Surprisingly, given that it’s the best part of 20 years since his debut album, this is Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s first collection of covers.
Goin’ Home sees the Louisiana ace tip his hat to his influences and many giants of the blues, and he’s brought along a handful of A-list guests for the ride: Ringo Starr provides the beats on Cut You Loose, while Breaking Up Somebody’s Home benefits from Warren Haynes’ tasty playing, rich vocal tone and a sublime solo section.
But let’s get to the elephant in the room. Yes, there’s a Stevie Ray Vaughan cover here. The House Is Rockin’ gets the Kenny Wayne Shepherd treatment and, perhaps wisely for someone that has often unfairly been derided as an SRV clone, Shepherd leaves his mark, adding his own solo alongside Vaughan’s original in what is one of the album’s high points.
And that’s a fair indication for the album as a whole, which is a blend of faithful renditions – Freddie King’s Palace Of The King, Muddy Waters’ I Love The Life I Live and You Can’t Judge A Book By Its Cover by Bo Diddley all come through fairly unscathed – and more adventurous arrangements. The latter can best be seen on another Muddy Waters cut – Still A Fool – which has been well and truly supersized with a killer new solo section.
Via Mascot
