Li'l
Ronnie and the Grand Dukes - Gotta Strange Feeling (Eller Soul Records)
Harmonica-driven opener ‘Can’t Buy
My Love’ makes a favourable introduction to the label debut from this
five-piece Mississippi roots band. There’s always room for another
Southern-styled outfit that can keep it down and dirty, and when they hit the
spot on Owens/Applerouth (vocals/guitar respectively) compositions such as ‘Love
Never Dies’, ‘I Won’t Take it Anymore’ and 50’s Chicago blues homage ‘Can’t
Please Your Wife’, the Grand Dukes show bags of promise. Elsewhere the material
falls somewhat short (the Little Feat-lite ‘Cold Hard Cash’ and the less
substantial ‘Screaming and Crying’ for example) and there’s a suspicion that
tunes that may play perfectly well in the white heat of a packed bar aren’t
really fully formed enough just yet to make the grade on record; and to be
honest the faithful rendition of ‘C’est La Vie’ wasn’t really necessary – it’s
been pretty well done to death already.
Neil B.
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