Gretchen Rhodes – Green Shack | Album Review

Gretchen Rhodes – Green Shack

Licorice Pizza Records

www.gretchenrhodesmusic.com

LP version

Side A – 3 tracks 14 min

Side B – 3 tracks 11 min

Based on the island of Maui, vocalist Gretchen Rhodes has achieved more than a bit of success during her professional career. She has tour internationally, recorded with country hit-maker Kenny Chesney, joined guitarist Steve Cropper and Dave Mason for several years in the Rock & Soul Revue, and has been the featured singer for the last 18 years for several bands lead by Mick Fleetwood, the co-founder and drummer for Fleetwood Mac.

Her latest release is a limited edition green vinyl album that delves into the legacy of one of the finest British blues bands. The first three tracks are classic Fleetwood Mac songs, written by the group’s legendary guitarist, Peter Green. Rhodes opens with a smoking version of “Oh Well,” her powerful voice injecting plenty of swagger in the tune. It is immediately apparent that over the course of her career, Rhodes has learned the art of singing, eschewing the opportunity to scream and holler at every turn.

Joe Caro, who has backed a wide range of artist from Dr. John to Blue Oyster Cult,  has the unenviable task of filling in for Green on guitar, but he is up to the task, paying homage to the legendary figure before offering his own interpretations of Green’s style and distinctive guitar tone. It certainly helps to resurrect these songs when you have Fleetwood on drums, laying down the familiar rhythmic grooves he played on the originals. The bass player, Carmine Rojas, is also a skilled veteran, having backed David Bowie, Rod Stewart, and Joe Bonamassa. On “Rattlesnake Shake,” Tato Melgar adds some potent percussive sounds to the mix.

The final track of the first side has Rhodes flipping the gender on “Black Magic Woman,” proudly declaring that she is woman driving men wild, with a sassy attitude that fits the hard rocking approach the band takes. Caro lays down a guitar solo that hews close to Green’s sound, but when the band kicks it into gear half way through the song, he treats listeners to his take on the Fleetwood Mac magic, cushioned by Mark Johnstone’s keyboard efforts. Rhodes finishes it off with charged vocal turn. Then she offers up a quick shout that makes it clear that she approves of the performance.

The second side has Rhodes backed by her regular band, featuring Ashton Yarbrough on bass, Rick Bodinus on drums, Larry Dvoskin on keyboards, and the twin guitar sounds from Adrian Trevino and Justin Morris. The three songs were penned by Christine McVie, who was a member of the second great edition of Fleetwood Mac along with Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, and her husband, bassist John McVie, another founding member of the group. She wrote them when she was known as Christine Perfect, and were recorded during her tenure with the British band Chicken Shack, led by guitarist Stan Webb.

“A Woman Is The Blues” finds Rhodes bemoaning her no-good man, fully aware that she doesn’t have papers on him. She is pleading one minute, then displays a resolute attitude of defiant acceptance. The band settles into a rocking groove for “Get Like You Used To Be,” but Rhodes still has a worried mind over her man troubles, holding out hope for a better outcome. Things are much better on “It’s Ok With Me Baby,” as Rhodes shows compassion for a former lover, yet makes an emphatic declaration that she has moved on, their relationship over. The twin guitar attack serves up plenty of encouragement for her captivating vocal.

Straddling that territory where blues and rock converge, Rhodes delvers a solid set that might be a bit short on playing time, but her vocal prowess and measured approach combined with two like-minded bands allows this album to stand up to repeated listening experiences.

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