I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release,
Memphis Loud, by
Victor Wainwright & The Train and it's spicy. Opening with
Mississippi, a cool party song with a kaleidoscope of musical tones including Wainwright on vocal and keys, Billy Dean on drums, Terrance Grayson on bass, Pat Harrington on guitar, Mark Earley on sax, Doug Woolverton on trumpet, Dave Gross on percussion, Mikey Junior on vocal, Reba Russell on vocal, Stephen Dees on vocals, Patricia Ann Dees on vocals, Gracie Curran on vocals and Peanut Reed on vocals. Title track,
Memphis Loud is a real locomotive with instrumental horsepower. With Wainwright really hitting the electric piano and Earley and Woolverton pushing the horns, this track has a massive opening. Smoothing into a Louisiana flavored, country tinged, track,
Sing, Wainwright and Dave Gross really work the vocals. Quieting down to a real nice ballad,
Disappear, Wainwright shows his strong vocal feel with a nicely crafted undercarriage of piano, drums and bass. With a slick guitar solo by Gross over the organ and piano work of Wainwright, this is a really nice track.
Golden Rule is one of my favorite tracks on the release with it's complex rhythm pattern, almost like a Frank Zappa basis with warm vocals by Wainwright and Harrington who also lays in a real nice unstructured guitar solo of his own. Certainly one of the most memorable tracks on the release is
South End of a North Bound Mule with it's clever lyrics and it's swampy, funky rhythm. With great vocals, some real nice guitar riffs by Harrington and Greg Gumpel and the vocal work of Wainwright and Reba Russell, this is a great track. Another fun track is
My Dog Riley with super New Orleans style piano and horns and of course great horn and vocal backing. Wrapping the release is soulful ballad,
Reconcile which, with the rich vocal styling of Wainwright and a strong guitar solo by Gumpel is a super closer.
“Like” Bman’s Facebook page and get support for your favorite band or venue - click
