"Gritz-The Southern Music Magazine- Picks Somhelgisfel in Top 10 albums for 2002!" The Gritz says "Joe Richardson Express (Somhelgisfel) This is what a Rottweiler would sound like if it could play music, and Joe looks like that evil wizard in “Lord of the Rings.” If you want to conjure up some powerful spirits, don’t expect anything that will be easy to handle when the Express summons them-or else. This is primal, raging, and aboriginal in nature, and if you find the hair standing up on the back of your neck, just be glad your head is still attached to feel it".
Got the Blues.com review Of all the new material that I have previewed in the past many months, this recording is by far my personal favorite. "Way Beyond the Blues" is a wonderful showcase of both Richardson's diverse influences and outstanding musical talents. The recording bears a strong electric delta blues likeness while at the same time remaining fresh and original. There is a considerable Mississippi juke joint influence evident throughout the recording, as well as a goodly dose of Texas blues. The songs are all well written, Joe Richardson originals and the lyrics are with purpose. Oddly, the recording is somehow an extremely simple and straight-forward effort, yet at the same time a very powerful work. The band is three piece, with Joe Richardson providing the guitar and vocals, Kevin Phelan adding solid acoustic and electric bass, and Mike Taylor rounding out the lineup with some of the more tasteful drumming I have heard in a while. The CD is simple, in that there are no added players or extra instruments played on multiple tracks. Despite its simplicity, this is powerful and passionate music. What you hear from this band on this recording is what you get live. "Way Beyond the Blues" has added the name of the Joe Richardson Express to my list of "must see" artists. The set opens with a very Louisiana flavored "Medicine Man", which is Richardson's alter ego. After a slow blues powerhouse "Come Home Baby", the track "Dead Man's Money" offers the listener the first taste of Richardson's stinging slide guitar. The following three tracks include two of my personal favorites "Greyhound Bus" and "Kill Me Quickly", which are both laced with gut wrenching slide and soulful juke joint vocals. "Kill Me Quickly" is especially good, and is what we used to term as "boll weevil picking music". You folks from the south will know what I mean, while all others may just prefer to call it "evil". The other songs are all good, but time and space are not sufficient here to allow me to say all that I would like about this exceptional work. Suffice it say that this recording comes with my "must own" seal of approval...Tom Branson
Electric Blues Review In the past 3+ years I have operated Electric Blues, I have heard a good many excellent blues artists. There are an incredible number of extremely talented blues and blues-rock guitar players fronting blues bands, both in the US and abroad. However, the ranks are reduced quite a bit when considering guitar players who are also excellent vocalists. Throw in songwriting and the list gets even smaller. And when you also add the innate quality of a truly distinctive style/sound, the number is reduced to but a few. Joe Richardson exhibits all of these qualities. Excellent guitar, deep, earthy vocals, and interesting 'life's stories' songwriting. The distinctive piece of the formula results from a contradiction of sorts in his vocal, guitar, and songwriting styles, all of which are basic and straightforward, yet somehow at the same time commanding and powerful. Considering my reputation for favoring heavy handed blues-rock guitar, many regular readers of my reviews may be surprised to find me writing these words. Joe is by no means a flashy or self-indulgent player. But no doubt about it, he plays a mean brand of blues. While not flashy, Joe's guitar work is wicked, passionate and moving, regardless of whether he's fretting the notes or working with a slide. Oh yeah, and Joe even throws in a little harp now and again for good measure. The opening track, "Medicine Man", begins with Joe speaking in a heavy, deep, soulful voice, very reminiscent of a well-known soul singer who's name eludes me at the moment. This threw me off the track for a moment. Then, the speaking gives way to a rhythmic beat and chanting that is very clearly a taste of American Indian war dance music. Within the first few seconds of the first track, I was wondering what musical path this disc was going to take. The heavy rhythm continued, but once into the body of the song joe's vocals pulled things into more familiar territory, and I was motivated to listen further. The beginning of the second song was much more to my liking, and by the time the lead break of "Come Home Baby" was over, I was clearly a Joe Richardson Express fan. Way Beyond the Blues contains 11 original songs, 8 of which are gritty electric blues. Evenly spaced among those 8 electrified songs are 3 solo and/or acoustic songs. There are several standouts on this disc, including Lil' Mambo", "Come Home Baby", "Greyhound Bus", "Kill Me Quickly", "Damn That Guitar", and "Please Don't Love Me Anymore". I see this CD appealing to a very wide range of blues fans. Blues guitar freaks will appreciate his passionate playing, while at the same time his guitar is not of the over-the-top style that sends more traditional fans running for the hills. The earthy vocals and strong songwriting should also appeal to many. There's really not a segment of the blues contingent I would hesitate recommending this disc to. Due to the large amount of music I receive and purchase, I rarely listen to CDs for very long before I have to move on. "Way Beyond the Blues" has remained in my player longer than many.
