who like the blues. But even though Trout has a reputation as a blues master, you don't have to be a huge blues fan to like Walter Trout. Trout has room for all kinds of fans. Let's hope this American musician stays here for a long time.
