Album review: HEATH GREEN & THE MAKESHIFTERS

Okay, this is the shit. From the chugging opening bars of “Out to the City”, and that voice – close your eyes and tell me Frankie Miller isn’t back in the house. This is swampy Americana at its finest from a very talented bunch hailing from Birmingham, Alabama.

It was the PR guff’s reference to Heath Green’s musical diet of the Stones, Faces, Humble Pie, early Ike and Tina and especially the incendiary live output of the circa 1970 Joe Cocker/Leon Russell-era that initially turned my head and boy, has this lad eaten well !

The Makeshifters manage to incorporate all the best trademarks of rockin’ blues and soul, coupled with quality song-writing and heart-wrenching emotional outpour.

Part roadhouse rock, part impassioned laments, this is a very impressive debut – a bluesy groove, fret board athletics, an intense edginess – not unlike the raw, fresh energy with which The Temperance Movement launched themselves upon our unsuspecting consciousness. And did I mention that voice?

Green is the kind of natural, raunchy vocalist who probably sounded this way the first time he ever opened his mouth – effortless, melancholic, world-weary and lush. “Ain’t It A Shame” will give you goosebumps the way a Ray Charles/Janis Joplin duet might have done, building emotionally through its ripping guitar break – a track which is high up on the “wow” scale.

There’s so much to enjoy throughout this album – the insistent up-tempo rhythm of “Secret Sisters”, “Ain’t Got God” is something of a mini-epic addressing the eternal battle between good and evil whilst “I’m A Fool” recalls the heady days of deep south R&B.

This is a very exciting new album – delivered with fervour and passion aplenty. I guarantee if it had been released in 1970, it would be a collector’s item by now – screw the nostalgia-naysayers, Heath Green and the Makeshifters have produced a stunning debut.

Oozing respect for the varied sources from which the band has drawn its inspiration, it is delivered with fire-in-the-belly, preach-from-the-pulpit gusto. As the swampers of Muscle Shoals would tell you, there’s something in the water down there in Alabama and whatever it is courses through the veins of this fine band. *****

Review by Mark “Mad Dog” Shaw

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.

How to Listen Live?

Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)

Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.

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)