Heavy Blues

Personnel: Randy Bachman (vocals, guitar); Dale Anne Brendon (drums).
Audio Mixer: Kevin Shirley.
Liner Note Author: Randy Bachman.
Recording information: Metalworks Studios, Mississauga, Ontario.
Photographer: Callianne Bachman.
Randy Bachman gives away the game with the very title of Heavy Blues. The guitarist decided to devote himself to over-amplified blues on this 2015 project, teaming with a new rhythm section (one that just happens to be female), and inviting a bunch of friends to add solos to his new songs. Each guitarist -- including his old pal Neil Young, modern-day bluesman Joe Bonamassa, and Peter Frampton -- recorded their solo over a finished mix, which explains the presence of the late Jeff Healey and also how the guitarists don't necessarily seem fully integrated into the album. Nevertheless, that disconnect is ultimately a minor point because there's a gonzo energy to Bachman's originals, a spirit that can sometimes slide into silliness (listen to the chorus of "Confessin' the Blues"), but also liberates the guitarist enough to deliver one of his loudest and heaviest solo records ever. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine