Track Listing

1. Welcome To The Human Race
2. The Next Big Thing
3. All My Life
4. The Love Song Of J. Alfred Bluesrock
5. Don't Wanna Fall
6. Child Of Another Day
7. Turn Your Eyes To Heaven
8. The Restless Age
9. Gone Too Long
10. A Matter Of The Heart
11. Can't Have It All
12. Sanjay
13. The Outsider

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7929 in Music
• Released on: 2008-06-02
• Number of discs: 1

Customer Reviews

Strength as a weakness
There is one problem with Walter Trout and artists of his ilk which stems from their greatest strength which is that for all that he is a great guitarist, a more than fair vocalist and his band are tight there is an inherent weakness in the fact that you only find his stuff in the "blues" section in record stores, and so no matter how good any album he produces (and this is a good album) he is unlikely to pick up any new afficionados which is a real shame as no matter how unfashionable he or indeed his chosen genre may be, he is bloomin good at it and this album is a fine new recording. Sure there is not much here that is new but if this is old fashioned then I'm all for it.

...the best yet...
One time Bluesbreaker and Canned Heat man, Walter Trout has been firing out solo albums for a long time now, but they've always felt a bit incomplete to me. So, it came as a particular delight to sit down with the new one, and find myself hitting the repeat button when it came to an end. For this might just be the best album of his career.

From the opening, autobiographical, 'Welcome To The Human Race' onwards, it's a constantly unfolding pleasure. It's also the album that sees him straying further away from his Blues rock roots, something that may find a few old time fans drifting away. Even I had a bit of trouble with 'The Next Big Thing', a 1968 Beatles style radio rocker. But when he comes up with songs as inspired as the British Blues boom inspired 'Don't Wanna Fall' or the heavy boogie of 'The Love Song of J Alfred Bluestock', then he makes me a very happy man. In the company of a new set of musicians - veteran drummer Kenny Aronoff, best known for his time with John Mellencamp, bassist James "Hutch" Hutchinson and pianist Jon Clearly, both from Bonnie Raitts band, - along with a superb production job from John Porter, this may be the moment where Walter Trout finally gets his just rewards.

Fans of his Blues days will find solace in 'Can't Have It All', and those who admire him as much for his singing as his playing should find a happy place in 'All My Life' and 'The Next Big Thing', where the stripped down sound allows his voice ample room to roam. Best for me were the moments where he out-Warrens Warren Haynes on the soulful 'Don't Wanna Fall' and 'Child Of Another Day', where he revisits the theme of forgotten war veterans, something Trout holds strong feelings for. The most consistently enjoyable album he's ever recorded, there really is something here for everyone.

The Outsider
I have been a fan on Walter Trout since 1988 and I love it. I have all the albums and can see the development of his talent and craft over the period. As with any new WT album I have been eagerly expecting this one and it does not fail. My only note of concern is these studio albums never seem to show his true ability. They are far too polished and produced to really let the music get under your skin. The earlier albums and indeed the live albums enable you to feel like you are actually there.

A good album but not great and I must be one the longest serving fans.