The Dead Daisies breathe new life into some classic blues blockbusters on their latest album Lookin’ For Trouble — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
From the opening notes of the Muddy Waters classic I’m Ready to the closing strains of the Howlin’ Wolf standard Little Red Rooster — the rock supergroup put their own high-energy spin on a slate of immortal songs by everyone from Robert Johnson and John Lee Hooker to Albert, B.B. and Freddie King. If you like your blues delivered with blazing power chords, hard-driving drums, soaring vocals and screaming solos, this is up your alley.
From the moment the band stepped into FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama they felt the weight of history around them. The iconic space, where legends like Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett and Etta James once recorded, inspired a late-night jam session that quickly became something much bigger. Producer Marti Frederiksen pressed record, and what started as impromptu fun turned into a full-fledged album — one that captures the blues in its purest, most electrifying form. Steeped in the raw energy and rebellious spirit that shaped rock ’n’ roll, the album finds the band reimagining blues standards with the same firepower that has fueled their decade-long run.
The band’s high-voltage take on Johnson’s Crossroads — the song that gave rise to blues mythology, kicked off the album rollout with a scorching tribute to the Delta blues legend. “Crossroads by Delta bluesman Robert Johnson has created a myth so large that it’s been etched into the very foundation of rock ’n’ roll lore,” says bassist Michael Devin. “Many bands have covered Crossroads over the years, now we’ve covered it in our own way.”
The second single Boom Boom — a gritty, hard-hitting take on the Hooker classic — channels the swagger and soul of Hooker’s original, inspired by his time at Detroit’s Apex Bar, where the bartender Willa would famously scold him, “Boom Boom, you late again!” The phrase sparked one of his biggest crossover hits, and now The Dead Daisies bring that same playful edge and infectious rhythm to their high-octane version. “He thought it was a great title and wrote the song,” says frontman John Corabi. “He recorded it with the legendary Motown session band The Funk Brothers, and we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to put our spin on it!” The result is a riff-heavy, blues-drenched anthem that pays tribute while making it unmistakably their own.
Elsewhere on the album, the band tears through classics like Going Down (Freddie King) and Little Red Rooster (Rufus Thomas), putting their own hard-hitting spin on these blues staples. The tracklist also includes smoldering renditions of Born Under A Bad Sign (Albert King), Sweet Home Chicago (Robert Johnson) and The Thrill Is Gone (B.B. King), each one injected with The Dead Daisies’ signature grit and intensity.
As the album drops, the spotlight turns to the electrifying focus track Black Betty. Originally written and released by Lead Belly, The Dead Daisies crank the energy all the way up with a thunderous rendition. It’s a bold, centerpiece that captures the spirit of the album — unapologetic, soulful, and steeped in tradition.
“Black Betty is an old working blues hymn that was sung by Lead Belly and made famous by Ram Jam as a rock song. Our version is a brand-new take on it. We hope you like it as much as we do,” says guitarist Doug Aldrich.
At its core, Lookin’ For Trouble is a testament to the enduring power of the blues. The band approached the album with a deep respect for the genre’s origins, recording the songs live to capture the spontaneity and emotion that make blues so timeless. “This album is our love letter to the blues,” says Corabi. “When I first heard blues, it was through bands like Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones. The deeper I researched my heroes, the deeper I got into the history of this music. The blues is the soul of rock ’n’ roll — it’s in everything we do.”
Aldrich adds, “We cut these songs live, in the same room where so many legends recorded. It was all about feel, capturing the rawness and authenticity that makes blues so powerful.”
Listen to Lookin’ For Trouble below, watch some of The Dead Daisies’ videos above, and follow them on their website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
