Lucky Jones – They Call Me Lucky Release Date: 16th September 2022. Reviewed: 17th November 2022 by Dave Diamond. Released by Faraday Records 2022 BAND MEMBERS: Vocals- Lucky Jones Guitar- Lucky Jones Drums- Lucky Jones Bass- Lucky Jones The band are from Cusseta, Georgia, USA and formed in 2020. Guest musician- Heath “Big Heater” Williamson - Bass break and piano on “When I’m With You” Produced and Mixed by Lucky Jones at The Pig Farm Recording Studio in Cusseta, Georgia Mastered by: Lucky Jones Front cover artwork by: Lucky Jones Tracks written and performed by: Lucky Jones Let’s have a listen to the tracks: Must Be Love – a raw strumming geetar chord kicks of this up-tempo number…then followed swiftly with the slap bass and a driving snare drum….nice vocal tone on this opening track…moves along really nice and with a great key change on the guitar solo…very catchy jive tempo tune. A sure-fire dance filler! They Call Me Lucky – this one has a Stray Cats undertone vibe to it…once again fantastic lead vocals…and the whole rhythm section just compliments this track… great ear worm on the guitar running all the way through the verses…Loving the staggered stops at 1:45. Then back in with a fab drum roll…this tune really has a great kick to it and it’s stomping for sure…. “They call me lucky as I’ve never lost a bet!” Fantastic track and it’s an original at 4:07 long! Let It Roll – screeching geetar on this Chuck Berry inspired track…drums played straight and right from the heart, fab slapping bass, fantastic high energised vocals once again, and lovin’ the lyrics….nice jive tempo…”Let It Roll, honey ‘til you can’t no more”….”go-go-go!” Love it. When I’m With You – nice variation on the start of this number, with the ride cymbal…(reminds me of the Sonny Fisher track Pink & Black) …another fantastic very well written tune from Lucky Jones. This one has a more country rockin’ vibe to it, tells the story of how” he can’t wait to be with you, and put my arms around you too, let the whole world understand when I’m with you”.. another staggered interlude but this time with the bass break from Heath “Big Heater” Williamson s and piano too, top tuneage! Where It’s At – a fab bluesy tune this time, this one is at a strolling pace and fits just right after 4 powerhouse tracks have just taken my breath away! Nice double instrumental break, showcasing the guitar playing once again, the stop sections help to make this song a real tapper and then boom…another instrumental break…great variation of Lucky’s vocal on this tune…lovin’ the 4 repeats of the chorus at the end too! Vertigo – A slow beginning to this track and then round and round we go and the tempo really picks up …great key changes on the chorus really spices up this mid-tempo song. This track showcases Lucky’s musicianship to the maximum once again… “you better hang on tight, round and round we go-o-o-”! . the guitar playing on this track is so good it could sing to you! So It Goes – The Blasters meet The Stray Cats and Reverend Horton Heat on this more melodic tune, this one has an anthemic vibe to it, could imagine it being in a film…Fast & Furious springs to mind…this one’s 4 minutes 12 long and doesn’t drag at all…just perfect song writing lyrically and musically. Midnight Sapphire – nice sample at the beginning of this number… ‘it's actually the heartbeat of my son at the beginning as captured through Doppler at a Dr visit while my wife was pregnant with our baby boy’, Lucky told us. Here we have a very slow melodic instrumental, that has a contemporary feel to it..would make a great slow dance or first dance at your wedding….Lucky Jones, fantastic stuff indeed mate! Never Back Down – picking things up once again on this album…you can really hear the bass cutting through on this tune, it’s a catchy mid-tempo number… “don’t let no one push you around, stand tall”…with Lucky telling you “always stand your ground and never back down” really loving the self-penned lyrics on this one…primitive rock ‘n’ roll at it’s best! Mansion Over The Hilltop – a cover of the classic gospel hymn by Ira Stamphill from 1949…. Nice feeling on the vocals and very powerful once again, the back beat is very much in the background and the vocals right up front. Lucky sure does have a great range to his vocal tone and this one has a powerful vocal indeed… Is this your first release? No, I’ve released 2 EPS and 1 Christmas Album previously. With His Mean Green Guitar in 2020, This Ain’t Memphis in 2021, and Christmas Is A Rockin’ Time in 2021. You Tube Clip? https://youtube.com/channel/UCHsv_BfoQlG0plrYC15Bkxg Band Influences - Eddie Cochran, Hank Williams, Buddy Holly, Carl Perkins, Brian Setzer, many more Band favourite groups and artistes Favourite bands: Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys, Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps, Buddy Holly and the Crickets, Stray Cats, Blasters, Rockpile, Ramones Favourite vocalists: Marty Robbins, George Jones, Roy Orbison Favourite guitarists: Grady Martin, Cliff Gallup, Brian Setzer, Edward Van Halen Distribution or where to buy the cd and will it be released on record? All Lucky Jones records are released on my own Faraday Records label and are available on CD and Digital Download at luckyjonesmusic.com. Also available through iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, as well as all major streaming services. This album will also be released on vinyl next year in partnership with Rumble Road Records! Vinyl will be released late summer/fall 2023. CLOSING COMMENTS ABOUT THE ALBUM Wowzah! What a fab set of tunes on this 10 track C.D. release…. it’s always fantastic hearing original songs and Lucky Jones is not only the songwriter, but also plays all the instruments and even sings too! Lucky mixed, mastered, and even did the artwork too, is there no end to this guy’s talent! This album is packed with stompers, mid-tempo tunes, an instrumental and even a cover of a gospel hymn, such a great variety of tracks! Lucky tells me that so far, he has gigged live in the southeast region of the US and would love one day to play U.K. and Europe, so promoters please take note. Reviewed by Dave Diamond