Italian review by R. Guarnieri of "The Gate" A native of Austin, Texas, Joe Richardson shows the appearance of one of those musicians that live " on the road ". Long white hair, outlines almost from the American Indian, and a countenance like a rock. He looks as though you might find him in a lonely empty bar with a beer and the band by his side. In Texas, but also all over the world, many guitarists imitate Steve Ray Vaughan, but not Richardson! Joe is alone in the way to plays the blues. He draws from many diverse influences, and sometimes approaches the styles of the southern-rock bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd, Allmam Brothers, and Gov' t Mule. His guitar playing is not swift, but every note in its riff, weighs like a rock, similar to his voice, warm and at the same time, powerful. Listening to the CD, you'll notice no guitar on " Feelin' Like The Dead " showing he is not simply a blues guitarist, but a true and actual talent to listen to for the duration of the cd. Our compliments, really. Because of bluesmen like he, we will never want for the blues.
"Somhelgisfel" review by Rush Evans for Discoveries - Magazine for record and CD collectors With Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimmie Vaughan, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Eric Johnson, Ian Moore, Johnny Winter, T-Bone Walker, and so many others, can Texas produce yet another virtuoso blues guitarist? Yes, actually, and there are several noteworthy performers who would like you to be aware of this. Among them is one Joe Richardson, a middle-aged white guy with equally white hair and a pained look that certainly implies an appropriately blues-based life, presumably filled with heartache and hardship. His wailing electric guitar implies the same, with great effectiveness on his Express’s new CD Somhelgisfel (read : “some hell just fell”). And Richardson clearly fancies himself a blues guitarist. He indeed is a fine player with nothing too innovative or new in technique, just straight electric Blues. But it’s his pain-filled baritone voice that leaves the greater impression. His producer side (Richardson also produced the album) may have also been aware of this fact. Enough so that the man who often lets his guitar do his talking was confident enough to open the album with a guitarless track. “Feelin’ Like the Dead” (a blues title if ever there was one) features only Richardson’s dark and deep voice and a standup bass played with a bow. The arrangement is innovative and original. The opening cut also best demonstrates the player’s lyrical abilities and his own personal bouts with the blues. “Gonna take myself some vitamins, mix it with my whiskey, sip it with my gin. ‘Cause I don’t wanna wake up feelin’ like the dead.” From the dark beginning we are launched into a blistering ten additional tracks of raucous rocking blues. Again, this is no reinvention of the blues wheel, but Richardson and company possess one deeply distinguishing trait : credible sincerity found in a powerfully haunting voice.
"Somhelgisfel" review by Southland Blues Magazine Joe Richardson started playing the clubs of Southern Louisiana at age 13. Today, his Texas trio combines Delta swamp potions with genuine, hard-edged, frontier power. Richardson’s slide guitar and vocal lead interpret his eleven original stories with fire and rain. Bassist Kevin Phelan and drummer Richard Lamm provide a solid foundation through which the leader shapes his ideas and expands each with natural ease. While much of the session runs slow and swampy dark with a variety of percussive textures, natural night sounds and Richardson’s gravel-deep voice, it’s an eclectic program with a little of everything thrown in. “The Gospel” transitions from an earthy rap to a spiritual blues. “Feelin’ Like the Dead” includes bowed, upright bass passages that stir the soul. Richardson performs “Mass in Delta Minor” as a solo harp sonata with deep emotions. For the most part, the trio’s program weaves an authentic Mississippi Delta tradition through enjoyable elements from today’s environment. Listen to the audio samples at www.joerichardsonespress.com and decide for yourself how much of the band’s recipe rings out the old and how successfully they ring in the new. -Jim Santello
"Somhelgisfel" review by Guitar Nine Records Somhelgisfel features the Austin-based Joe Richardson Express taking full advantage of artistic freedom to deliver a set of truly haunting electric and acoustic blues tracks. The CD opens with a scary, lone upright bass as its only instrumentation, which suits the lyrics perfectly on "Feelin' Like The Dead". Richardson, guitarist and vocalist, takes you as close to the underworld as you'd like to go, then hits you with "Black Sheep Of The Blues", a Muddy Waters-inflicted track with killer slide work. More electric slide highlights include "The Gospel", with its wah-wah hook and blues-rap vocal. "Cry" follows "The Gospel", a send-up in the finest Texas blues tradition. Even an old time clawhammer banjo makes an appearance on the title track, a track that can really make you appreciate the grit and conviction in Richardson's vocal style. The 11 tracks on the CD are dripping with interesting guitar work, even as Richardson is not one to offer lengthy guitar solos as proof of his ability. Somhelgisfel is really a good example of how you can use tone, rhythm and attitude to create a superb guitar-based offering.
