Published on Feb 4, 1999
To best describe Savoy Brown’s music, is basically your typical
boogie-woogie rock and roll. Savoy Brown featured 3 members (Dave
Peverett, Roger Earl and Tony Stevens) would later form another
popular rock-n-roll-boogie band, Foghat. Savoy Brown’s most
well-known album is the 1971 release,
Street Corner Talking, which features two popular songs by
the band, “Tell Mama”, and a great remake of The Temptations’
“Can’t Get Next To You”. The follow-up to this album, their 1972
release,
Hellbound Train, is just as good as their predecessor
album.
The album leads off with a good boogie rocking song, “Doin’
Fine”. It’s very bouncy, and gets you going. “Lost And Lonely
Child” is a much slower number, with a 1960s
progressive/psychedelic feel. This song has a sound similar to the
rock band Traffic.
“I’ll Make Everything Alright” is another boogie song, but I
kind of like “Doin’ Fine” a bit better. “Alright” is a good song
though, as it features a cool organ solo, kind of like Ray Manzarek
of The Doors, when The Doors recorded two albums after Jim Morrison
died (
Other Voices,
Full Circle).
“Troubled By These Days And Times” is another slow ballad, and
this one has a gospel touch to it, with the piano and organ sounds
heard in church-gospel songs. This one kind of reminds me of the
very early years of Joe Cocker’s career, and the vocal style
reminds me of the soulful ballads of David Clayton-Thomas &
Blood, Sweat & Tears. This song is very impressive from a band
known for only playing boogie rock & roll.
“If I Could See An End” returns the band in their boogie-woogie
rock form. Like “Doin’ Fine”, it’s another groovin’ head-bouncing
tune.
“It’ll Make You Happy” has some soul in it, as this one is rock
mixed with blues, as in the style of a slow blues tune by
Steppenwolf. It also features some cool keyboard organ work.
Lastly, the title track is mostly a slow rock number that has a
instrumental jam at the end, and the comparison style of this song
is that of Paul Rodgers & Bad Company.
Hellbound Train is a very impressive album to listen to. It
doesn’t have as many rockin’ boogie tunes, but the slow songs heard
here are just as great as the boogie numbers found on this album.
All in all, this album is a runner-up to their best album,
Street Corner Talking, and if you’re a fan of late-Sixties
early-Seventies music, you will not be disappointed.