Kenny Wayne Shepherd - Dirt on My Diamonds Vol. 2
by Kevin Wierzbicki
Like his first
Dirt on My Diamonds release, this second collection in the series was written in the longtime music hotbed of Muscle Shoals, Alabama and recorded in that city's legendary FAME Studios. Shepherd said he wanted to complete the project there in order to soak up the vibes of the big names who have previously recorded there, folks like Etta James, Aretha Franklin, Clarence Carter, Wilson Pickett, Keb' Mo', Gregg Allman and dozens of other stars including Arthur Alexander who gave fame their first hit record with 1961's "You Better Move On." So to say there was a bit of ambiance for Shepherd to soak up is an understatement. Whether fans will hear the "ghosts" of artists who previously recorded at FAME on
Dirt on My Diamonds Vol. 2 they will certainly feel Shepherd's lifetime of experience on the eight cuts he presents here. The effort begins with "I Got a Woman," an R&B-flavored and horn-laden tune about a man's fondness for his main squeeze that struts just like the fellow might when in the company of his hot girlfriend. Bouncy Southern funk is the order of the day for the again horn-enhanced "The Middle" where Shepherd laments the difficulty of getting by in a world of fat cats; you might expect Kenny to really rip it up on "My Guitar is Crying" but the song is one of the album's slower and quieter moments as the man he portrays is missing his absent love bigtime. He does get raucous on the driving blues rocker "Long Way Down" though as he sings about the lows of daily life and an urgent desire to get away from them, with his guitar doing a lot of the talking. "Never Made it to Memphis" rocks steady too; as you could maybe guess the reason he never made it to the Queen City (or Detroit, or Austin) had to do with a blonde femme fatale; it all works out okay though as the man in question ends up with the object of his infatuation. "Watch You Go," another cut about a woman, is sassy and fun while "Pressure" is gurgling funk that shrugs off unsolicited advice. The set closes with the swinging "She Loves My Automobile," a cut that definitely nods to the early days of rock 'n' roll, complete with a fiery mid song guitar solo. Now Shepherd's own music permeates FAME Studios right along with that of Aretha, Etta and Pickett; a fine gift for those yet to hit the fabled room. Shepherd is participating in the star studded Experience Hendrix tour which is happening now through mid October.
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