Probably Savoy Brown’s best
and most successful album. It was recorded
on a personnel precipice as within weeks
of its release three quarters of the band
deserted the ship leaving leader Kim Simmonds
on his own and looking for new band mates
to form Savoy Brown version 5 (he’s probably
up to Savoy Brown version number 989 by
now). The others, with the addition of
mercurial slide guitarist Rod Price, went
on to form Boogie legends Foghat, leaving
Savoy Brown because of alleged iniquities
in the division of income. Whilst recording
some ten albums for Bearsville records
they became the leaders of the British
Boogie and Stadium Rock wave.
“Looking In” was the predecessor for all
this. Topped and tailed by two short Kim
Simmonds guitar pieces there are seven
pieces of solid gold blues and boogie.
Just before going into the studio the
erratic vocalist Chris Youlden had decided
to leave the band in search of solo fame.
So, taking his trademark eye piece, topper,
and cane, he upped and went leaving the
others high and dry with studio time booked
and no yodeler.
Cometh the hour cometh the man. Up to
the microphone stepped second guitarist
Lonesome Dave Peverett and a stirling
job of handling the vocals he does, too,
whilst adding valuable guitar work to
the longer numbers, particularly final
work out “Leavin’ Again”, when the dueling
guitars battle it out like an electric
dueling banjos for a glorious eight and
a half minutes. When the band do what
they do best and boogie out, Lonesome
Dave also co wrote this with Tone Stevens.
First song proper on the album, “Poor
Girl”, was another written by Tone Stevens.
A real belting blues, which is still in
the Savoy Brown stage repertoire today,
although Stevens left the band more than
3 decades ago.
But star of the show with Savoy Brown,
always was and always will be, Kim Simmonds
(funny name that for a boy), who’s guitar
playing throughout this album is nothing
short of awe inspiring. Simmonds could
easily match the likes of his peers such
as Clapton, Beck, and Page, but was more
often than not the unsung guitar hero,
probably because unlike all the others
he stayed true to his initial roots of
the blues. He is still playing the same
style since 1966 and there doesn’t seem
much likelihood of him changing now. Not
for him the commercial appeal of pop or
heavy metal although, I’m sure, even now
he could turn a coin or two by squashing
his feelings, and prostituting his guitar
work.
Simmonds’ finest moment on “Looking In”
comes on “Take It Easy”, a slow burning
song Kim wrote with Dave Peverett that,
from very small beginnings, builds to
a shattering guitar climax.
This album collects the essence of the
live beast that is Savoy Brown on stage
and that was where they were at their
best. So, if two and two make four, then
this is Savoy Brown at their finest.
Pawed by Mott The Dog
Remastered by Ella Crew
E-mail: review@mott-the-dog.com
