The Record Company – Give It Back To You – Deluxe Edition 2 LP
This was a Grammy-nominated self-produced debut released 10 years ago. The deluxe gatefold 2-LP vinyl edition includes the original 10 tunes recorded at TRC Studios for Give It Back To You – Deluxe Edition (Dropped February 20/Craft Recordings/Concord). As a bonus, there’s also an entire 7-cut (2013) Living Room concert.
The showcase gets off to an invigorating start. Bluesy steady beat, soulful vocals & grinding garage-rock guitars with substantial grit in “Off the Ground.” Superb. The band maintains a power-heavy ‘60s rock aesthetic many bands adhered to from The Easybeats (“Made My Bed Gonna Lie In It”), The Outsiders (“What Makes You So Bad You Weren’t Brought Up That Way”), Strawberry Alarm Clark (“Me & The Township”) & The Standells (“Dirty Water,” “Rari”). This particular song would’ve been an amazing Rolling Stones song, but The Record Company really assert themselves here. However,…
The band is firmly planted in rich musical soil with their greasy spoon blues house band platter. They sound like a teenage band of moderately talented musicians (“Don’t Let Me Get Lonely”), but what cuts through clearly is their determination, sharp indulgences, respect for the genre & their persuasive playing. Always.
“Rita Mae Young” is a strained vocal, but that’s the point. Raw, a scurry of dazzling, highly seasoned servings that’s more feeling than skill. But it works like The Dictators (“Stay With Me”) worked. “On the Move” is a jambalaya of Butterfield Blues Band muscle & early J. Geils Band attitude. Inordinately precious. These guys sound good. They pushed their music without a platoon of other musicians to fill the spaces. The result? No spaces.
“Hard Day Coming Down” is deeply forged like Canned Heat. A bit rootsy like The Del-Lords, it relies more on atmosphere than aggression. More of a John Mayall harmonica swipe than Paul Butterfield. The vocals are engaging. While “Feels So Good” could come on like Kim Wilson & the Fabulous Thunderbirds, there’s also a Z.Z. Top touch. A good legendary Gene Krupa drum maneuver, similar to “Sing Sing Sing” from a hundred years ago, is just right. Good application & tight arrangement. Well-played.
“Turn Me Loose” is heavily outlined also in a Fabulous Thunderbirds way, but wisely doesn’t “sound” like the Thunderbirds. They have a more traditional blues gumbo simmering in their rhythm. The coda should’ve lasted longer. “Give It Back To You” is anchored firmly in a mainstream/commercial path. It has all the necessary blues affirmations, but slathered in frosting to make it appealing. Some clever hook trickery constitutes a steadily persuasive pop-blues pulse. “This Crooked City” is a good idea song-wise, but there’s no place for falsetto in blues. Too faux soulful. Without the Motown or Stax harmony, the reinforcement is well-placed but lacks veneer & punctuation. This can be corrected with a more driving arrangement – think Otis Redding, not Sam Cooke.
“In the Mood For You” is excellent with a striking Sly & the Family Stone bite & Z.Z. Top wall of sound that pushes back. It concludes with a dosage of wailing harmonica. Let these songs find a path to your ear – newly minted. This was, in its time, a wonderful album with impressive playing. It still sounds good today.
The live sides are more of the same with excellent playing. The band in another era could’ve lasted as long as Canned Heat. Their musicianship never ebbed; they laid down some great grooves.
Highlights – “Off the Ground,” “Don’t Let Me Get Lonely,” “Rita Mae Young,” “On the Move,” “Hard Day Coming Down,” “Feels So Good,” “Turn Me Loose,” & “In the Mood For You.”
Musicians – Chris Vos (vocals/guitars/harmonica), Alex Stiff (bass guitar/guitars/vocals) & Marc Cazorla (drums/piano/vocals) with additional vocals by Maesa Pullman (“This Crooked City”).
Album photography courtesy of Kimberly Zsebe. Color image courtesy of Jacob Blickenstaff. CD @ Bandcamp/Amazon & Apple + https://therecordcompany.net/