Randy Scott review…July 28, 2013….

RANDY SCOTT

OUT OF THE BLUE

FAVORED NATION RECORDS  FN-2770

RAMBLIN MAN BLUES–WHISKEY FROM THE BOTTLE–NOTHIN BUT A THANG–CAN’T QUIT ON YOU–NEVER ENOUGH–MEAN-HEARTED WOMAN–DON’T CALL IT LOVE–KISSES LIKE CHERRIES–TALKING MY BABY DOWN–FIRE–OUT OF THE BLUE–HELL TO PAY–TOMMY’S TUNE

 

Randy Scott was born and raised in Detroit, drawn to the guitar thru his dad’s vinyl collection, and graduated from the Guitar Institute.  However, frustrations and disillusionment with the music business led him to give up playing altogether.  That is, until the day he wandered into a local Guitar Center and picked up an axe.  The manager encouraged him to enter that chain’s “King Of The Guitar” contest, which he would end up winning.

 

The release of his debut album, “Out Of The Blue,” coincides with the April debut on the MAVTV network reality show, “Chasing The Dream,” which stars Randy and chronicles his life on the road.  It also serves as a good metaphor for his life since his resurgence as a bluesman.  These thirteen originals are a riff-filled trip full of blues, rock, and a bit of jazz, incorporating all of his influences.

 

As we listened to this set, the comparisons to Robben Ford were inevitable, both in his style of playing and his vocal delivery.  And, Randy is backed by two of Ford’s band members, Gary Novak on drums and Travis Carlton on bass, plus Jeff Robko on keys, from Larry Carlton’s outfit, so the jazz-rock parts are well in place.

 

The set starts with an acoustic intro that gives way to a killer blues attack in “Ramblin’ Man Blues,” Randy’s tale of always trusting the road if things start getting to intense with his love interests.  He breaks off a frenetic electric solo at the bridge, before closing with another acoustic outro.  “Never Enough” gives a lover the big kiss-off, as Randy brings the vocal over some tricky chord changes, going from funky to some accelerated rockin’ blues.  “Don’t Call It Love” finds him and his lover using each other until they literally use each other up, while Randy wears his heart on his sleeve on the pondering tale of young and restless love that ended much too soon, “Kisses Like Cherries.”  There are two really cool instrumentals, too.  The first one is full of the bombast of arena-rock and the heyday of Journey and Neal Schon, “Fire.”  The second one closes the set, an all-acoustic affair named “Tommy’s Tune” that cops a feel from virtually every great riff on all his Pop’s records.

 

We had three favorites, too.  Losing your girl ain’t so bad, especially if you are drinkin’ “Whiskey From The Bottle,” sung over a blistering boogie shuffle.  And, legend Albert Lee adds guitat on another hot rocker, “Mean Hearted Woman,” and again on Randy’s tale of comin’ home late from the bar one night, and knowing there’ll be plenty of “Hell To Pay.”

 

Randy Scott has opened for the likes of Edgar Winter, Paul Rodgers, and Robben Ford, to name a few.  With “Out Of The Blue,” he has hit on the good-time album of the summer!  Drop your top, put this one in, crank ‘er up and hit the road!  Until next time…Sheryl and Don Crow