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San Francisco's Tommy Castro has been at this roots and blues-rock thing for some 20 years now, and while at one time he was heralded as the next great guitar slinger, such claims only last until the next guy comes down the line with good tone and flashy technique, and since that seems to happen every other week, it's probably good that Castro brings a whole lot more to the plate than just his guitar playing. There's his voice, for one thing, a soulful and versatile blue-collar growl that sounds like Bob Seger working his way through the Stax/Volt catalog, and he's also turned into a pretty good meat-and-potatoes songwriter, too, although yes, it's his guitar playing that keeps the pot boiling. Castro has been using horn sections and larger ensembles on his recent albums, but for this set he relies on his crackerjack new touring band the Pain Killers, comprised of longtime Castro bassist Randy McDonald, drummer Byron Cage, and keyboardist James Pace, and the pared-down band brings a fiery garage energy to everything here, making this one of Castro's finest releases. Although there are also a lot of guest stars making appearances on The Devil You Know (Marcia Ball, the Holmes Brothers, Joe Bonamassa, Mark Karan, Tab Benoit, Samantha Fish, Tasha Taylor, and the J. Geils Band's Magic Dick among them), they don't overrun the project, and this is Castro's show all the way, from the soulful, gospel-laced "Second Mind" and "The Whale Have Swallowed Me" through a cover of Wet Willie's "Keep on Smilin'," the bouncing, swinging "Mojo Hannah" (featuring Marcia Ball's piano and vocals), and the powerful "Two Steps Forward" (graced by the Holmes Brothers). Things close out with 2013's single "Greedy," which spotlights what a tight and garage-edged band the Pain Killers are. Yeah, this album is full of the blues, but it's also like a full-charged blue-eyed R&B and soul review, and the new configuration of Castro's band has him fired up and roaring on the Stratocaster with a renewed sharpness.
© Steve Leggett /TiVo
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Kevin Bowe, Composer, Lyricist - Bonnie Hayes, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - Tommy Castro, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - Tommy Castro & The Painkillers, MainArtist - Bashti Music, MusicPublisher - Monster Music admin. by Bob A Lew Songs, MusicPublisher - Tommy Castro Music adm. by Eyeball Music, MusicPublisher
2014 Alligator Records & Artist Management, Inc. 2014 Alligator Records & Artist Management, Inc.
Bonnie Hayes, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - Tommy Castro, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - Tommy Castro Music, MusicPublisher - Tommy Castro & The Painkillers, MainArtist - Monster Music admin. by Bob A Lew Songs, MusicPublisher
2014 Alligator Records & Artist Management, Inc. 2014 Alligator Records & Artist Management, Inc.
Joe Bonamassa, FeaturedArtist - Bonnie Hayes, Producer - Tommy Castro, Producer - Chris Youlden, Composer, Lyricist - Chrysalis Music, MusicPublisher - Tommy Castro & The Painkillers, MainArtist
2014 Alligator Records & Artist Management, Inc. 2014 Alligator Records & Artist Management, Inc.
Bonnie Hayes, Producer - Tommy Castro, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - Tommy Castro & The Painkillers, MainArtist - Ron Allen Cohen, Composer, Lyricist - Ron Allen Cohen Music, MusicPublisher - Tommy Castro Music adm. by Eyeball Music, BMI, MusicPublisher
2014 Alligator Records & Artist Management, Inc. 2014 Alligator Records & Artist Management, Inc.
J.B. Lenoir, Composer, Lyricist - Bonnie Hayes, Producer - Tommy Castro, Producer - Arc Music, MusicPublisher - Tommy Castro & The Painkillers, MainArtist - Ghana Music, MusicPublisher - Tasha Taylor, FeaturedArtist
2014 Alligator Records & Artist Management, Inc. 2014 Alligator Records & Artist Management, Inc.
Mark Karan, FeaturedArtist - Bonnie Hayes, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - Tommy Castro, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - Tab Benoit, FeaturedArtist - Tommy Castro & The Painkillers, MainArtist - Monster Music admin. by Bob A Lew Songs, MusicPublisher - Randy McDonald, Composer, Lyricist - Wildside Music, MusicPublisher - Tommy Castro Music adm. by Eyeball Music, MusicPublisher
2014 Alligator Records & Artist Management, Inc. 2014 Alligator Records & Artist Management, Inc.
Clarence Paul, Composer, Lyricist - Barbara Paul, Composer, Lyricist - Bonnie Hayes, Producer - Tommy Castro, Producer - Marcia Ball, FeaturedArtist - Stone Agate Music, MusicPublisher - Swing Beat Songs, MusicPublisher - Tommy Castro & The Painkillers, MainArtist - Zephire Andre Williams, Composer, Lyricist
