JONNY LANG
"Long
Time Coming" (A&M; 2003)
Reviewed by Jeff Rogers
The 90s saw a surge of young blues guitar
players hit the scene and Jonny Lang, who picked up the guitar at age 12 and
recorded his first disc at age 15, was one of those to capture much attention. This disc,
however, was received by fans of his earlier work with less than stellar
response. Those expecting the older style of blues heard on Lang's previous
releases would still find some of that here, but with a more contemporary twist.
I believe in letting an artist grow musically, and I’m not bashing Mr. Lang for his
choice of direction, but I was a little taken back by this release.
On "Long Time Coming," a softer sound emits from Lang's guitar. He still has that blues blood running through his veins and it can still be heard,
just not quite as clearly. Quite possibly, that was Lang's intention, wishing
the new music to be absorbed rather than just more of what his listeners had
come to expect. The smoky blues sound that permeated his earlier records seems to have been replaced with a boy’s night out feel and fans can be fickle at times such as this.
Lang does show some promise on “Livin’ For The City,” which is a Stevie Wonder tune played live,
but it may not be heard seeing as it’s placed at the end of the disc.
Hopefully Jonny can regroup and find a producer who knows a great musician when he is sitting next to him. This one would be for the fans only.
The best tracks are “Give Me Up Again,” “Get What You Give,” and “Livin’ For The City.”
For more information, check out www.jonnylang.com.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
Copyright © 2008 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights
reserved.
Revised: 19 Jul 2008 20:49:45 -0500.