" Blues Revue for Somhelgisfel" Heavy South Texas trio the Joe Richardson Express brew strong stuff on "Somhelgisfel"(Viewpoint 0014).Richardson filters Delta blues through a very modern mind, in a manner of Jimmy Page but without ever venturing into rock 'n' roll territory."The Gospel" marries a huge backbeat to apocalyptic bass, slashing slide,and biblical imagery delivered half rap, half preach. Providing contrast are the dark acoustic workouts like the title cut and the downright pretty "Mass in Delta Minor."
Austrian magazine, Concerto's, Ein wudiges Nachfolgealbum fur das bereits ausgezeichnete way beyond the blues das trio Joe richardson gesang Saiteninstrumente Kevin Phelan bass und Richardson Lamm schlagzeug liefert abermals eine authentische Bluesplatteab, die erste nummer Feelin like the dead ist ein dunkler, minimalistischer aber emso einpragsamerer Blues, gefolgt vom rockigen Blacksheep of the blues. Autobiographischern wie The Gospel oder Golden Idol folgen Country blues wie Virginia. selbst Tom waits ahnliche Ansatze fehlen nicht, man hore etwa Witch Cat. Eine rundum gelungene Bluesscheibe
"Somhelgisfel" review by Bobtje Blues Ezine of Belgium-- Joe Richardson Express "Somhelgisfel" Full CD (Bobtje)........ "Who isn't aware by now of the existence of Joe Richardson Express from Austin, Texas, should really consider to change this. His latest album 'Somhelgisfel', can truly be seen as a rarity concerning sublimity. Inspired by celebrities as Robert Johnson, Howlin' Wolf, Lightin' Hopkins and others, this band succeeds with Kevin Phelan (bass) and Richard Lamms (drums) to set a true masterpiece, which according to me is able to write history. Joe Richardson guitarist/vocalist and also songwriter of all (eleven) songs deviates from the traditional chord schedules, normally brought into typical shuffle's or boogie's. Already in the first song 'Feelin' Like The Dead' you can meet this exceptional sound, brought forth by this band. Sometimes daring and risky as in "Trouble" and "The Gospel". I noticed a superb slide on guitar in the title song "Somhelgisfel". Or how the blues can tear your soul open, you can hear in "Black Sheep of the Blues " and "Golden Idol". Electric-Delta blues, renewing, refreshing but blues in all its sincerity and honesty is the way I can describe it best. Joe even seems to be a talented songwriter, "Mother Rain" is the living proof. It is rare that an album can fascinate me from the beginning till the end, this is one of the exceptions!!! Can it be said that this album, for the moment, is called the album of 2002 on Bobtjes Blues Pages".
