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Alabama Shakes Live

Estring

Estring

Shepherd
I'm watching Alabama Shakes live from The Ogden Theater in Denver on my tv. I really like their debut album, but watching them live got me thinking about something.
It seems to me that this band is in the exact situation that Janis Joplin and Big Brother And The Holding Company were in. Simply, like Janis, Brittany Howard is far and away above the rest of the band in talent. I actually found them a little dull except for the soulful writing and singing of Brittany. It's like she's being held back by them in the same way that Janis was by her bandmates in Big Brother.
After all that, I actually liked Janis with Big Brother better than her later bands. Their raw energy seemed to be a better match for her passionate vocals. Even with her having much more talent.
And maybe that is what I am not hearing from Alabama Shakes. Their energy is no match for Brittany, and their talent certainly isn't either.
It will be interesting to see where they go from here.
 
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Estring said:
I'm watching Alabama Shakes live from The Ogden Theater in Denver on my tv. I really like their debut album, but watching them live got me thinking about something.
It seems to me that this band is in the exact situation that Janis Joplin and Big Brother And The Holding Company were in. Simply, like Janis, Brittany Howard is far and away above the rest of the band in talent. I actually found them a little dull except for the soulful writing and singing of Brittany. It's like she's being held back by them in the same way that Janis was by her bandmates in Big Brother.
After all that, I actually liked Janis with Big Brother better than her later bands. Their raw energy seemed to be a better match for her passionate vocals. Even with her having much more talent.
And maybe that is what I am not hearing from Alabama Shakes. Their energy is no match for Brittany, and their talent certainly isn't either.
It will be interesting to see where they go from here.
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I was thinking the same. The other day i told my wife, you know, this singer reminds me so much of Janis, but she's being held back by the band, she's the star after all.

I don't know how many times we have listened to Always Alright, such an uplifting full of energy raw song.
 
I was thinking the same thing. They need to come out with a strong second album.

If you want to see/hear that Janis voice in another singer look into Susan Tedeschi and the Tedeschi Trucks Band. Nothing holds this 12 piece band back. All musicians with experience in other groups.
 
ScramMan2 said:
I was thinking the same thing. They need to come out with a strong second album.

If you want to see/hear that Janis voice in another singer look into Susan Tedeschi and the Tedeschi Trucks Band. Nothing holds this 12 piece band back. All musicians with experience in other groups.
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Or get into your time machine and see her when Double Trouble was backing her. That was something else.

This thread reminds me of Johnny Lang. His first band was no match, talent-wise, to who he has played with after he dumped them. But he doesn't bring the same energy he did when he was with them, either.
 
KrisM said:
Or get into your time machine and see her when Double Trouble was backing her. That was something else.

This thread reminds me of Johnny Lang. His first band was no match, talent-wise, to who he has played with after he dumped them. But he doesn't bring the same energy he did when he was with them, either.
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Is this the Double Trouble of SRV fame? I see no reference to Chris Layton (drums), Tommy Shannon (bass), and Reese Wynans (keyboards) working with Susan on any of early albums. I can dig a bit more.
 
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ScramMan2 said:
Is this the Double Trouble of SRV fame? I see no reference to Chris Layton (drums), Tommy Shannon (bass), and Reese Wynans (keyboards) working with Susan on any of early albums. I can dig a bit more.
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He might have confused her with Lou Ann Barton or Marcia Ball.
 
ScramMan2 said:
Is this the Double Trouble of SRV fame? I see no reference to Chris Layton (drums), Tommy Shannon (bass), and Reese Wynans (keyboards) working with Susan on any of early albums. I can dig a bit more.
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As far as I know the only recording she did with them was for Double Trouble's album. But they backed her up on tour in the late 90s. The show I saw in 1999 spanked the Tedeschi/Trucks show I saw last summer. And the TT show was good.
I'm not sure if Wynans was part of the group or not, though. There was a keyboard player, but I was too far back to get a good look at who it was. And Double Trouble was really downplayed as the backing band when she went on stage. Layton and Shannon were definitely on drums and bass.
 
KrisM said:
As far as I know the only recording she did with them was for Double Trouble's album. But they backed her up on tour in the late 90s. The show I saw in 1999 spanked the Tedeschi/Trucks show I saw last summer. And the TT show was good.
I'm not sure if Wynans was part of the group or not, though. There was a keyboard player, but I was too far back to get a good look at who it was. And Double Trouble was really downplayed as the backing band when she went on stage. Layton and Shannon were definitely on drums and bass.
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Hmm. You learn something new every day.
 
Estring said:
Hmm. You learn something new every day.
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I sure learned something new that day! They weren't mentioned anywhere leading up to the show.
It's too bad it didn't last longer, it was a great show. The TT show I saw was great, too. But it almost seemed like there was too much talent up there at times. Everyone had a chance to "shine". Which is cool, but I was there to see Tedeschi and Trucks, not the backup singers. If that makes any sense. I do respect that they think of it as a band, and not two superstars and their helpers. I don't think I've ever seen a performer with as much talent as Trucks act so humble.
 
Very female Joe Cocker (ish). I watched that Live at the Ogden also, normally wouldn't be my style but they kept my attention for the whole show. For some reason the lead singer reminds of a bass (fish).
 
I'm gonna disagree with the premise.
Heath Fogg is a very tasty guitarist, and I really enjoy what drummer Steve Johnson brings to the table as well.
 
Naptown Rob said:
Heath Fogg is a very tasty guitarist, and I really enjoy what drummer Steve Johnson brings to the table as well.
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Agreed, and tasty is his tone and stlye. Sure the band reminds me of BB and the HC, but I never felt they were bad. Tight and punchy Rock'n'blues. With clean sense of picking the right songs to fit the band. Um, same as AS.
 
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