Gwyn Ashton - Prohibition

Welsh born Aussie slide guitarist Gwyn Ashton has played hundreds of gigs all over Europe and built a strong career since basing himself in the UK. 'Prohibition' is his fourth solo album release and features the venerable Sensational Alex Harvey Band and Michael Schenker rhythm section comprising Chris Glen (Bass) and Ted McKenna (drums), as well as current Deep Purple keyboardist Don Airey.

In fact, I first heard Gwyn through Don Airey. Gwyn was playing at one of Don Airey's Blues and Soul Revues. These are summer charity concerts that over the years have featured some amazing musicians: Graham Bonnet, Uli Jon Roth, Bernie Marsden, Neil Murray, Micky Moody... The year I saw Gwyn - around 2002 - he performed a blistering set with the biggest, gnarliest slide tone I've ever heard. In addition, Gwyn plays regularly very near to AOG Towers, and we look forwards to featuring Gwyn very soon.

Overview!

Opener ‘Get up, Get Over It' sets the template in fine fashion with some cool slide riffing heralding an up-tempo blues boogie. Anyone who has caught Gwyn live will attest to his fiery blues slide axework, and throughout the album he doesn't disappoint - and a fine down 'n' dirty slide solo rounds out a great opener.

Track two has a nicely driving, vaguely funky, riff and with its effective Hendrix-esque chord work, ‘Come On / Don't Walk, Run' is a track built for the live arena: it also has a corker of a (non slide) solo.

‘Back To You' has a classic rock vibe in it's open chord based riffage, a great vocal and some Cream era Clapton style solo: a nicely uplifting good time rock'n'roll track that makes me want to go and crack open a cold brew and get ready to start raisin' hell!

‘Castaway' has an almost Faces Rod-esque type intro, some nicely judged Don Airey supplied piano, and a great 70's vibe to the chorus. A down ‘n' dirty solo which build to a nicely melodic finale. Get those cigarette lighters out, and reminisce about when music was great in those long lost 70's...

‘Secret Agent' is a bastard cousin to ZZ Top's ‘Tush' - or even, in the verses, something ‘Rio Grande' ‘Tejas': great fun - and we have some more of that slippery slide. I always seem to be alluding to the dreaded alcohol in my reviews of blues albums but this is the one genre above all that really does seem to bring out the desire to go out, get wrecked in a cool bar and rock it up! This track will rule live!

‘Ain't My Style' has a traditional swing blues riff and rhythm and is fairly traditionally constructed track with a Hendrixy solo and a nice groove.

‘Prohibition' is next up and with some Harmonica belting over those lazy slide-opening licks, and the George Thorogood type vocals and some sexy, cool, female backing vocals put this right in the Mississippi Blooze category. A cool unison Harmonica and slide solo here - a good track to groove to at one of those outdoor summer rock'n'blues festivals.

Next up, the show stopper: 'The Road Is My Religion' is an anthemic paean to a musicians life on the road, and tells an autobiographical tale of Gwyn shipping out of Oz to pursue his career up here in Europe. A bit of Bob Dylan, a lot of Neil Young circa 'Southern Man', a smattering of Skynyrd and the Allman Bros - a classic last song of the live set (before the encores), this has a great descending 70's style ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps' progression over which Gwyn simply cuts loose with some his most impassioned playing on the album. Probably the best track here!

‘Ball And Chain' takes us back to slide guitar grooving with a lengthy slow blues guitar workout. Maybe not as accomplished as the other tracks - nevertheless loads of Gwyn's axe work out in the open: one for the slide fans to try and have a crack at playing!

‘Are You Lonely' is an up-tempo Hendrix / Stevie Ray Vaughan style blues rocker, some nice chord changes and a frenetic solo with some BIG bends and vibrato.

‘Guitar Town' will appeal to fans of Jeff Healey, and with an in-the-pocket funky rhythm, lots of Dominant 9th's and some cool syncro guitar and bass lines, this is one of the funkier numbers on display - again this will be great live number.

Last track of the album proper is ‘Rest In Paradise (for Stevie)', an 8-minute tour de force of Vaughan-isms, cool jazz chords, Hendrixy double stops, mellow octaves and searing extended solos all over a slow blues. A fitting end to the album.

On my review copy are a couple of Bonus Tracks: ‘Judgement Day' an acoustic fast shuffle and a rock'n'roll fast workout in ‘Shake It Down' that very much do ‘what it says on the tin'.

Conclusion

In conclusion this is a fine example of a driving blues album from one of the best exponents of the genre currently on the circuit. No real surprises, but no drawbacks either. If you are familiar with Gwyn Ashton and are a fan of artists such as SRV, Jeff Healey - and slide guitar in general - this is definitely one for the Christmas list!