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Tony Stevens, original bass player for Foghat (and before that, Savoy Brown), brings his down and dirty blues based rock music into the 21^st century with no bones about the past. Using the title of Foghat’s biggest commercial hit as his new bands moniker, he takes what could be misconstrued as an attempt to cash in on past accomplishments and turns it into a statement that should not go overlooked.

Recruiting former Foghat drummer Eddie Zyne, multi-instrumentalist (guitar, keyboards, harmonica, and vocals) Tommy Hall, and former “Clarence Clemons Temple Of Soul” and “The Livesays” frontman (slide guitar, lead vocals) Billy Livesay, Stevens has assembled a top notch power blues rock outfit that captures the pure essence of 70s arena rock to a Tee. Using tight, intense, rhythm based rock to frame a pristine guitar sound and listener friendly vocals, Tony Stevens SLOW RiDE has everyone responding to their call to “Join Together.”

While placed 3^rd in the running order, TSSR’s cover of The Who’s classic Join Together is a raucous, rollicking affair of pitch perfect rock. Giving sustenance and significance to this undertaking, it’ll have the “another-out-of-date/time-musician-trying-to-cash-in–on-the-past” critics eating crow even before the final bridge’s extended throw down. Following that is a cover of Willie Dixon’s Hoochie Coochie Man; it is so down-and-dirty blues that you’ll never be able to wash the impression from your head. It’s a shoulder-shakin’, hip-grinding, rhythm-slathered monster with greasy, ballsy, slide guitar and salutacious vocals that’ll leave the men awash in sweat and the women soaking wet.

If I were to tell you that a 3^rd cover followed and that it was Bob Dylan’s Subterranean Homesick Blues, you might respond by wondering what exactly this *new* band is bringing to the table. They are educating a new era of listeners to probably one of the best representations of the Classic Blues-Rock sound that ruled the 70’s. TSSR conjures up not only Foghat, but pre-80’s Aerosmith, Bad Company, Thin Lizzy, Nazareth, Edgar Winter, Spooky Tooth, Blue Cheer, and even The Amboy Dukes, to name a few. To say this could be used as a primer is to understate what should be the obvious – Can anyone improve Dylan’s classic, especially when they change the entire arrangement and meter of the song? Listen to this rendition and realize/believe how vital the blues based rock genre of the late 60s to mid 70s was. If any band nowadays were to come anywhere near as close to the cohesiveness of this unit, they could sweep the concert circuit for years.

And therein lies the problem with rock music and the corporate shirts who control it in the 21^st century; any “dated” music or music genre, created or recreated by “old” Classic rockers who haven’t been actively selling records within the last 5 years, isn’t only not worth a look, but not worth a listen either – move forward – what sells? Certainly not gifted musicians who can not only write and cover music, but also arrange the rhythm and leads to form an undeniably powerful form of expression for the masses. I think that is why it is so important that TSSR has Billy Livesay up front, not only delivering a Steven Tyler –style vocal package, but also putting 5 original compositions on the table to meld the past and present. Three of which - Little Bit Of Hurt - Magic Hat - and Under The Heat Of A Full Moon - were previously released by Billy when he (and band) recorded as The Livesays. Each of Livesay’s tunes flow perfectly with the flavor of the covers and deliver another satisfyingly gritty and energetic piece of the puzzle.

The 3 final pieces of this throwback (sic) puzzle are Foghat covers; there’s Looking For You, from the 2003 (reformed) release “Family Joules,” plus two timeless Classics - Fool For The City and Slow Ride. How do the Classics measure up over 30 years later and with a different vocalist? Let’s just say that fans of the originals will be pleased (even as they weigh the scale with an old-school hand), while those unfamiliar with the originals might just be surprised at how really great original songs can hold up over the course of time. Especially when they are redone with the loving hands of those not only involved with their original creation, but also those who thoroughly understand and believe in the greatness of the overall sound/genre, and who can not only give a powerful reproduction of, but also a significant reintroduction to, what surely was one of the cutting edges of Rock.

30 plus years later this SLOW RiDE is still cruising.

“You know the rhythm is right
We’re gonna rock all night”

Tony Stevens SLOW RiDE - Join Together
is available now for: $8.98 +s/h*

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*Shipping & Handling charges:
USA - $3.00 for the first 2 CDs ordered,
                     Add $1.50 per each CD after.
Canada - $5.00 for the first CD ordered,
                          Add $2.00 per each CD after.
Everywhere else -$7.00 for the first CD ordered,
                                        Add $3.00 per each CD after.