" Kweevak.com's review of Somhelgisfel" Review by Laura Turner Lynch Somhelgisfel is the latest release from the Joe Richardson Express a blues band from Austin, Texas. Joe received his first guitar from his grandfather at the tender age of six. He spent many hours refining his sound and by age thirteen was playing clubs in South Louisiana. His devotion and passion for music has only increased during his long history of performing solo gigs and working with other popular bands such as the Vanilla Fudge. Joe is a powerful guitar, Dobro and harmonica player. Richardson's vocals are deep, earthy, gritty and honest. His songs are soulful and his Louisiana bayou roots shine through. Joe, like any wise blues man surrounds himself with gifted musicians. He is supported by Richard Lamm on drums and Kevin Phelan on bass. The trio is a tight combination of raw passion and synergy. Somhelgisfel grafts diverse branches of musical styles including the Delta blues, rock, hip-hop, gospel and boogie. 'Black Sheep of the Blues' is an unorthodox approach to heartfelt blues merging with scorching rock guitars. This song captures the highs and lows of living and playing the blues. 'The Gospel' is a creative fusion in which hip-hop is lost deep in the bayou. This song is storytelling at its best, complete with a funky beat and smokin' guitars. This melting pot is followed by 'Cry' with its hypnotic beat and more incredible string work by Joe. Somhelgisfel is brilliant in its straightforwardness and simple but full sounding format and the Joe Richardson Express are versatile blues at its best! • Recommended Tracks: (2,5,6)
Review from "The Austin Review" Intense, powerful, innovative, stunningly executed, and, at points, on the verge of overwhelming, Somhelgisfel (pronounce it ‘some hell ‘jis fell’—it isn’t Sorbian or Latvian), the product of Austin’s own Joe Richardson Express, is easily the blues CD of the year to date. It is a creative tour de force worthy of three of the best blues musicians in the business. The three supremely gifted artists comprising the Express are percussionist Richard Lamm, bassist Kevin Phelan, and the eminence grise of Austin blues, Joe Richardson, who composes, writes, plays guitar, slide guitar and the blues harp. Their last effort, Wayyyy Beyond the Blues (also Viewpoint Records) was remarkable. But Somhelgisfel transcends it. (Impressionistically, perhaps the most distinct difference between the two albums is the greater prevalence of the acoustic on Somhelgisfel as compared with Wayyyy, and a different set of philosophical objectives in the production.) Throughout, the lyrics are pithy, insightful and evocative. The music cuts as broad a swath as it possibly can, some songs tinged with the pungent tang of creole, others hauntingly spare, some shaped with a laying on of the gospel hands, yet others a screaming wild electric delta blues that rocks. Only that tiny but clamorous minority of paleolithic blues neanderthals, who believe that authenticity requires the stifling of every innovation, are likely to be displeased with this effort: it is relentlessly innovative and creative, out on the cutting edge of the evolution of the blues. Amazingly, two of the cuts, including the title track, were written in the studio four others are first takes and one (Mass in Delta Minor) is a jam session, created ex nihilo as the tape rolled. The sound is earthy, passionate, raw and gritty—it alternately caresses you and slaps you in the face. Somhelgisfel opens sparsely with Feelin’ Like the Dead, a brooding descent into the netherworld of scarred and anguished souls, John Fremgen’s upright bass punctuating the raw intensity of Joe Richardson’s voice: gonna take myself some vitamins Mix it with my whisky, sip it with my gin cause I don’t wanna wake up Feelin’ like the dead. Transported to a psychic landscape in an alternate dimension, you comprehend viscerally what Joe means when he says that “blues isn’t about a structured pattern, it’s about feel . . . and tone—and emotion.” With the very first cut the Express has captured that tone and channeled your emotions into a delta world populated with demons, devils on darkened wings, witch cats—and the hand of God. Blacksheep of the Blues then rips you from that reality and rocks and slides you into another extremity, the outsider’s conflicted soul, lyrics and music wonderfully integral and deliciously poignant: It’s too hot to rain. I’m too sad to cry Too weak to live, but I’m too live to die So I go on playin’, yea. I’m payin’ my dues Cause I’m the blacksheep of the blues. This same underlying theme also suffuses the following acoustic cut, Golden Idol. The ironic and perceptive ambivalence of the lamentations in Golden are subtly imbued in the biblical references. True, “Moses never got to the promised land”, but he brought the one true law written with the hand of God for all its superficial glory, the golden idol was a fatal, and idle, delusion. Somhelgisfel, the title cut, then takes you back ‘out on the edge of darkness [where] the devil called, the devil called my name.’ Though completely different in subject and pattern, it echoes with an eery reminiscence of Feelin’ Like the Dead: You’ve tortured me for ever I pray that soon you’ll fly Yes fly away on darkened wings Cause one of us, one is sure to die No review of this extreme brevity can possibly do justice to a CD of such magnitude. I can only add that I love bittersweet Virginia and that I waited for months to hear the superlative Mother Rain on CD. You can hear the album on the band’s thoughtfully designed website, www.joerichardsonex press.com, purchase the CD at Waterloo Records or at any number of other locations, or buy it at one of their live performances every Monday night at Austin’s Joe’s Generic Bar on 6th Street.
Review from "AustinExperience.com" Somhelgisfel, the latest CD from the Joe Richardson Express, is one of the most unique blues CDs that I've ever heard. Some of the tracks like Black Sheep of the Blues, Trouble, and Mother Rain are exactly what you'd expect to hear from an Austin blues band. But some tracks are an extreme departure from the norm. Joe Richardson has captured the essence of the blues on this CD. It's not about a formulary bass line, or SRV-like guitar licks. It's about the feeling of the blues. Somhelgisfel opens with Feelin' Like The Dead. Even though Joe is an accomplished axeman, Feelin' Like The Dead is sung backed only by a bowed upright bass. The somber tone and simplicity of the arrangement take you back in time to the old school blues musicians like Robert Johnson. Track 2, Black Sheep of the Blues, allows Joe to show off his skills playing slide guitar. Richard also gets his chance to shine. According to the liner notes in the CD, tracks 3 and 4 were written in the studio while waiting for equipment to be set up. The songs have a raw feel to them, and even though they were written on the fly, both Golden Idol and Somhelgisfel are remarkably well structured. Most songs have three distinct components that must all stand out on their own merit, yet come together to make a great song. The Gospel has two of the three. The lyrics convey a powerful story about God creating a guitarist who could play like no other. Joe, Richard, and Kevin all do a phenomenal job playing this Hendrix influenced piece. Unfortunately, the vocals are choppy somewhat reminiscent of early Red Hot Chili Peppers. This is really the only aspect of the CD that disappointed me. Two songs that really rise above the others are Virginia and Mother Rain. Virginia has an addictive rhythm executed with an acoustic guitar, subtle percussion, a muted bass, soft vocals, topped off by some infectious whistling. Mother Rain, while mellow like Virginia, takes on a completely different feel. Joe's skillful control of his instrument would make any Jimi or Stevie fan proud. To sum up, the Joe Richardson Express has an eclectic collection of songs that reaffirm what the blues are all about - a disregard for convention in an effort to convey true emotion. Looking at their website, it appears as if you can periodically catch the band at Joe's Generic Bar on 6th Street. This is a great venue to get an up close and personal show. I recommend checking them out.
review by the "The Groove"..... an Australian blues Magazine Blues-rock trio Joe Richardson Express are based in Austin, Texas. The line up is Joe Richardson (guitar, dobro, vocals & harmonica), Kevin Phelan (bass) and Richard Lamm (drums). The Expresses sound is all about feel, tone and emotion. Word has it that these guys are one hot live act. Their debut CD "Way Beyond The Blues" (VP0008) was released on Austin label, Viewpoint Records in 2000. The self produced "Somhelgisfel" was recorded at Two Coves Studio in Austin, Texas. Joe Richardson penned all of the tunes innovative blues shuffles and boogie originals that are lyrically strong. Awesome songs like the wah-wah and slide heavy "The Gospel", "Golden Idol", "Witch Cat", "Blacksheep Of The Blues", "Cry", "Mother Rain" and "(I Woke Up) Feelin' Like The Dead". The Lone Star State's Joe Richardson Express is setting new boundaries for the Blues.
Indie-Music review by Les Reynolds The Joe Richardson Express keeps on smokin'! Perhaps that's an appropriate comment about the Texas trio's new CD of 11 originals, "somhelgisfel." You'll figger it out eventually iff'n ya ain't already... It's a new release with a new drummer (Richard Lamm). Bassist Kevin Phelan joins Joe as the two remaining originals. It should be noted that Richard is slammin' solid as one-half the rhythm section. Gritty-voiced baritone that he is, Joe's drawling vocals aren't bad. And backed up by the talented strings of Kevin, it makes for a mighty sound indeed. Yep, just another lil' ole' band from Texas. Three guys. But they sure can play. Lots of this electric blues is slow and dark sounding. The first track utilizes an odd effect with the use of an upright bass (cello style) and gives you the real feeling about "feelin' like the dead." And, lyrically, it's not predictable, but the mood and atmosphere of those lyrics definitely is. From "Feelin' Like the Dead" -- "I woke up feelin' like the dead. Oh the pain in my head..." From the title track -- "Into my life somhelgisfel...outta the edge of darkness, the devil called, the devil called my name..." Of course, "Trouble Trouble Trouble" speaks for itself. The best tunes are the ones featuring Joe's wailing slide guitar. He holds nothing back and basically goes from a weeping slow burn ("Black Sheep of the Blues") to just tearin' it up (near the end of "The Gospel"). Another cool tune is the snappy, toe-tappin' "Virginia" -- while bluesy in verse, not quite too sad-sounding musically, especially since other sound effects are used -- including whistling. It's actually kind of light-hearted. And Joe's dobro threads through the lyrics and keeps it all together. It's an addictive ride on this train. Even when it's dark and sad, you just don't wanna get off.
