Mick Taylor - "Session Musician 1990's"
Carla Olson & Mick Taylor "Live"
Demon Records, 1990 (French Import)
Live at The Roxy Theater, Hollywood, March 4, 1990
Who Put The Sting On The Honeybee?
Slow Rollin' Train
Trying To Hold On
Rubies And Diamonds
See The Light
You Can't Move In
Broken Hands
Sway
Hartley Quits
Midnight Mission
Silver Train
Rakatan "Better Than That"
Auriga Records, 1990
Better Than That
Song For Merlin
Give Her A Reason
He Can Stay
Even Though They Know
Andy
Steer Clear
When You Want It
Show You
Then I'm Sure You'll See
Carla Olson & Mick Taylor "Too Hot For Snakes"
Razor & Tie, 1991
(See "Live" on Demon Records)
Dramarama "Vinyl"
Elektra, 1991
(This Is An Excellent Record!)
Classic Rot (4:22)
Bob Dylan "the bootleg series volumes 1-3"
Columbia, 1991
Someone's Got A Hold of My Heart
Tell Me
Lord Protect My Child
Foot Of Pride
John McVie's "Gotta Band" with Lola Thomas
Warner Music, 1992 (German Import)
Evidence
Now I Know
Lost What You Had
Shot Down By Love
Step Aside
You Left Me Lonely
The Bigger The Love
All That I Was Guilty Of...
One More Time With Feeling
The Way I Do
Elliott Murphy "Diamonds by the Yard"
Razor & Tie, 1992
Don Covay Tribute "Back To The Streets"
Shanachie Entertainment, 1993
Somebody's Enjoying My Home (With Chuck St. Troy)
Carla Olson "Within An Ace"
Watermellon Records, 1993
Justice
World Of Pain
Fortune
Within An Ace
How Many Days
Rescue Fantasy (Co-Writer)
Is The Lady Gone
Gerry Groom "Once In A Blue Moon"
Shattered Music, 1993 (Recorded 1991)
Coastin' Home
Mick's Jam
Music Teacher
Suzie Q
I Can't Be Satisfied
Carla Olson "Reap The Whirlwind"
Watermellon Records, 1994
Reap The Whirlwind
Kinderwars
Honest As Daylight
Peter Schleicher "Steinzeit"
VM-Records, 1994 (Austrian Import)
Honky Tonk Women
Get Off My Cloud
You Can't Always Get What You Want
Let's Spend The Night Together
Sympathy For The Devil
Jumpin' Jack Flash
Gimme Shelter
The Last Time
We Love You
Salt Of The Earth
Finis Tasby "People Don't Care"
Shanachie, 1995
You Don't Have To Worry
Carla Olson "Wave Of The Hand"
Watermellon Records, 1995
Kinderwars
Honest As Daylight
Within An Ace
Justice
Tom Newman "Fine Old Tom"
Voiceprint Records, 1995 (Austrian Import)
Day Of Percherons (Backing Vocal)
Juicy Lucy "Blue Thunder"
Outer Music, 1996
Going Back (5:33)
Sasha Gracanin "Shadow Man"
Savebone Music, 1996
The 1996 release featuring the guitar playing virtuosity of Mick Taylor. First off, I have only been able to locate this title as a Japanese import. It features 11 tracks and is on the Shavebone label (order number and matrix: ALCB-3147). A photo of Taylor with a Gibson Les Paul Standard graces the inlay cover of the CD, and there are many pictures in the booklet that comes with the disc. There is also a black and white booklet inserted in the package that looks to be a short biography on Taylor with lyrics to the tracks. It's written in Japanese, so I'm not certain (my Kanji, Hiragana, and Katakana, are a bit weak these days).
The packaging would lead you to believe that this might be the long awaited studio follow-up by Taylor....but it isn't. It's Sasha Gracanin's record and features Taylor in his familiar role as a session guitarist. Other musicians are:
T.M. Stevens - Bass
Steve Perrone - Drums & Percussion
"Borko" - Organ & Piano
Robin Clark, Vivian Cherry, Tawatha Agee - Backing Vocals
Lenny Pickett, Paul Alex, Earl Gardner - Horns
First the generalities...then the specifics:
- The disc can generally be described "pop" rhythm and blues
- There is a fare amount of production, including lots of horn and back-up vocals
- Gracanin sounds like a trained vocalist (noted in his vibrato), but his range is limited. His vocal tone is akin to Dr. John.
