Kim Simmonds | Struck By Lightning | Panache Records 1252
Had Kim Simmonds tipped back in his recliner in the early 70’s and called it a day, his name would have been secure. Instead his catalogue has continued to grow. Simmond's third solo release represents continuation of his fascination with acoustic blues, in general, and the music of Lightning Hopkins and Muddy Waters, in particular. With thousands of shows under his belt, he delves into his acoustic side because he wants to...call it a holiday from the still active Savoy Brown. Simmond's soft spot, as a solo artist, has been his vocals. Not so on Struck By Lightning. His singing across 12 tracks is one of the collections strengths as is the quality of his songwriting - Nine tracks are his own, but his cover choices are intriguing: Terry Adams' "Ain't No Free" plays out as a full band track with stand-out piano; Peetie Wheatstraw's "Road Tramp Blues" is done solo with simple percussion and a steel guitar solo; and Arthur Crudup's "So Glad You're Mine" leans towards Elvis Presley's recording of the song, without losing any of its blues luster. The best news, however, is the quality of Simmonds' own material. "My Home Is A Highway" is showcases Kim his powerful finger-picking and features regular cohorts Pat DeSalvo on acoustic bass, Savoy Brown's Dennis Cotton, on drums and Syracuse-based Mark Nanni on piano. The disc opens and closes on variations on the title song, - the first fed through
a voice processor and the latter altered to approximate the scratchy sound ofa 78rpm record. - Neither fully develops into a complete song though the first sets up the disc's- best track "Last Train Has Gone" - which channels the passion of Simmonds' childhood fascination. "Talkin' About New Orleans" underlines Simmonds' newfound vocal confidence and proffers his most intimate, most emotional guitar playing. Like the best blues-rock performers, Simmonds' ability to express himself on an acoustic level lies at the root of his electric power. Indeed, the best players must do one before the other. Struck By Lightning marks his 39th anniversary as a recording artist, and he sounds like he’s still having a ball.-Eric Thom