Welcome to the meandering musical insights of Aaron Joy (me!), formerly known as the Roman Midnight Music Blog. Here you'll find nearly 750 reviews of CDs & DVDs of rock & metal in all its variations, mainstream & indie, good & bad, U.S. & foreign. A new review every Monday.

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August 16, 2012

Joey Stuckey ~ The Shadow Sound (hits comp) (album review) ... Presenting the Official Ambassador of Music for Macon Georgia!


Style: jazz, blues, folk-rock, rock
Label: self-released
Year: 2010
Home: Georgia

Members: Joey Stuckey ~ guitars/vocals/bass
Tim Brooks, Jimmy Herring, Ken Wynn ~ guitars
Donnell Poweel, Skip Slaughter ~ bass
Miguel Castro, Basil Dixon, Steven Floyd, Skeebo Knight, Jerome Thomas ~ drums
Dr. Marcus Reddick ~ percussion/vibes
Randy Beddingfield, Mike Eubank, hugh Hession, Tom Rule, Clifton Warren ~ keyboards
Randall Bramblett ~ keyboards/horns
Barbara Altman, David Ragsdale ~ strings
Brian Bogle, Dr. Scott Turpin, Dr. Douglas Hill ~ horns


Known as the "Official Ambassador Of Music For Macon, Georgia", according to his press release, JS has worked with an array of folks, from Carole King, Ike Turner to Charlie Daniels, plus lesser names Huey Thomasson from Lynyrd Skynyrd, Jimmy Herring of the Allman Brothers Band, Danny Seraphin of Chicago, Allen Vizzuiti from Chick Corea & Chuck Mangione, Chris Hillman from the Byrds, Jerry Peake for Steve Morse Band, John Dunn of Earth, Wind & Fire & George McCorkle from the Marshall Tucker Band, amongst others. Quite a resume, right? But, what to expect musically from such a career? Well, throw in some of that Marshall Tucker/Allman Brothers Band bluesy influence (i.e. "Runnin'") & lots of that classic rock. There's also a touch of melancholy Morrissey in the lyrics that is nothing but subtle (i.e. "Funny", "Mr. Mooney", "Not The End Of The World", "Hate You"). There's also a lot of contemporary folk-rock (i.e. "Mr. Mooney", "Bad Dreams", "Truth Is A Misty Mountain"), Stevie Ray Vaughan-esque blues (i.e. "Take A Walk In The Shadows"), a bunch of Bernie Worrell-esque keyboard driven funk (i.e. "The Light That Guides Us"), lots of laidback pop (i.e. "So Blue"), a touch of hard rock (i.e. "Mr. Mooney", "Hold") & an unexpected drop of jazz swing in the instrumental "Holly Tree Hopeful". What makes it more complicated is the fact that all these cited styles are all mixed together in a cornucopia. JS is a guy whose encompassed the sound of so many of those he's played with, lacing it all together with a homespun personal feel. The Shadow Sound is a collection of previously recorded songs, spanning the range of his music & making it difficult to pinpoint the JS sound, which seems to be rooted in a style of music long ago yet actually having never existed. I'm reminded of John Caffery's great soundtrack for the first Eddie & The Cruisers movie. On one hand it sounds like it was lifted from the 1950's/60's, yet if one had to place exactly where on that timeline his imitative music goes it's impossible. It draws in the past, feeling imitative, but yet is completely original & not distinct to any time. JS sounds like something you know quite well, but you can't lay your finger on it. The Morrissey-esque songs are my favorite, & one can hear Morrissey croon "Not The End Of The World". Actually, The Shadow Sound is his second compilation. Though, it duplicates much of the earlier hits compilation So Far, making it a toss-up which of the two discover JS through. It includes songs from his two live albums, plus Ironies, Pain & The Light That Guides, Take A Walk In The Shadows & a newer track found on So Far. There's also two new tracks: "Holly Tree Hopeful", which appears on his newest album Mixture & a live version of "Truth Is A Misty Mountain", not available on any album. Why he would release this album, with So Far not being so far in the past, is a bit of a mystery outside of marketing considerations. Due to a brain tumor as a child JS lost his sight & sense of smell. Also, he's studied with jazz guitarist Stanley Jordan. Many reviewers put his disability right up front. Yes, it's a selling point. But, being blind doesn't make you play music this diverse or timeless.

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