Stranger in This Town in Bloomington, MN

Mick Taylor
's
Stranger in This Town
was recorded mostly in Sweden in the summer of 1989, except for
"Little Red Rooster,"
recorded in Germany, and
"You Gotta Move,"
the traditional
blues
number found on
the Rolling Stones
'
Sticky Fingers
, recorded in Philadelphia in December of 1989. This is a
album, make no doubt about it, and it is one of
Taylor
's finest. Co-produced by the guitarist and
Phil Colella
, the performances feature former
Jeff Beck
sideman
Max Middleton
on keyboards,
Shane Fontayne
on guitar,
Wilbur Bascomb
on bass, and
Eric Parker
on drums. Only
"You Gotta Move"
has different musicians,
Joel Diamond
on keys and
Beach Boy
Blondie Chaplin
on guitar.
Keith Richard
producer
Rob Fraboni
re-mixed the title track, as well as the almost six minute version of one of
's favorite
Stones
tunes,
"Jumpin' Jack Flash."
It's the most
rock & roll
song here,
's voice lending itself well to the song.
Carol Bernson
's photographs of the
rock
legend are something to behold;
under a blue light performing with his shadow reflecting on the floor adorns the back of the CD, as well as the inside four-page booklet. The front cover has the journeyman with his guitar and a long, black coat, and there's an impressive black-and-white portrait inside the booklet. He performs
Albert King
"I Wonder Why"
and
"Laundromat Blues,"
citing
King
in the liner notes as "a big influence, and a man who is wise and whom I respect and admire." He calls
Jimi Hendrix
a genius, genuine, and "the greatest guitar player who ever lived," and pays tribute to him with a superb version of
"Red House,"
which is combined with
James Oden
"Goin' Down Slow."
The
Santana
feel that
brought to
"Can't You Hear Me Knocking"
by
the Stones
lives again in his co-write
"Goin' South,"
which, at ten minutes and 20 seconds, contains some of
's finest guitar work on the record.
Maze
had a distribution deal with
A&M
in Canada when this was released in 1990, but the label didn't have the resources in this pre-Internet time to deliver such a beautiful album to a mass audience. If only
was the album
released on
Columbia
when he first left
. Were that the case, he would have had the opportunity to enjoy the popularity of a
Buddy Guy
or
B.B. King
, and the general public would have a better understanding of this superb and highly underrated artist. Musicians know, and all the evidence needed is on this disc. ~ Joe Viglione