A track by track commentary (with a Taylor bias of course):
Turn Off The Light: An up tempo tune with horns in the chorus and back-up vocalists in full swing. It features an inspired Taylor solo, that is only the beginning of a entire CD worth of very credible playing by "the man".
Hurt: A slow bluesy track. Taylor noodles expressive solos and arpeggios throughout the track (he's in the right channel). The solo is clean the tone is signature Taylor.
Just Another Heartache: Sort of a funk number. Taylor plays with a noticeable reverb effect . It sounds like he is switching from playing double fingered octaves to lead lines.
Shadow Woman: A keyboard and harp dominated track with mean short solos filling the "center" of the mix.
Don't Cry Little Woman: Taylor burns up the opening of the track. Clean slide with a big distorted sound. Taylor's solo is reminiscent of his live work with Dylan.
Honky Tonk Women: This may as well be Country Honk, because it only bares a slight resemblance to the Stones classic that Taylor helped transform into a classic rocker. Let just say "poetic license" has been taken with the lyrics, and the heavy use of back-up singers make the thing sound like a gospel revival. Taylor plays a silky smooth slide solo.
Shattered: A slow dramatic track. Gracanin come through on this one. Taylor plays a long slow solo that highlights the guy's ability to make the notes stick with his combination of vibrato and sustain. The second solo features his signature switch toggling (reference Jumpin' Jack Flash, MSG July 26, 1972), pull offs, and rich tone.
Happy Man: Haven't I heard this song already? Lot's of horns and back-up vox. Taylor plays aggressive lead guitar the way he used to!
Don't Wait Too Long: A bluesy gospel call and response track. Taylor's
guitar tone is alive and well!
This Night: Gracanin's vocal has reverb that give the track some depth. Taylor plays a catchy solo and is heard soloing in the closing minutes of the song. I think they missed the ending.
Someday (listed as a bonus track): Amazing solo at the close of the song. Taylor plays the notes fast and clean.
Taylor plays well on every track, which for me is worth the price of admission.
"Knights Of The Blues Table"
Viceroy Music, 1997 (Compilation Disc)
You Shook Me - Mick Taylor (Vocal) includes Max Middleton (10:16)
Black Cat Bone "Taylormade"
Double Dutch Records, 1997
For the most part Mick Taylor has been a busy guy since leaving the Rolling Stones in December 1974, and with the release of his own self titled album in 1979. He's done reunion tours with the Bluesbreakers, formed various bands of his own, and recorded as a session musician on a countless number of records. Despite all this activity his musical milestone remains his 1979 solo release. Nothing has seemed to come close to that achievement since his leaving the Stones . . . maybe until now. Self professed Taylor fan Hans-Jorg Muller caught-up with Mick on his recent extended stint in Europe and managed to get him into a recording session with his band Black Cat Bone. The resulting CD is called "Taylormade" and is on the Double Dutch record label (order number 99006).
Black Cat Bone are:
Hans-Jorg Muller - Vocal, guitar
Linus Wahl - Keyboards
Stephan Wegner - Bass
Uli Wagner - Drums, percussion
Guest Musicians:
Mick Taylor - Guitar, vocal
Andre Schnisa - Hammond organ
Arno Hass - Saxophone
Wake Up Call (4:14) - A great up-tempo opener for the album that begins with rich tonal lead lines by none other than Mick Taylor. Hans-Jorg on excellent vocal delivery. Taylor switches between cleanly played leads and slide guitar. This song was first recorded by Taylor on John Mayall's 1993, Bluesbreaker reunion release "Wake Up Call" on Silvertone Records (he also plays on the track Not At Home).
Ain't That I Don't Love You (3:58) - A slower blues that doesn't include Taylor. This song provides first indication of what is about to come. Muller is a first rate guitar player. As the album goes on Taylor and Muller team-up in what can only be described as a GUITAR EXTRAVAGANZA! A subtle and tasteful keyboard backs-up a funky blues rhythm that forms the basis for the track.
