WALL STREET VOODOO

This is a fine album, make no mistake! If you are expecting a Flower Kings influenced album, then you are in for a shock. This doesn't sound at all like TFK! The only similarity lies in Stolt's distinctive guitar work, and that is really only on the track 'Hotrod (The Atomic Wrestler). Well, possibly there is a slight influence on 'Everybody Wants To Rule The World' as the chorus could, just about, be a Flower Kings song. That aside, this really is different. It's called a blues album, but as Stolt himself says in the liner notes, it started out that way, but then became a protopsychedlic album, and ended up just a music album. The guitar is very bluesy at times, especially on tracks like the opener, 'The Observer', 'Dirt', 'Dog With A Million Bones', 'The Unwanted', 'Mercy' and the closer, 'People That Have The Power To Shape The Future'. The other tracks are a little bit more rock influenced in a variety of ways. But all have that indelible Stolt stamp of quality on them. The production is wonderful, as usual, and the songs are all compelling, with strong melodies and some great keyboards and drumming in particular. Throughout it all, Stolt's guitar is magnificent, whether he is playing slide, 12 string acoustic, or Les Paul or Fender. He really is an underrated performer except by the few who know him. Lyrically, it's very powerful and street wise, a million miles away from the optimism of TFK. Vocally he is instantly recognisable, and I for one always enjoy his voice. He suits the blues as well as he suites the progressive style. Neil Morse puts in a few guest appearances on vocals, and also plays the Hammond organ to great effect, putting in a great solo on 'Head Above Water'. Although this is a double cd, it never drags, though I found it best to play one cd at one sitting, and then play the other later. A modern Swedish blues album that doffs its cap to his heroes from the sixties and seventies, yet is always indubitably a Stolt album above all else. He has had three great solo albums, starting with The Flower King, and all three are different, and all three are superb. Four stars without any hesitation.