PAUL LAMB & THE KING SNAKES

The foreword was written by Harry Shapiro:

"Too often the live album is a career filler and if it's blues it can mean the three hour version of 'Got My Mojo Working' if a night in a typical British blues pub is anything to go by, not this one possums - what you have here is Paul Lamb and The King Snakes recorded during their 1994 tour and it's lean, spare with plenty of flair.

To blues fans Paul Lamb should need no introduction - a virtuoso musician, Paul is currently the hottest harp on the block packing them in across the UK and in Europe while collecting a bagful of awards for his efforts.

From his earliest Newcastle bands, Smokestack Lightnin' and The Blues Burglars, Paul Lamb has been striving not just for authentic sound, but to develop his own cry - the hallmark of a great musician and increasingly his albums have been band compositions although even with cover songs, Paul is always able to bring his own interpretations to well-worn standards like 'Everyday I Have The Blues'.

There beside him, his geordie partner John Whitehill is one of a breed of frighteningly good British guitar players who, unlike the blues boomers in the sixties, have a very hard job getting recognition nowadays beyond a cult following.

A blues band without a decent rhythm section is no blues band at all, but with drummer Martin Deegan and bassist Jim Mercer, Paul has a solid swing unit behind him, crucial for the band's deceptively simple West Coast via Texas style overlain by the cool vocal sound of Chad Strentz.

'Fine Condition' sets out the stall of one of Britain's top blues bands. But they should have their eyes on the States. 'Coals to Newcastle' you might say. Well, I say this bunch of Newcastle coals ought to set the US blues club scene alight." - Harry Shapiro

Line up: PAUL LAMB- harmonica JOHN WHITEHILL - Lead guitar CHAD STRENTZ - Guitar & vocals MARTIN DEEGAN- Drums JIM MERCER- Upright Bass

Track list: ONE MORE TIME EVERYDAY I HAVE THE BLUES COME ON EVERYBODY FINE CONDITION WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE (170K) WHY DO YOU TREAT ME SO TEXAS BOOGIE (153K) I AIN'T ASKING MUCH SWING OUT I DON'T NEED YOU ANYMORE DON'T LOSE YOUR COOL GOOD ROCKIN' TONIGHT (Click on titles to hear real audio sample)

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