Popa Chubby - The Fight Is On

Blind Pig Records

Twelve tracks: 60mins 30secs

www.popachubby.com

Somewhat to my surprise, it is two years since PC’s last CD. That one “Deliveries After Dark” was a stunner. This is just as good.

Chubby takes no prisoners. His definition of blues is as broad as his body. I have seen him do Robert Johnson classics and heard him pay homage to Led Zep and ZZ Top, with more than a nod to Freddy King (who he acknowledges changed his life when he fist heard him play), to say nothing of Buddy Guy. This one even features a live recording of his take on Motorhead’s “Ace of Spades.”

Chubby is as always in-your-face and his axework is impressive and skilled. Many of the songs are Chubby’s own work (although I do which he could resist the occasional ‘fuck’ in the lyrics (as in the title track here), an aberration which makes it impossible to play the cut on radio (in the UK)).

The theme (if there is one) is summed up in one off the tracks here titled “Rock and Roll Is My Religion” and the church of Chubby, is I think gathering more and more converts. For those not fully convinced by evangelical proselytising try “Switchblade Combs And Candy Cigarettes” with a lyric that could have come from Dennis Locorrier (Dr Hook) and a terrific, restrained slide guitar solo. At the other end of the scale (also with Chubby doing some slide work) check out, “Noisemaking Love Machine”. Wonderful!

In short if you are into any kind of blues based rock, and want a bit of fire and fury with your music, this is a MUST! As Chubby says here (track 2) “We Got Some Rockin’ To Do”.

Reviewer Ian McKenzie lives in England. He is the editor of Blues In The South (www.bluesinthesouth.com) a monthly flier providing news, reviews, a gig guide and all kinds of other good stuff, for people living and going to gigs along the south coast of England. Ian is also a blues performer (see www.myspace.com/ianmckenzieuk) and has a web cast regular blues radio show on www.phonic.FM in Exeter (Wednesdays: 1pm Eastern/ 12 noon Central).