REVIEW: Too Slim and the Taildraggers – Blue Heart (2013)

TOO SLIM and the TAILDRAGGERS – Blue Heart (2013 Underworld Records)

I first became aware of Tim “Too Slim” Langford when he and the Taildraggers played Kitchener Blues Fest 2013.  I heard them on the radio and immediately called in.  My comment was that it sounded like “dirty ZZ blues”, and that’s still a suitable description.  Gravelly vocals, references to the “muddy Mississippi”, and bluesy electric guitar licks definitely put them in that category.  The Blue Heart album was recorded in Nashville but this is electric blues!

Whether you like it blastin’ loud (“Wash My Hands”) or slow & miserable (“Minutes Seem Like Hours”), Too Slim has something for the electric blues fan in you.  There’s some honkin’ harmonica on “Blue Heart” to go with the greasy guitar.

Mixing rock and blues is a very precise science. Too much rock and it turns to cheese. Too Slim has a recipe here that works. Blue Heart is a great sounding CD, crisp and edgy.  The song titles say it all.  “When Whiskey Was My Friend” is a colourful title that should paint a picture of what it sounds like.  Dig into the energy, feel the pain and rock your blues away.

Best track:  “If You Broke My Heart”.  Blazing hot and cool as ice!

3.5/5 stars

This was a 200 word review in the tradition of the #200wordchallenge.

25 comments

      1. Most of my reviews are fairly short, and I sometimes feel I should be more detailed. At the other extreme, there’s a music blogger I follow whose reviews often run more than 2,000 words, even for just a single! Given that most people have the attention span of a hummingbird, I can’t imagine very many taking the time to read the entire review. Unless a review is about a monumental album like “Dark Side of the Moon” or “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”, or a complex song like “Stairway to Heaven” or “Bohemian Rhapsody”, there’s really no need to go on and on with an in-depth analysis of the meaning or impact of every guitar strum and drum beat.

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply

        1. I think the longest thing I ever wrote was 3500 words for the Def Leppard Hysteria deluxe edition. Two discs worth of music to talk about, all that history, Rick Allen’s car accident, and his recovery…I had to go full-bore. I couldn’t do any less for such an important album, historically.

          On the other hand I did the #0wordchallenge too and it’s going well, Vinyl Connection did his entry yesterday and it was smashing! Beatles Sgt Pepper review using ZERO WORDS.

          Liked by 1 person

      1. Actually they played here the same year u saw them at out Blues Festival ..man I’m working on it right now ..it’s gonna be a doozy on how a festival should not be run…
        Too Slim played the Saturday afternoon slot here and we (me and Sue) dug his Dirty Zz Sound….
        Just a typical blazing 3 piece combo….

        Like

        Reply

        1. Given our sample size of two, that’s all I got! I could have made a snarky comment about “that’s why I listen to radio!” Oh shit, I think I just made that snarky comment! LOL No offense intended.

          Like

Rock a Reply