2014 Alligator Records & Artist Management, Inc. 2014 Alligator Records & Artist Management, Inc.
Magic Dick, FeaturedArtist - Bonnie Hayes, Producer - Tommy Castro, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - The Holmes Brothers, FeaturedArtist - Tommy Castro & The Painkillers, MainArtist - Tommy Castro Music adm. by Eyeball Music, MusicPublisher
2014 Alligator Records & Artist Management, Inc. 2014 Alligator Records & Artist Management, Inc.
Narada Michael Walden, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - Tommy Castro, Composer, Lyricist - Tommy Castro & The Painkillers, MainArtist - Anthony Byron Cage, Composer, Lyricist - Narada Michael Walden Publishing, MusicPublisher - Tommy Castro Music adm. by Eyeball Music, MusicPublisher
2014 Alligator Records & Artist Management, Inc. 2014 Alligator Records & Artist Management, Inc.
John Anthony, Composer, Lyricist - Mark Karan, FeaturedArtist - Lewis Ross, Composer, Lyricist - Bonnie Hayes, Producer - Tommy Castro, Producer - Unichappell Music, Inc., MusicPublisher - James Hall, Composer, Lyricist - Tommy Castro & The Painkillers, MainArtist - Jack Hall Jr., Composer, Lyricist - Richard Hirsch, Composer, Lyricist
2014 Alligator Records & Artist Management, Inc. 2014 Alligator Records & Artist Management, Inc.
Bonnie Hayes, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - Tommy Castro, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - Samantha Fish, FeaturedArtist - Tommy Castro & The Painkillers, MainArtist - Monster Music admin. by Bob A Lew Songs, MusicPublisher - Tommy Castro Music adm. by Eyeball Music, MusicPublisher
2014 Alligator Records & Artist Management, Inc. 2014 Alligator Records & Artist Management, Inc.
Bonnie Hayes, Producer - Tommy Castro, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - Terry Wilson, Composer, Lyricist - Tommy Castro & The Painkillers, MainArtist - Jesilu Music admin. by Shelly Bay Music, MusicPublisher - Tommy Castro Music adm. by Eyeball Music, MusicPublisher
2014 Alligator Records & Artist Management, Inc. 2014 Alligator Records & Artist Management, Inc.
Bonnie Hayes, Producer - Tommy Castro, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - Tommy Castro & The Painkillers, MainArtist - Randy McDonald, Composer, Lyricist - Wildside Music, MusicPublisher - Tommy Castro Music adm. by Eyeball Music, MusicPublisher
2014 Alligator Records & Artist Management, Inc. 2014 Alligator Records & Artist Management, Inc.
Album review
San Francisco's Tommy Castro has been at this roots and blues-rock thing for some 20 years now, and while at one time he was heralded as the next great guitar slinger, such claims only last until the next guy comes down the line with good tone and flashy technique, and since that seems to happen every other week, it's probably good that Castro brings a whole lot more to the plate than just his guitar playing. There's his voice, for one thing, a soulful and versatile blue-collar growl that sounds like Bob Seger working his way through the Stax/Volt catalog, and he's also turned into a pretty good meat-and-potatoes songwriter, too, although yes, it's his guitar playing that keeps the pot boiling. Castro has been using horn sections and larger ensembles on his recent albums, but for this set he relies on his crackerjack new touring band the Pain Killers, comprised of longtime Castro bassist Randy McDonald, drummer Byron Cage, and keyboardist James Pace, and the pared-down band brings a fiery garage energy to everything here, making this one of Castro's finest releases. Although there are also a lot of guest stars making appearances on The Devil You Know (Marcia Ball, the Holmes Brothers, Joe Bonamassa, Mark Karan, Tab Benoit, Samantha Fish, Tasha Taylor, and the J. Geils Band's Magic Dick among them), they don't overrun the project, and this is Castro's show all the way, from the soulful, gospel-laced "Second Mind" and "The Whale Have Swallowed Me" through a cover of Wet Willie's "Keep on Smilin'," the bouncing, swinging "Mojo Hannah" (featuring Marcia Ball's piano and vocals), and the powerful "Two Steps Forward" (graced by the Holmes Brothers). Things close out with 2013's single "Greedy," which spotlights what a tight and garage-edged band the Pain Killers are. Yeah, this album is full of the blues, but it's also like a full-charged blue-eyed R&B and soul review, and the new configuration of Castro's band has him fired up and roaring on the Stratocaster with a renewed sharpness.
© Steve Leggett /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 13 track(s)
- Total length: 00:52:01
- Main artists: Tommy Castro the Painkillers
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Alligator Records
- Genre: Pop/Rock Rock
2014 Alligator Records & Artist Management, Inc. 2014 Alligator Records & Artist Management, Inc.
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