Vintage Guitar - February 2018 - 96

Lukas Nelson
and Promise of
the Real

Lukas Nelson and
Promise of the Real
Lu k a s Ne l s on
and his band have
been around for several years, but they
have really hit their stride with their latest
release. Nelson is Willie's son and played
with dad plenty, but here he proves his
own talents should not be taken lightly.
He wrote the songs, plays the guitars, and
is the band's lead singer. He excels in all
three fields.
His soloing is often melodic while
maintaining a rock and blues feel ("Set
Me Down On A Cloud"). And he's never
short on imagination: the solo that he
plays as "Find Yourself " winds down is a
fun ride with lots of surprises and plenty
of soul. His acoustic playing is front and
center on "Just Outside Of Austin" with
its descending chord line and a guest solo
from his dad.
Nelson also displays a distinctive singing voice. Best of all, it seems to convey
his lyrics perfectly, like on the clever tale
of lost love, "Forget About Georgia." The
wordplay, like on many of the songs here,
is adroit and his guitar playing on the cut
is the perfect complement.
Good bands adept at many styles of
music are hard to find these days, but
Nelson and POTR hit the nail right on the
head. - John Heidt

Deep Purple

A Fire in the Sky
There have been
innumerable Deep
Pur ple compi lations, but this clever
set includes at least
one track from every Purp album. Three
guitar legends are spotlighted - Ritchie
Blackmore, Steve Morse, and Tommy Bolin,
as well as bassists Roger Glover and Glenn
Hughes - which makes for a more holistic
view of the band's 50-year history. For once,
everyone gets their due.
The 40-song set kicks off, surprisingly, with the Morse barnburners "Hell
To Pay" and "Vincent Price," illustrating
his two decades in the band. While old
Blackmore fans may grouse, it's hard to
argue with Steve's monster riffing on "Ted
The Mechanic." Many will also appreciate

BOOTZILLA

B

ootsy Collins' first
album in six years
continues the
tradition of 2011's Tha Funk
Capital Of The World by
enlisting special guests
to extend his funkalicious
reach. Proselytizing the
holy gospel of uncut funk,
Bootsy's brethren include
Buckethead, Victor Wooten, Dennis Chambers,
Stanley Clarke, Eric Gales,
and the late Bernie Worrell.
And because the funk is
ubiquitous, Bootzilla shines
a light on the hip-hop
community, giving voice
to blue-chip rappers Snoop
Dogg, Chuck D, Doug E.
Fresh, and Big Daddy Kane.
Still, this is no piece
of disposable marketing
product. It's an infectious party record with
Bootsy's signature "heavy
on the one" bass style
working as the basis for
dance grooves, spoken
word, titillation, humor,
and blazing guitar solos.

VINTAGE GUITAR

96

Bootsy's Mu-Tronsoaked bass, Crucial
Audio Dub-1 direct box,
secret sauce, and groove,
are in full abundance,
along with his signature

Bootsy Collins
World Wide Funk

spoken asides. But
the true essence here
lies just beneath the
surface of all the tasteful production and large
cast of characters.
The album is a call
to activism, unity, and
love. It's a reminder to
people to stand up and
funk for yourselves.

February 2018

The title track sets the
mood and fires up this
party. Sounding like you're
on stage with 35 people
at a New Year's Eve
event, Bootsy funks heavily along with the spitting
rhymes of Doug E. Fresh
and bass newcomer Alissia Benveniste. While all
this is going on, Buckethead shreds on guitar
unapologetically like it's
his last day on earth.
"Bass-Rigged-System"
features a bevy of
bassists including
Benveniste, Manou
Gallo, Stanley Clarke,
and an octave-pedal
bass solo by Wooten.
Other highlights include
"Come Back Bootsy"
starring drummer Dennis
Chambers and Gales-style
blues-rock guitar, while
"Pusherman" features
Dru Down, BlvckSeeds,
and Mr. Talkbox, with
ensemble spoken-word,
hooky choruses, and
hypnotic southern beats.
It wouldn't Bootsy
record without something
best heard after you dim
the lights. "High-OnHeels" features singer
October London while
"Worth My While" stars
Kali Uchis offering spells
and incantations set to
music that should be on
the playlist of every ladies
man. "Salute To Bernie"
featuring Dr. G. honors the
memory of ParliamentFunkadelic keyboardist
Worrell on top of Jimi's
"Bold As Love."
World Wide Funk is
varied enough for the casual funk fan but offers a
good time for all. Bootsy's
artistry thrives on a
personal connection to
humanity. He leaves the
bass clinics to the other
guys. - Oscar Jordan

B. Collins courtesy Mascot Records.

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vintage Guitar - February 2018