Blues Bytes review by Graham Clarke The Joe Richardson Express return with another journey into the swampy delta blues sound that they captured so successfully on their previous release, Way Beyond The Blues. This follow-up, titled Somhelgisfel (Viewpoint Records), gives the listener more of those dark, atmospheric blues. Sometimes, it reminds me a lot of Buddy Guy's recent effort at the Fat Possum studio, as Richardson opens with a stark, stripped-down number, "Feelin' Like The Dead," then jumps into a rocking "Black Sheep of the Blues." The next number, an acoustic "Golden Idol," is a personal blues where Richardson laments his fortunes (or misfortunes) as a bluesman, comparing himself to Moses, who never got to see the Promised Land. "The Gospel" is another autobiographical track which features some scorching guitar. Other favorites include "Virginia," which sounds like a song Lightnin' Hopkins might have done, with Richardson begging a woman to take him back even though he knows he will do her wrong again, and the eerie "Witch Cat," which sounds like an outtake from Electric Ladyland. The Express (Kevin Phelan on bass and Richard Lamm on drums) again provides great support. Richardson is top notch on guitar and his vocals really fit the mood of the songs. In the liner notes, he writes, "…..Blues isn't about a structured pattern, it's about feel…and tone…and emotion..." Somhelgisfel is full of plenty of all three of these qualities and is highly recommended.
BluesRockers review by Tom Branson In the past 4-5 years of researching and reviewing blues and blues/rock artists over the Internet, I have had the great pleasure to discover some of the very finest music that I have ever had the privilege of hearing. I suppose that 75% or more of the music that I have purchased during that same period of time has come from independent artists who I more than likely would have never heard had it not been for the Internet. At the very top of my list of favorites of all the artists I have discovered in recent years remain the Austin based Joe Richardson Express. Richardson's music embodies all of the qualities that have so endeared me to indy recordings: raw passion, energy, and artistic freedom, which allow Richardson to play what he feels. He is a bit unorthodox in his recording philosophy, as many of the tracks are "first take" recordings and a couple of the tracks were written in the studio during the recording of the CD. This is actually a brilliant strategy, as it keeps his recordings sounding somewhat raw and definitely not overproduced, something I find very desirable about his work. The second track on "Somhelgisfel" kind of tells the Joe Richardson story in the title: "Black Sheep of the Blues". While Richardson may not appeal to blues purists (though anymore, I do not know who does) he will appeal to a very broad base of fans, including fans of delta, Texas, and swamp blues and blues/rock. His raw and passionate vocals at times exhibit influences of OLD country blues singers, at other times he sounds like an old Louisiana story telling seated upon your back porch. He has a considerable flavoring of gospel, delta blues, and juke joint stirred into his vocal chords as well. He is also an intensely personal songwriter, with all 11 tracks here being very fine Joe Richardson originals. His band is three piece, with Richardson on guitar and vocals, Richard Lamm on drums and Kevin Phelan on bass. This is a very talented trio who get more from every note they play than perhaps anyone else I have heard. Richardson's guitar is diverse in style, with some of the nastiest slide I have ever heard perhaps being his forte. However, this recording showcases more of his acoustic work, which is most excellent also. "Golden Idol" will perhaps describe Joe Richardson as well as any words that I can write. With just his incredible voice and his acoustic guitar, Richardson generates more power than a George Foreman uppercut. He can go from that, to powerful electric slide in "Black Sheep of the Blues" and "The Gospel", then on to old time country blues clawhammer banjo on the title track (which is musically very interesting), with a Texas rocking "Cry" thrown in for good measure. This is very diverse material from a very gifted performer. "Somhelgisfel", along with the very fine "Way Beyond the Blues" is available from the official Joe Richardson Express web site at www.joerichardsonexpress.com or from the fine folks at Viewpoint Records, online at www.viewpointrecords.com.
