MICK TAYLOR
A Stone's Throw (Cannonball Blues)
Reviewed by Eric Steiner

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A Stone's Throw is Mick Taylor's follow-up to his self-titled first solo LP on Columbia in 1979 that featured the popular songs Leather Jacket and SW5, after six years with the World's Greatest Rock and Roll Band, the Rolling Stones. Before that, he replaced Eric Clapton in John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers. This time out, Mick's solo record features eight original songs and covers of Bob Dylan's Blind Willie McTell, and J. Williams' Here Comes the Rain. Losing My Faith features some killer slide work from Taylor, and Blues in the Morning keeps Mick planted firmly in the blues as opposed to straying too far off into jazz. By the time turns up the boogie on Late At Night, I'm glad he's not more than A Stone's Throw from his blues roots he planted with Mayall and the Glimmer Twins. Mick sets up the gloomy closer, Blind Willie McTell, with some powerful slide work, just before he and the band turn Dylan's fable about the American south into a high-powered, slide-fueled jam. Mick's studio band includes the U.K All Stars Blues Band, with Max Middleton, piano (Jeff Beck, Jack Bruce); Robert Ahwai, guitar (Marvin Gaye, Chris Rea); Michael Bailey, bass (Billy Ocean) and Jeff Allen, drums (Van Morrison). I'm glad Mick's back, and hope he'll include some longer guitar jams like the ones from his 1995 live release, Coastin' Home, on his next outing.

Track List:

Secret Affair * Twisted Sister * Never Fall in Love Again * Losing My Faith * Morning Comes * Lost in the Desert * Blues in the Morning * Late At Night * Here Comes the Rain * Blind Willie McTell

© 2001 - Eric Steiner