Ain't It For Real (The Love And Pain Of Chris Youlden)

Singer Chris Youlden was the former lead vocalist for the British blues band, Savoy Brown, who along with the original Fleetwood Mac, John Mayall's Bluesbreaker's, Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated, and early Cream were part of the English blues/rock movement of the 1960's. Specializing in a swampy sort of Chicago blues, Savoy Brown found an audience among the American ballroom crowd, particularly those at Detroit's Grande, where their brand of boogie was simpatico with the Motor City industrial aesthetic. With his seemingly ever present cigar, and prone to adopting a Bowler hat and monocle for presence, Youlden made for a somewhat affected, but memorable front man. Although Savoy Brown were never my cup of tea, I did take an interest in a few of their recordings, namely 'Raw Sienna' and 'Street Corner Talking,' but I soon lost their number and eventually fell out of touch. In 1972, after Youlden had split the band, he released his first solo outing, 'Nowhere Road,' which then caught my ear with the great 'Pick Up My Dogs And Gone,' a far cry from the Savoy Brown sound. A highly seasoned debut, 'Nowhere Road' contained a few other spices in the form of 'Cryin' In The Road,' 'In The Wood,' and 'Wake Up Neighbours,' aided by the help of Chris Spedding, Danny Kirwan, and others. Marginally successful, it was the aforementioned 'Pick Up My Dogs' that pointed the direction for his follow up, the more confident and enlightened 'Citychild' one year later, this time with Jack Mills and Pete Wingfield adding their talents to the fold. Key tracks here were 'Conjure Wife,' 'The Morning Light,' 'Keep You Lamp Lit' and 'Walking The Streets Again.' Collectively, these two LP's showcase a musician who was not only spreading his wings, but also stretching the boundaries of his native muse to create a thoroughly satisfying and enjoyable set of music. If you're expecting Savoy Brown redux, it's not what you'll find here. There's none of the status quo that's normally associated with the style of blues they mined; dueling guitars and such, gratuitous drum solos, or cries of "let's boogie now!" Instead, you'll hear songs in a well executed blues based platform with interesting arrangements that incorporate tinges of jazz, rhythm & blues, and soul, all under 5 minutes in length, and all delivered in the inimitable voice of Chris Youlden. Give it a spin!

Nowhere Road

1) Nowhere Road
2) One October Day
3) Chink Of Sanity
4) Cryin' In The Road
5) Mama, Don't You Talk So Loud
6) Standing On The Corner
7) In The Wood
8) Wake Up Neighbour
9) Street Sounds
10) Time Will Tell
11) Pick Up Your Dogs And Gone


Citychild

12) Conjure Wife
13) Born And Raised In The City
14) The Morning Light
15) Keep Your Lamp Lit
16) Little Cog In A Big Wheel
17) Peace Of Mind
18) Walking The Streets Again
19) Spare Change
20) Love And Pain
21) Ain't It For Real

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