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know the blues... Records
Tab
Benoit - Charlie Musselwhite - Jimmy Thackery Three or More Headliners? Strong Producer the Key to Success. Multi-headliner albums are difficult to pull off. It's almost a natural law that asking three or more big-name acts to perform together results in each pulling the music in different directions. The results can range from mild discord to absolute chaos. When it succeeds (Showdown! and Sing It!), it's largely because of the producer. Such is the case with Whiskey Store, Telarc Records' first really successful collaboration. And what a collaboration it is: Guitarists Jimmy Thackery and Tab Benoit, the famed rhythm section Double Trouble and harmonica player Charlie Musselwhite. Special credit goes to Randy Labbe, Telarc's in-house producer. His credits include Thackery's and Benoit's latest solo albums. His sound (like nearly all Telarc recordings) is clean, all digital and tightly controlled. Typically, he has artists record their tracks separately. Whether you prefer live recordings or overdubs, this is the only way to blend highly individual performers like Thackery and Benoit. The results are especially good on the title track, with both guitarists essentially playing lead. Labbe carefully separates them, allowing the listener to appreciate their very different styles. Thackery is a Hendrix disciple, favoring distortion and reverb. Benoit plays with a cleaner signal and is heavily influenced by his Cajun roots. Both are natural leads, but Thackery is better than Benoit at filling in the background. So his tracks are heard throughout, while on some songs ("Strange Things Happen" and "Freddy's Combo") Benoit first appears during his solos. Labbe does a good job of integrating these solos . with the rest of the song, so Benoit doesn't sound artificially dropped in. The result is that each song on Whiskey Store contributes to the sound of the whole album; nothing sounds out of place.
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