Review Summary: Jake's got the blues
9 (or 5, depending on the country) years passed since the last official studio album by Jake E. Lee
A Fine Pink Mist. The solely instrumental work was released on a small label and went practically unnoticed by the rock enthusiasts, despite the relatively good reviews and solid execution. It’s unknown whether it was due to his hard luck or something else, but Jake disappeared for long time. His return would take place only in 2005, when his new solo LP was released under the title
Retraced.
It should be noted that
Retraced is not completely new released from this outstanding but underrated axe slinger, instead being a collection covering blues rock numbers from the 1960s-1970s. But it should also be acknowledged the result is more atypical than it’s usually the case. Even Jake himself states honestly in the liner notes that he considers such albums to be “waste of time”, except for instances when musician(s) is able to add something to the songs or want to introduce some music to a new audience. In the end,
Retraced partially succeeds with the former and the latter.
The first moment of notice, which sheds favorable light on the LP are the cuts selected. Usually bands or singers, who plan to release a cover album with the songs that influenced them, take the easy way and pick the well-known hits. Then these tracks are carefully reproduced, but such somewhat understandable idolatrous approach leads to question the need to release an album like that. We can just as well listen to the original of this or that song, at the same time getting acquainted with a band, whose body of work might have been unfamiliar. To his credit, Jake and Co. turned out to be cleverer than that.
Instead of taking the songs well-worn by radio stations, he chooses the cuts, most of which are a lot less known among the general public or didn’t gain much popularity back in the day, when they were released as singles to support respective albums. And, what’s more important, these tracks are more representative, giving off the sound of their bands. Moreover, the bands or musicians themselves can somewhat be described as forgotten or underrated, creating an interesting parallel to Jake’s artistic career. And as such, we have songs by
Procol Harum,
Trapeze,
Free,
Johnny Winter,
Montrose and many others sitting comfortably on one CD. Those familiar with various releases from Jake E. Lee may guess what impressed the guitarist in his early years and what explains that blues flavor to his playing.
While listening to the album one can quickly feel that Jake obviously enjoys playing these classics. Also you must hand it to him that he isn’t afraid to go away from the general structure of the original, but finds places to expand and demonstrate his technical skills, playing fills and solos absent in the source material. This results in the guitar slinger deviating from his traditional approach of working with the band, so here he practically hogs all the attention playing classic hard and blues rock riffs peppered with technical flashiness, typical for the 1980s rock. However, all these licks do not disturb the overall flow of the tracks but efficiently complement them.
Another advantage
Retraced has on its side is a single line-up for all 12 songs. The underrated guitarist was joined by little-known but nevertheless legendary Tim Bogert on the bass and Aynsley Dunbar on the drums. These experienced musicians maintain a sturdy rhythm on the album, which doesn’t attract too much attention, as if they realize that the star of the record is the man whose name is on the front cover. Also of note is the vocalist Chris Logan, who keeps the pace with such masters, creating the necessary vibe with his low, smokie, blues voice. As a result, the LP feels more like a band effort, not a solo work.
However, it should be acknowledged, the grand total is somewhat ambiguous. Despite its obvious advantages of
Retraced, it will most likely be neglected by the public due to its nature. And without a doubt, this is an error on their side, as they would miss an interesting LP from a talented guitarist extending respects to those who influenced him and an opportunity to get familiar with less played but great songs in the updated sound shell. Let’s hope the album is not missed by the fans of the underrated Jake E. Lee or well-made blues rock.
