TOM FULLER BAND Freedom

The last, and third, album from the Chicago based Tom Fuller Band – Ask (2011) was a mixed affair. Radio friendly American rock packed with echoes of many of the greats – an unlikely combination The Beatles, Tom Petty, James Taylor, and Alice Cooper – with plenty of jangly guitars, gravelly vocals and some pretty decent chorus lines. But it was patchy.

The follow up, Freedom, follows a similar blueprint. Once again produced by Rick Chudacoff (Alison Krauss, Smokey Robinson) it finds Fuller wearing his heart on his sleeve and revealing his battle with alcoholism, life, love, and the heartache.

Sadly the lyrical content is at times a tad twee and telegraphed. Combined with post Wilburys melodic pop-rock backing – while inoffensive – it’s fairly ‘run of the mill’ fodder. None of his previous albums seem to have made much of a splash on either side of the pond, in spite of playing shows with Blue Oyster Cult, Robin Trower, UFO and Guess Who, and Freedom looks unlikely to change that to any great degree. **1/2

Review by Pete Whalley

P.J. PACIFICO Overlooking The Obvious

Singer songwriter P.J. Pacifico has built a name for himself in the States in recent years for his brand of introspective folk-pop.

This 5 song EP borrows heavily on the legacy of the great American singer songwriter generation of the likes of Paul Simon, Don McLean, Marc Cohn and Bruce Hornsby. The result is an AOR radio friendly collection that feels instantly familiar and comfortable.

Hardly ground-breaking but easy on the ear and you’re certainly not going to be seeking the ‘next’ button. P.J. Pacifico will be playing a short number of UK dates with Garrison Starr in April. ***

Review by Pete Whalley

Mary Sarah & Friends - Bridges

MARY SARAH & FRIENDS Bridges

You may well ask ‘Who the hell is Mary Sarah?’. The answer, an 18 year old American – Mary Sarah Gross – a child ‘prodigy’ discovered on Youtube. ‘How?’ – well, she was spotted by the Oak Ridge Boys who invited her to perform an acapella rendition of their 1961 hit Where The Boys Are. The rest is, as they say, ‘history’. Or soon will be.

It’s not bad when your debut features some of the greatest living names in country and western. It certainly guarantees major coverage. Mentored by Freddy Powers, the songwriter behind such staples as Merle Haggard’s ‘I Always Get Lucky with You’, and with the help of producer executive Kent Wells (Dolly Parton), an all-star cast was assembled to duet on C&W classics with the original artists including Dolly, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Vince Gill, Tanya Tucker, Lynn Anderson to name but a few. The aim, to bridge the generational gap.

Sadly it looks like a one-way bridge because, while Mary Sarah’s vocals are effortless and impeccable there’s no attempt at reinvention of the material. It’s revisited but, apart from a modern studio sound, it’s still 70′s and 80′s country C&W.

The country music scene has moved into the mainstream since that time, but Bridges remains rooted in the Stetson and rhinestone past. As such, it’s hard to see it appealing to today’s youth, but perhaps it was never intended to. A missed opportunity. **

Review by Pete Whalley

BRIGITTE DEMEYER Savannah Road

‘Less’ is very definitely ‘more’ in the case of this rather engaging Americana release from Brigette DeMeyer.

Her sixth offering – her previous five steeped in soul infused blues roots music – envelops you in the South, her sweet, sleepy gospel tinged drawl intermingled with fingerpicking acoustic steel and slide guitars.

It transports you deep into the southern heartlands to a balmy ramshackle porch, a rocking chair and the sound of the swamps calling.

With a vocal style not a million miles removed from that of Norah Jones, and some suitably sparse and empathic support from Will Kimbrough (acoustic guitars, banjo, harmonica), Chris Donohue (bass), Brady Blade (drums), Jimmy Wallace (keyboards) and Guthrie Trapp (mandolin and electric guitars), Savannah Road takes you to another place and time – poignant, hauting and soulful.

DeMeyer calls her music ‘acoustic soul’, I’ll drink to that. ****

Review by Pete Whalley

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.

Next session: Sunday 19 January

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio

David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 1 December 2024.

UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 3 December 2024.

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More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com

Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024

In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections

Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)