Pop Matters Review Of the album “subHuman” In 1991, Alan Wilder sampled the vocals from the 1937 track “Shake ‘Em On Down” by Mississippi bluesman Bukka White. Adding his own atmospheric electronic backing, Wilder named the track “Electro Blues for Bukka White” and placed it on the Bloodline album released under his recording alias, Recoil. Another track on the same album featured the underground dance music artist Moby — rapping. Eight years later Moby released Play, an album built mainly on samples of old blues and gospel singers set to atmospheric electronic backing. It became an international smash. Wilder never got much mainstream credit for putting such seemingly disparate genres together to such great effect. He was hardly the first artist to combine indigenous music with electronics (witness David Byrne and Brian Eno’s 1981 My Life in the Bush of Ghosts), but he was one of the first to apply the experiment to modern electronica. So when Wilder gets a hard time for following the same procedure on his latter-day albums, it hardly seems fair. What is fair to say, however, is that subHuman, Wilder’s latest album, is far from cutting-edge. It’s his first record since 2000 and only his third since leaving Depeche Mode in 1995. The intervening years have seen him effectively retired, and he’s admitted he doesn’t listen to a lot of current music. The result is that, for the first time in his career, Wilder’s music sounds a bit out-of-step technologically. SubHuman traffics in the thick, surging, hip-hop-inspired beats, sweeping strings, and grandiose arrangements he hit on nearly 15 years ago with Depeche Mode’s Songs of Faith and Devotion. As is typical of Recoil, those elements are put in service of long, amorphous compositions rather than traditional songs. Once more, the mood is bleak, oppressive, and sometimes “scary”. Once more, Wilder flirts with self-serious self-parody, especially since these days there’s no industrial or goth scene to fall into. And subHuman definitely shows no hints of contemporary electronica. If you thought Recoil was ridiculous then, you’ll probably find it ridiculous now. But if you’re on the fence, or new to Wilder’s solo work, you just might find that subHuman is his best and most accessible album since Bloodline. There are a couple reasons for this. First of all, the times have simply caught up with Wilder’s sound. This is Recoil’s first post-9/11 release and the tension, lack of subtlety, and apocalyptic feel are more than fit for this time of uncertainty and anxiety. Wilder’s dark, probing sound, however modern, always seemed a little silly in light of Clinton-era optimism and hedonism. In contrast, while hardly groundbreaking, subHuman would serve as the perfect soundtrack to your nightly world report. Greatly enhancing the album’s timely message is the man who delivers most of that message, heretofore little-known Delta bluesman Joe Richardson, whose voice is a deeply soulful, tortured cross between Howlin’ Wolf and Art Neville. Conducted via Google search, Richardson’s and Wilder’s unlikely pairing adds a newly visceral edge to subHuman, an edge which overcomes any musical anachronisms. Wilder actually flew to Richardson’s current base of Austin, Texas to record vocals, guitar, and harmonica. He also sampled Richard’s rhythm section for looping. Consequently, subHuman sounds more organic than any previous Recoil album. Most of the time, Wilder’s content to stand back and act as arranger rather than primary musician. “5000 Years,” in particular, begins as a straight-up blues number with prodding guitar, wailing mouth organ, and a bassline that descends into its resolution. Richardson’s distorted howling and growling is soon met with a martial snare drum. The music swells to a crescendo and then breaks down as a woozy trumpet stumbles in the background. “So full of hate, you’ve sealed your fate / And your world’s still crumblin’ down”, sings Richardson aptly. Things get even stranger when Wilder’s wife comes in on haunted cello. SubHuman has been criticized for its use of that tried and true postmodern trope, the sampled televangelist. But the sound bite that closes “5000 Years” is frighteningly pertinent: If necessary, God would raise up a tyrant, a man who might not have the best ethics, to protect the freedom interests of the ethical. A number of essays could be written on how that sentiment has been applied over the last seven years. Throughout the album, Richardson deals with themes of murder, death, and religion. “Prey”, with knee-slapping percussion and Richardson’s “Deep down in Louisiana…” intonation, is downright catchy…at least until it creeps out midway through. “The Killing Ground” whips up a tasty storm of slide guitar, thundering drums, and squishy electrobass. On “99 to Life”, Richardson adopts a Tom Waits-style rasp and adds some mean wah-wah guitar, while Richard Lamm’s drums rain down like hellfire. The shortest of the seven tracks is seven minutes, and most are multi-movement affairs. Those looking for a quick buzz won’t find it here, but the epic lengths are suited to the epic power of the compositions. On two numbers, Kate Bush-ish Carla Trevaskis takes over on vocals the ethereal “Allelujah” is a nice respite from Richardson’s intensity, but the overwrought “Intruders” is comparatively weak. Pretentious? Without a doubt. Contrived? Maybe, although it sounds surprisingly natural. SubHuman definitely plays like no other album released in 2007, and the available 5.1 surround version is sure to hit even harder. Electro-blues indeed.
