PHILIP SAYCE - review added 5th July 2011
Album Review: Ruby Electric (2011)
For fans of: Blues Rock
It's hard to know how to categorize this album from the unnecessarily talented Philip Sayce. The first half is a bunch of songs recorded with some of Sayce’s favourite musicians, produced by Dave Cobb and mixed by Mark Rains. The songs were recorded live in the studio, "through a collection of vintage equipment and musical instruments, utilizing Cobb’s signature recording and production techniques". The second half of "Ruby Electric" is a collection of live tracks recorded on the road in France, Germany, and Holland in 2010 and mixed by well-known recording engineer Eddie Kramer (Jimi Hendrix, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin).
It's also kind of hard to know what to make of the album. At the end of the day this is still Philip, and that means the performances are stellar. This guy is one of the best out there, but this album smacks of record company greed. If they wanted to do a live album they should have done one. If they wanted a 'cutting room floor' album featuring a load of b-sides and tracks that didn't make the full albums, that would have been fine too. "Ruby Electric" however is a mish-mash that doesn't know what it wants to be and, for me at least, devalues Philip's discography. And that's about that really...
In Summation:
One for completists and die-hards only, it's probably worth checking out the new tracks on iTunes, but the album as a whole seems pointless.
Entertainment/Enjoyment:
Musicianship:
Vocals:
Song Writing:
Production:
Overall (Not An Average Of The Above):
Track List:
01. Let The Love In
02. Set Us Free
03. Daydream Tonight
04. King Of New Mexico
05. Were You There
06. Ruby Electric
07. Helios (Live)
08. One Foot In The Grave (Live)
09. Powerful Thing (Live)
10. Slipaway (Live)
11. Alchemy (Live)
12. Take You Away (Live)
13. Angels Live Inside (Live)
14. Cinnamon Girl/I Want You (She's So Heavy) (Live)
Band/Performers:
Kenny Aronoff (drums)
Joel Gottschalk (bass)
Fritz Lewak (drums)
Fred Mandel (piano, organ)
Melissa Etheridge guests
Other Info:
Label: Provogue Records
Artist's website(s): Philip Sayce | MySpace | Facebook
