Blues, Balls & Boogie

Very few of the British blues-rock bands of the '60s were still active in the 2000s; the exceptions to that rule included the Yardbirds (who broke up in 1968 and reunited for their Birdland album in 2003), Ten Years After and the long-running Savoy Brown. Of course, describing Savoy Brown as long-running is not to say that they have maintained the same personnel since their formation in 1966; Savoy Brown has been a revolving door, and one could write a book about all the different Savoy lineups that have existed over the years. Unfortunately, the liner notes for Blues, Balls & Boogie don't bother to tell us where or when this live CD was recorded, or which Savoy Brown lineup we're getting; recording dates and credits are nowhere to be found. Such sloppy, careless packaging drives collectors insane, but whatever the lineup and venue, Blues, Balls & Boogie is an exciting document of Savoy Brown on-stage. Kim Simmonds, true to form, really burns on sweaty, inspired performances of staples like "Hellbound Train," "Needle and Spoon," "Street Corner Talking" and "Train to Nowhere"; Simmonds has been the constant in the numerous incarnations of Savoy Brown that have existed along the way, and his dynamic guitar playing is impossible to miss. The lone studio track on this 66-minute disc is the blue-eyed soul-flavored "Run to Me," which is likable but lacks the urgency of the live material. Despite the inexcusable lack of credits and recording dates (even approximate recording dates would have been nice), Blues, Balls and Boogie has a lot going for it and underscores the fact that live performances -- whichever the lineup -- have long been one of Savoy Brown's strong points. ~ Alex Henderson