I’d like to start this review by saying that I try my best to avoid cover albums like the plague. The irony in typing that is I’m currently battling some plague-like symptoms at this very moment, but that’s unimportant. What I’m getting at is, how many times do we need to hear another rendition of “Smoke on the Water” or “Anarchy in the U.K.” or *insert any number of Black Sabbath songs here*? We don’t. The cover album, for the most part, is predictable, pedestrian, and painfully conventional, no matter how great the band giving it a stab is. There is, however, an exception to this rule.
The best covers albums are the ones that take an unconventional approach, standing out in their singularity. For example, take Slayer’s Undisputed Attitude (1996). In the heart of the Warped Tour era, the legendary thrashers paid tribute to the hardcore punk of their youths, covering Minor Threat, Verbal Abuse, and D.I., among others, and turning on a brand new generation to these bands in the long run. It’s in that same spirit of homage that Bonham-Bullick have released their latest self titled album: A wide spanning collection of blues, soul, and country songs both old and new.
For those unfamiliar, “Bonham” is Deborah Bonham: Sister of Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham and singer extraordinaire. “Bullick” is Peter Bullick: Paul Rodgers guitarist and Bonham’s husband. Together, the two take us on a musical journey that touches upon the roots of all rock and popular music to follow. Throughout the way are nods to two of the three Kings, Freddie and Albert, on the soulful “I Had a Dream” and tasty “Can’t You See What You’re Doing to Me” respectively. The hauntingly arranged “Trouble Blues” channels the spirit of the late Sam Cooke, while the droning tour de force that is “Bleeding Muddy Water” pays respects to recently fallen Screaming Trees frontman Mark Lanegan.
As Bonham-Bullick progresses, focus shifts from strictly blues to the more southern flavored sounds of country (Stephen Stills’ “Sit Yourself Down”), gospel (Patty Griffin’s “When It Don’t Come Wasy”), and down home Skynyrd style rock n’ roll (Ann Peebles’ “I’ll Get Along”). Each arrangement is fresh and riveting, thanks to the band’s superior musicianship. Bonham’s vocals are tailored to accommodate each song, accentuating power when need be, yet without ever overdoing it. Bullick’s leads recall those of Paul Kossoff and Gary Moore, oozing in grit and soul. I must also give props to Brother Paul Brown, who lays down some killer keys on this release, and John Baggott’s Hammond on the aforementioned “I’ll Get Along”.
Bonham-Bullick isn’t your average covers album, and thank God for that. There’s enough of those to last 10 lifetimes. For the musical prowess displayed by both Bonham and Bullick, I wouldn’t mind hearing their twist on another album’s worth of bluesy obscurities. Think Rod Stewart’s Great American Songbook series, but musically exciting (No disrespect Rod, but The Jeff Beck Group and Faces will always be where it’s at).
7 out of 10
Label: Quarto Valley Records
Genre: Blues Rock
For fans of: Led Zeppelin, Free, The Black Crowes