Some stories are too good to be true. Imagine a hobo, a man with no past, future, nor present who eventually end up making a blues album and bringing in John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin to play the bass only because he do not knew anybody else playing that instrument. So, yes, I mean no, this could not happen.
Steven Wold (aka Seasick Steve) was born in 1941 in Oakland, California and in the 1960s he started touring and performing with fellow blues musicians. He made friends like Joni Mitchell and since then he has worked, on and off, as a session musician and studio engineer. In the late 80s he worked with several indie label artists around Seattle. In the 1990s he work as a recording engineer and producer, producing several releases by Modest Mouse including their 1996 debut album “This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About”.
Wold moved to Norway in 2001 and released his first album, entitled “Cheap”, recorded with The Level Devils as his rhythm section, with Jo Husmo on stand-up bass and Kai Christoffersen on drums. His debut solo album, “Dog House Music” was released by Bronzerat Records on November 26, 2006, after he was championed by an old friend, Joe Cushley, DJ on the Ballin’ The Jack blues show on London radio station Resonance FM.
Then Wold made his first UK television appearance on Jools Holland’s annual Hootenanny BBC TV show on New Year’s Eve 2006. He performed a live rendition of “Dog House Boogie” on the “Three String Trance Wonder” and the “Mississippi Drum Machine”. After that show his popularity exploded in UK.
He was very well received in the UK, winning the 2007 MOJO Award for Best Breakthrough Act and going on to appear at major UK festivals such as Reading, Leeds and Glastonbury. In 2007 he played more UK festivals than any other artist.
Wold’s major-label debut, “I Started Out with Nothin and I Still Got Most of It Left” was recorded with Dan Magnusson on drums and it was released by Warner Music on September 29, 2008.
In February 2011, Wold signed to Play It Again Sam to release his next album with the exception of the US, where he had contract with Third Man Records, an independent record label founded by Jack White. It was also announced that former Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones had played on the album, and he will probably performed alongside Wold to promote it.
“Hubcap Music” was released on April 29, 2013 featuring Dan Magnusson on drums (who also plays live with Seasick Steve), John Paul Jones on bass (amongst other instruments), and Jack White on guitar on the track “The Way I Do”. It consist of 48 minutes of exciting, genuine blues.
“Sonic Soul Surfer” is the seventh studio album by Seasick Steve and it will be released on 23rd March 2015.
Tracklist:
01. Roy’s Gang 6:07
02. Bring It On 3:46
03. Dog Gonna Play 5:17
04. In Peaceful Dreams 2:43
05. Summertime Boy 3:55
06. Swamp Dog 4:52
07. Sonic Soul Boogie 5:21
08. Right On Time 3:21
09. Barracuda ’68 4:21
10. We Be Moving 5:21
11. Your Name 6:58
12. Heart Full of Scars 4:06
Buy it from iTunes
I was quite excited to listen his new release and now when I’m several times through of it I feel a little bit disappointed. It somehow feels like “Lazaretto”, the late album by Jack White: a not so convincing reiteration of old blues feelings with some Led Zeppelin flavor. It’s nice, still have more life in it than most of this perfectly similar metalcore s*its the new kids on the block deliver, but looking into honestly, it lost his edge as it was on “I Started Out with Nothin’ and I Still Got Most of It Left”.
Somebody noticed that this is a Steven Wold album and not a Seasick Steve one and he was probably right. On the outside this is the same, but on the inside something it’s missing.
Aliens abducted Seasick Steve, free Seasick Steve! Bring Seasick Steve back!
Seasick Steve – Official Site