Last.fm review of “subhuman” Now, following a 5 year break from recording, Alan Wilder returns with Recoil's 5th studio album, entitled subHuman released in July 2007. Collaborating this time is Blues-man Joe Richardson with his band Joe Richardson Express, whose evocative vocal style is complimented by accomplished guitar and harmonica performances. Born in Southern Louisiana, Richardson spent years immersed in the murkier side of New Orleans life and offers a unique commentary on conflict, religion, incarceration and personal struggle. English singer Carla Trevaskis, a songwriter in her own right, brings an expressive range and control to subHuman and has worked with artists as diverse as Fred de Faye (Eurythmics), Cliff Hewitt (Apollo 440) and Dave McDonald (Portishead). Says Wilder: “We seem to have learnt nothing from past experiences and our so called ‘civilised’ world is still awash with personal and global atrocities. From suicide bombings in the Middle East, to ethnic cleansing in the Balkans from the homophobic rhetoric of the Christian fundamentalist preacher, to the activities of Western governments engaged in their ‘war on terror’". SubHuman asks us to reach within ourselves and extract the very essence of what makes us human - and more importantly what allows us to subordinate others, sometimes with the most brutal consequences. "We are all 'subhuman' in somebody's eyes."
Amazon Reviews
1. Reviewed in the United States Keep the doors and windows unlocked when you hear this--a handy exit is the best thing for survival instincts when you feel your flesh crawl. This is what a Rottweiler would sound like if it could play music, and Joe looks like that evil wizard Saruman in “Lord of the Rings.” If you want to conjure up some powerful spirits, don’t expect anything that will be easy to handle when the Express summons them-or else. This is primal, raging, and aboriginal in nature, and if you find the hair standing up on the back of your neck, just be glad your head is still attached to feel it. Joe and his buddies can crack your back as well, just trying to move to those on-the-torture-rack rhythms. Lenny Kravitz gets a thumbs-up for “The Gospel,” and Jimi and Stevie Ray sent “Cry” and “Mother Rain” down from the Heaven’s Hall of Guitar Heroes. Watch out for the “Black Sheep of the Blues”: you’re gonna be the one who gets skinned for your hide. Not safe yet? There’s a touch of dobro mojo when you reach “Virginia,” but “Witch Cat” will boil you alive in a Louisiana bayou cauldron with a voodoo chant. Dig this--J.S. Bach gets soul too: Joe blows a “Mass in Delta Minor” on harmonica. Salvation comes with the morning light, and pray for mercy.
2. Somhelgisfel (pronounced: some-hell-just-fell) is a stong follow up to their debut release. This set offers guitar driven blues like "Black Sheep of the Blues" and "Trouble" as well as several acoustic tracks like "Golden Idol" and "Somhelgisfel"...and there's even a rap track called "The Gospel". I particulary like "Cry", it's very SRV as well as "Mother Rain". Electric or unplugged, Joe Richardson is probably the best bluesman to grace the streets of Austin since Stevie Ray Vaughan.
3. yummm Reviewed in the United Stat es Every now & then in a drunken haze I find myself stumbling to the door of Joe's Generic on 6th st Austin & askin "Is Joe Richardson Playin" --this hole in the wall no cover all beer bar is blues heaven when our white haired guitar god and his gang are jammin & that's when this drunk & many others are treated to some beautiful - beautiful music. This is one of my favourite cd's to drive to & should be part of every music blues lovers collection -- some of the best stuff on this cd is black sheep, feelin like the dead , trouble and the epic mother rain. its hard to review a cd for someone like the express cause after you've seen em play live listenin to their music again is like a high where u loose track of time & self & drown in the waves comin from his guitar, but for those who can't see em live pop in this cd -roll up that joint & slowly loose yourself to their music