The Stumble (3:21) - This song was first recorded by blues great Freddy King on his album "Let's Hide Away and Dance Away". It was written by Freddy King and his piano player Sonny Thompson. It was also covered by Taylor's old band The Bluesbreakers, but with the incarnation that included Peter Green on the "A Hard Road" album. Taylor has also played the song on Bluesbreaker reunion tours, and a great version is heard on the "May I Have A Record Contract" LP/CD and "The Dark Side of Midnight" 2LP bootlegs. The studio version heard on "Taylormade" is a special treat because it has both players blazing away with guitar call and response, dual leads, and exchanging solos throughout the song. The liner notes even go to the extent of telling us that Taylor is in the left channel and Muller is in the right!
Cold Champagne (4:20) - This is an original composition again just featuring Black Cat Bone. Sort of a Jazz-Blues fusion driven by melodic riffing and lead forays into the far reaches of mode and technique. Some of the guitar lines are very Taylor-like
Blind Willie McTell (10:05) - Blind Wille McTell was born in 1898 and was blind from birth. He was a Delta bluesman who recorded a string of 51 songs between September, 1933 and July, 1936 and could play a twelve string guitar with the ease of a ukulele. In his last recording session in 1956 he even recorded a Keith Richards favorite "Salty Dog" which was originally done by Charlie Jackson. One of his "greatest hits" was an ingenious number in dropped-D tuning called "Statesboro Blues", which was also an inspiration to The Alman Brothers Band on their "At Fillmore East" record. The song Blind Wille McTell is the lost Dylan track from the "Infidels" sessions (later released on the "Bootleg" box) that included guitar work by Mick Taylor. He has been covering the song for some time now in live performances, but we have a chance to hear his vocal and guitar in the pristine confines of the studio with a capable band anticipating his every musical move. Taylor sings the words along with his guitar, sounding out the notes vocally as they come into his head and from his guitar all at once. Stinging solo breaks are interspersed between the collage of sound.
Mick's Song (6:23) - A jazz fusion instrumental that includes lead and rhythm guitar by Taylor. Arno Haas fills the song out with a soulful sax solo. Taylor is playing in the right channel with what sounds to be a Fender Stratocaster complete with "tremolo" bar effects.
Get Out Of My Life Woman (4:47) - A vocal by Muller and featuring only Black Cat Bone. There are two guitars (overdubbed) on the track, but Taylor is a no show. There is some real guitar pickin' going on here. A sax solo breaks-up the guitar groove.
Slow Blues (4:17) - Yes! The song from Taylor's 1979 effort. This time a dueling guitar version with both instruments pumping out fat, rich tone. As on the "Shadow Man" CD he is playing flawlessly, taking risks but making no mistakes.
Heart Fixin' Man (4:30) - Black Cat Bone delivers a standard blues number with flowing solos between the versus. Check out the soloing on the outro, Muller has his chops down.
"If your man don't treat you right, let me show you how I can"
"I don't care how you've been hurt, because I'm your heart fixin' man"
Mercy, Mercy (4:23) - Not the Don Covay song covered by the Rolling Stones on the 1965 release "Out of Our Heads", but a jazz influenced instrumental. Mick Taylor plays on the song Somebody's Enjoying My Home on the 1993, Don Covay Tribute CD "Back To The Streets".
Italian Summer (3:54) - Up tempo riff induced instrumental with expressive solo breaks in between cleverly placed bridges. Unfortunately, not a follow-on to the lost Bluesbreaker slide guitar track Italiano Style, played on the 1983 tour.
Blue Shadows (4:14) - A slow Chicago style blues with Muller on vocal, but it's the guitar solo that will bring you back for another listen. Classic personification of the blues . . . "You know the blues walked in this morning when my baby said good-bye"
These guys are musicians and they are able to wrap their enthusiasm around the playing of guitar hero Mick Taylor in way that is absolutely complimentary to his style and technique. This may be the best follow-on to "Mick Taylor" that we will hear until his new studio effort is released in the next few months.