On its initial vinyl-only release in 2012, ‘At High Voltage’ was widely acclaimed, with ‘Classic Rock’ declaring it the blues equivalent of ‘Live at Leeds’. As such, its digital reissue is extremely welcome, affording the album the wider audience it richly deserves.
Listening to the performance – recorded in 2010 – the first thing that strikes you is the energy. Opener ‘3 Gunslingers’ positively crackles, as Petit cranks out a big, ballsy blues boogie and some blistering licks. It paves the way for an object lesson in powerhouse r’n’b – classic, vintage and timeless. ‘It’s All Good’ sounds like early Stones, but amped up to the max and with a raw, garage edge.
I’m generally not the world’s biggest fan of guitar solos, but hell, Petit is a master and delivers some electrifying breaks, and the rendition of ‘Summertime Blues’ is a straight-up stomper, and the uptempo style shows just how much of a good time the blues can offer. It’s small wonder Petit has so many friends in the upper echelons of the blues community. Of course, it helps that he’s backed by a magnificently tight and vibrant rhythm section: Dick Taylor (bass) and Jack Greenwood (drums) have real guts and groove. Laurenzo Mouflier is pretty mean on the harmonica, too.
|
All too often, tracks on live albums suffer from being inferior to the studio counterparts, or the fact the atmosphere simply doesn’t translate – you had to be there, man. But listening to ‘Live at High Voltage’ makes you not only wish you had been there, but feel like you are.
Stephen Dale Petit Online
|
