David Gogo says Yeah! to high-voltage blues-rock on his electrifying new album — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
And no wonder; even if a guy has given his life to the blues, there are times when he just can’t resist the primal urge to rock out. Especially when his friends are there to egg him on. That’s where Gogo finds himself on his new album. Yeah! pulses with the kind of energy that only comes from just the right combination of commitment and camaraderie. Songs like One More Day and Moose Hall Brawl have the raw, zealous abandon of a boys’ night out. Leadoff track Diamond In The Rough sets the tone in no uncertain terms, absolutely storming out of the gate with a fiery declaration of passion both musical and lyrical:
“She’s my sugar, she’s my spice
I still love her when she’s not playing nice
She’s my diamond in the rough
And I can’t get enough of that stuff
She really perks me up
She’s my diamond in the rough.”
“I wanted a good, solid rock ’n’ roll song to kick this album off, and I believe that this one delivers,” Gogo says. “I love the fantastic ’70s rock bands like Bad Company and T. Rex, and we had a gas laying this track down!” It sounds like it. The track has all the guitar bite of classic FM, with catchy chants to push it over the finish line into crowd-favorite territory.
“I have recorded many albums, worked with many talented people and had a lot of fun, but this album is my favourite to date,” Gogo enthuses. For that, the Nanaimo singer-guitarist can thank his decision to leave his comfort zone and travel to snowy Ontario to work at The Ganaraska Recording Co., under the trusted production guidance of fellow Canadian blues great Steve Marriner. Gogo even restricted himself to bringing one guitar, recording the rest of the album on the studio’s collection of vintage axes. With Marriner and fellow blues mainstays Jimmy Bowskill and Gary Craig forming his backup ensemble, Gogo had all the ammo he needed to create something truly special.
“This group was a pleasure to create with — top-notch performers and super cool to hang with,” he says. “I feel that the new songs are very strong, and there was such a great vibe in the studio. Though it was a relaxed and supportive environment, we worked at a quick rate and utilized plenty of first or second takes to keep the live energy happening.” The result is 10 tunes that positively quake with power as Gogo’s guitar reaches levels of string-bending expressiveness that need to be heard to be believed on the nine originals and one cover (a rendition of Shuggie Otis’s Hurricane you could frug to).
The whole project is a worthy addition to a CV that’s already seen its share of highlights. Over the course of his career, Gogo has been nominated for six Junos, won Guitarist Of The Year three times at the Maple Blues Awards, been named Musician Of The Year at the West Coast Music Awards, won Blues Recording Of The Year at the Western Canadian Music Awards and received the Great Canadian Blues Award. Even if you don’t own one of his records, you’ve probably caught his songs in films and on TV, or heard them covered by fellow artists like Buddy Guy.
Perpetually in demand as a performer, Gogo has played alongside B.B. King, Johnny Winter, Albert Collins, Bo Diddley and Otis Rush, and opened for ZZ Top, George Thorogood, The Tragically Hip, Little Feat, Jimmie Vaughan, Robert Cray, Robin Trower and Wishbone Ash, to name a few.
Check out Yeah! below and voice your approval to David Gogo on his website, Facebook and Instagram.
