REVIEW by Geoff Follett
Reality Show by The Blues Buffet, 13 original hot tracks by Fred Loveridge (guitars/vocals), Murray Loveridge (bass guitar/vocals), Paul Wilson (keyboards/vocals), Adam Dixon (drums/background vocals). With additional musicians bringing flavour to the mix: Richard Littlejohn, Neil Billington, Trudi Christie, John Steedman, Clyde Dixon and Colin Luttrell.
The album begins with the sound effect of a radio dial being quickly tuned into a station and suddenly settling into the gutsy driving signature riff of She Dressed Me Up. Fred Loveridge's distorted lead vocal serves to draw the listener in as if eavesdropping into a private phone conversation. With a backdrop of warm electric organ and cutting guitar, this is a splendid four on the floor dance rock song.
The title track Reality Show is a piece of social commentary from Fred on the unnerving trend of television reality shows that will have the listener nodding in agreement. It's set to a traditional foot-tapping 12 bar blues riff complete with greasy harmonica and tinkling honky tonk piano in pure Chicago blues fashion.
Murray Loveridge steps up to the mike to perform three songs on the CD. Promises has a catchy melody over an edgy disco rock groove and introduces surprise jungle screams and a delightful percussion break three quarters through. Murray is in a reflective mood with a story of old friends well met on the hypnotic and swampy Camella that pulsates along as does his Latin Jazz crossed with Caribbean funk tune Live It Up.
The atmospheric Too Much Trouble from Paul Wilson displays his wonderfully mellow and cruisy keyboard work over a soulful soundscape featuring passionate background vocals from Trudi Christie. In contrast is Paul's bawdy tongue-in-cheek, fun funk groove complete with rock keyboards, piano, popping bass guitar and plenty of do-it-yourself double entendres. Paul's third song on the CD is a ragtime jazz/blues instrumental entitled Cold Sausage Ragg complete with great piano playing and keyboard synthesizer sounds integrated with ukulele, trumpet and some cool sax.
Honky tonk jazz piano crops up again on Fred's In My Room, a joyful and infectious snappy track in the best English music hall tradition with a great sing-along chorus.
A Dingo Took My Baby and Are You Kidding Me are both up-tempo, toe tapping jazz blues shuffle numbers featuring new wave keyboards, tight harmonies and razor sharp guitar playing. In the same vein, You Essay has Fred tipping his hat to the places that created the popular musical sounds from America. The song is a ragged and glorious musical trip through the good old US of A. An excellent updated Route 66. In the same vein is the final cut on the album, Yo Yo Mac. It's the only song not penned by a member of the band but written by the songwriting team of N Taptiklis and T Kaye who co-wrote early 70s hits for Kamahl (The Boy From Dundee) and Nash Chase (Anderson And Wise).
The sunny nature and great sense of musical fun is superbly played by the Blues Buffet's four principal writers/players and guest musicians, who really know their chops, and is well captured and mixed by Richard Littlejohn at Quartermoon Studios in Wanganui.
The band's secret weapon has to be Adam Dixon keeping expert time on those pagan skins.
With an amusing cover shot of the band relaxing in the stalls watching their own on-stage performance, taken by Mark Brimblecombe Photography, the CD is available from The Gatshack Music store, The Riverside Bar, and Scarlet Grace Hair & Beauty Salon at an easy-on-the-pocket $20 per copy.
Earlier releases from The Blues Buffett along with Reality Show are also available on iTunes.
You can catch The Blues Buffett along with other acts at the Paul's Road Music Festival on Sunday March 6, from midday to 6pm.