Album review: MARK ‘PORKCHOP’ HOLDER – Let It Slide

[Release date 10.02.17]

So, Eric Sardinas walks into a grubby, smoky, barrelhouse bar where the soles of your shoes stick to the carpet like glue, starts pounding shots of Mississippi moonshine with George Thorogood and talking about putting a band together – when the group walks on stage. After an hour of gritty, foot-stomping Porkchop blues, they realize “shit, it’s just been done….”

Mark Porkchop Holder may look like a jolly celebrity chef but his blues/rock is powerful, earthy and very honest. Having founded Tennessee’s Black Diamond Heavies and battled his share of demons, the Porkchop pours out his heart and soul on his debut solo offering, “Let It Slide”. The solidity and consistency of the album makes it difficult to pick a highlight – and I mean that in the nicest possible way.

Get your fuzz on with the catchy and whippy “My Black Name”, dobro and spittle-filled blues harp lament “Let It Slide Reprise – No Doctor” is the soundtrack to a Clarksdale street-corner still-life whilst “Disappearing” might have made it onto Exile on Main Street back in the day. “Stranger” evokes Johnny Cash-like punkabilly, testifying perhaps to Holder’s dependency issues (“I’ll give you my Daddy’s gold cufflinks, I’ll give you most anything if you’ll give me a drink”).

As Amazon would say, people who liked James Leg and King Mud (from the same original band) also liked The Porkshop. Cleaned up Bonamassa Blues, this unequivocally ain’t but it’s a darn good listen – all culminating in an energetic rip-through of the Big Joe Williams standard “Baby, Please Don’t Go” (immortalized by Van and Them in the 1960s).

Sweaty, slidey, beer-soaked blooze indeed. *** ½

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)