Country Lane

Country Lane's "Substratum" was recorded in 1973 with Raymond Amey on guitars, synthesizers, and vocals, Olivier Maire on organ, piano, spinet, and vocals, Jean-Francois Donze on drums, Giancarlo Duella on bass, and Freddy Von Kaenel on rhythm guitar and banjo. Swiss bands generally fit well alongside German artists, but Country Lane managed to set themselves apart. Like the others, they were mainly influenced by British artists of the time. However, where most were taking after the likes of E.L.P., Genesis, and Yes, Country Lane sounds more inspired by Deep Purple, Uriah Heep, and psychedelic music. There are even some comparisons made to Nektar and Frank Zappa. They jam heavy at times, but also keep it melodic. Epic concept is present, as well as humor (in the form of a little vaudeville).

From the first bass note within the driving drum beat you can tell something is different about the new record from Nikki Lane. The backbeat feels like a gutsy strut while the lead guitar feels like a revved up engine shifting gears. Denim and Diamonds comes out firing, spit shining the cowboy boots and tossing on a jean jacket.

Ronnie Lane is one of the finest songwriters the UK has produced. This is the first time that comprehensive look at Ronnie's post Faces career has been undertaken. In many ways, Ronnie Lane remains an enigma in the story of rock 'n' roll. An artist who was determined to chart his own destiny and break free from the demands of the music "business". His sense of disillusion with the rock 'n' roll lifestyle led him to leave his hugely successful band for a ramshackle country farm and a life on the road. He would create The Passing Show - a now legendary circus tent tour of the country with assorted clowns, acrobats and comedians. Ronnie created a sound and style that leaned heavily on an array of influences particularly folk, country music and later R&B with welcome contributions from the band of musicians he surrounded himself with.

With record sales of over 250 million, he was a giant star of the pre-rock ‘n’ roll era. Though his influence proved less durable than his record sales, Frankie Laine was one of the most popular vocalists of the 1950s, swinging jazz standards as well as half a dozen Western movie themes of the time with his manly baritone. Laine's enduring popularity was illustrated in June 2011, when a TV-advertised compilation called Hits reached No. 16 on the British chart. The accomplishment was achieved nearly 60 years after his debut on the UK chart, 64 years after his first major U.S. hit and four years after his death.

When your father was the late Chicago blues and Chess Records icon Jimmy Rogers (not to be confused with pioneering country singer Jimmie Rodgers), some would argue that you have a hell of a lot to live up to. But the question "How does Jimmy D. Lane compare to Jimmy Rogers?" is both unrealistic and unfair – it would be like expecting Ravi Coltrane to accomplish what John Coltrane accomplished, or expecting Hank Williams, Jr. to be another Hank Williams, Sr. Besides, Lane is a fine Chicago bluesman in his own right. With Rogers making a guest appearance on "One Room Country Shack" and Muddy Waters' "Another Mule Kicking in Your Stall," listeners get to hear father and son playing alongside one another. Rogers, who died on December 19, 1997, had only two months to live when this historically important album was made. But Legacy is not only noteworthy because it contains the last recording of Rogers; it's also noteworthy because of the rich singing and expressive guitar playing that Lane brings to Memphis Slim's "Four O'Clock in the Morning" and Howlin' Wolf's "Big House," as well as heartfelt originals like "In This Bed," "Clue Me," and "Pride." Lane is someone who really understands the blues, and that fact is impossible to miss on this excellent date.