Innerhythmic 015
Buddy Miles might consider trying on some Otis
Redding if he's looking for covers for his next album,
because he's had a hard time getting respect. His
press reports tend to be laden with "buts." He was
among the first musicians to cross the bridge from
soul to psychedelic rock in the late '60s, but his
drumming is best known for lacking subtlety; he played
with three of the most trailblazing guitarists of that
era (Mike Bloomfield, Jimi Hendrix and John McLaughlin), but each
alliance was shortlived. Even his accomplishments of
recent years, such as becoming the voice of the
California Raisins or making an oft-ridiculed guest
appearance with Phish in '96, have been mixed
blessings.
No one tells Bill Laswell what to do, though, so the
maverick producer organized this recording in the
mid-'90s, and now, for reasons unknown to me, has
reissued it. He's done a good job, too, commissioning
a cover painting from Mati Klarwein (of Bitches Brew
fame) and mixing Miles's drums so that every nuance of
his trademark steamrolling grooves, even possible
mistakes (there we go again), comes through with
maximal crispness.
The Buddy Miles Express comes equipped with horns
and two guitarists (Kevon Smith and Nicky Skopelitis)
who know their Hendrix. Miles's covers of "Born Under
a Bad Sign" and "All Along the Watchtower" don't break
new ground, and neither do the originals ("Be Kind to
Your Girlfriend" is a representative title), but they
add up to an enjoyable funk-rock outing. In the end,
Miles comes off like a Harrison in need of a
Lennon/McCartney, but (!) Harrison did write a few of
the best rock songs of all time, and Miles proves
himself as an engaging singer (although I could do
without his spoken love rap at the start of "Let It Be
Me") as well as a powerhouse drummer.
Let's accentuate the positive for once: Hell and Back
proves that Miles is as fit for action as in his
supposed heyday of the late '60s, and perhaps even
more so. Not many of his contemporaries could make
such a claim.
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