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bassist / vocalist Greg T. Walker— who was also an early member of Lynyrd Skynyrd— Two Wolf splendidly captures the ethos of Blackfoot and other classic’ 70s rockers on their debut self-titled album, released on June 6. The 11-track album is gloriously decorated with bluesy, Southern rock gems. Joining Walker are stellar guitarists Lance Lopez and Kris Bell, as well as powerhouse drummer Rusty Valentine. Combining the band’ s deeply ingrained Southern roots with a modern hard rock edge, Two Wolf delivers a raucous sonority of memorable melodies, anthemic choruses, and an energetic, rhythmic groove. The rousing album opener,“ Keep on Movin ',” with its monstrous rock guitar riffs, thumping bass lines, and catchy chorus, is a rowdy classic rock anthem. Walker’ s Blackfoot credentials shine through with no more than three cover tunes of his former band.“ Too Hard to Handle,” from 1981’ s Marauder, stays faithful to the original but injects a bit more zest with a modern twist, while the acoustic ballad“ Diary of a Working Man” is just as dynamic as ever.“ Fox Chase” from the 1980s Tomcattin’, isoneof Blackfoot’ s most iconic songs in their discography, and Two Wolf’ s version flows with that classic swagger( minus the harp intro). On“ Traveler,” Walker’ s old Blackfoot pal, drummer Jakson“ Thunderfoot” Spires( R. I. P. 2005), gets the co-writing credit. The band’ s Native American allegiance is further represented on“ Great Spirit,” decorated with indigenous melodies and a chanting call and response vocal section toward the end, while album closer“ The Blessed & The Cursed” channels elements of Lynyrd Skynyrd and Blackfoot. Two Wolf’ s selftitled release is a rip-roaring Southern rock album with a well-balanced mix of reimagined Blackfoot covers and invigorating original tunes, performed with a solid classic rock bravado.
– Kelley Simms
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ISAAC HAYES The Best of Isaac Hayes
( Stax / Craft)
This new collection of radio single edits offers a concise introduction to the influential work by a groundbreaking artist that younger listeners may know primarily for his role as lunchroom sage Chef on South Park. With apologies to those folks, there’ s no“ Chocolate Salty Balls( P. S. I Love You)” to be heard on The Best of Isaac Hayes. What you do get are ten songs that indelibly shaped the sound of soulful R & B music and broader pop culture between 1969 and 1974. The Oscarwinning and chart-topping“ Theme from Shaft” is a phenomenon that remains a
touchstone to its genre and era today, in addition to still being undeniably fun. Breezy woodwinds and strings drift atop tense hi-hat and wah-wah rhythm guitar, building to a climax in which Hayes’ braggadocious vocal enters to praise the manly qualities of private investigator John Shaft. You know the man. He’ s a bad mother- … all right, I’ ll shut my mouth for just a moment. Hayes puts his soulful and melancholy stamp on Burt Bacharach and Hal David’ s“ Walk on By” with his 1969 version and rich baritone vocal, returning the song to the Billboard Top 40 six years following Dionne Warwick’ s # 1 hit single. Hayes stretched Jimmy Webb’ s“ By the Time I Get to Phoenix” and its tale of an impossible road trip to nearly 19 minutes on his Hot Buttered Soul album. The song was brought under seven minutes for R & B radio. The original song had been Glen
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