| The
Mississippi Hippies - Mississippi
Hippies (Big
Smoke Records)
Reviewed by Vince
Velour, 21.06.05
Frank
Garcia, Canadian based agent for the Hippies tells us that there
is a German tour on the cards for September 2005. He also asked
for recommended contacts so he could get them playing here in the
UK... anybody interested in booking them, or any suggestions about
who Frank could get in touch with would be gratefully received by
Frank at: admin@amigowebservices.com
This is a great band, lets get 'em playing here!
Don't
be deceived by the name, the Hippies don't hail from the Delta.
However, they do appear to be hippies. Proper hippies, with ban
the bomb symbols and excessive facial hair. But don't
expect to find any Grateful Dead style love-ins here, this is party
blues at it's best.
This Canadian trio, headed by vocalist John Dickie (also credited
with "Mississippi Saxophone"), tear through this album
with an originality and style I haven't heard for a long time. From
the opening eight bars of opener Rockalator (think of a Gladiators
style travelator with rocks on it) you know this album is gonna
be fun. Imagine Little Richard and Elmore James playing a party
hosted by Hugh Heffner in New Orleans, and you' be getting close.
It isn't introspective, soul-baring blues, but with cuts like "Don't
Touch My Hair" it's clear that isn't what the Hippies are about.
The musicianship is straightforward but classy, the guitar playing
is competent and stylish but never oversteps the line of good taste.
The vocals are raw, and lyrically witty. Dangerous Curves
has more than a hint of Dr John. Occasional cuts feature a horn
section, adding yet more class.
It should be pointed out there aren't any half-baked covers on here,
every song is an original. Yet it's easy to see where the Mississippi
Hippies floral VW camper van is coming from: they've taken the most
lively aspects of the past century of blues, mixed it in with some
hash cakes, and served it up to an unsuspecting blues community.
And that can't be a bad thing.
CD
Available on their website:
www.mississippihippies.com
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