Monster Mike Welch – Keep Living Til I Die
Self-Release – 2025
13 tracks: 52 minutes
Monster Mike Welch’s latest project, Keep Living Til I Die, is a very personal album full of introspection with a mix of Welch originals and covers from the likes of Robert Johnson, Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, and Ann-Margret.
As stated in his online bio and album one-pager, Welch has been touring and recording for over three decades, and the Boston-based blues guitarist is a seasoned veteran of the international blues scene. Given the nickname “Monster Mike” by actor Dan Aykroyd (Elwood Blues) at the tender age of 13, Welch has since carved out a niche as a highly accomplished and in-demand guitarist. To date, Welch has released several albums under his own name and in 2001, he joined the ranks of one of New England’s most beloved blues institutions, Sugar Ray and the Bluetones, where he stayed until 2017, recording five albums and racking up multiple Blues Music Award (BMA) nominations for the band.
In addition, Welch has recorded with Shemekia Copeland, Ronnie Earl, Danielle Nicole, Duke Robillard, Johnny Winter, Victor Wainwright, Nick Moss, the Mannish Boys and Sugaray Rayford, among others. Welch left the Bluetones in 2017 to focus on his partnership with Mike Ledbetter, which led to seven Blues Music Award (BMA) nominations and the formation of the Welch Ledbetter Connection. Welch has received three consecutive Blues Music Award nominations by the Blues Foundation for Instrumentalist-Guitar.
Joining Welch on this personal introspective journey are Brooks Milgate on piano, organ, Wurlitzer, and clavinet; Brad Hallen on electric bass, and Fabrice Bessouat on the drums and percussion. Welch handles all vocals, along with both electric and acoustic guitars. In addition, Lisa Leuschner Andersen and John Blues Boyd provide backing vocals on “I Just Don’t Understand,” while Marcel Smith and Dennis Dove sing backup on “The Whole Idea of You.”
Keep Living Til I Die was produced, recorded, and mastered by Kid Andersen at Greaseland Studios in San Jose, California.
Both the album’s title track (“Keep Living Til I Die”) and “Do What You Want With my Grave” bookend Welch’s introspective musical journey and his haunting lyrics on “Do What You Want…” deserve a second, or even third, close listen.
“Love Me Baby” has a terrific slow bluesy opening and keeps building momentum with a traditional blues-standard backbeat and finishes strong with Welch’s signature guitar handiwork. “She Makes Time” has that upbeat Texas swing/rockabilly groove punctuated with Brooks Milgate’s piano that’ll get hips moving and toes tapping. “The Whole Idea of You” is both gritty and a throwback to classic 50s and 60s ballads, featuring the previously mentioned backing vocalist. Another upbeat number, “Your Problem to Solve,” has all the right qualities for a great blues-rock standard including Welch’s strong vocals.
Several of the album’s cover songs are terrific additions to Welch’s originals, such as ”I Finally Hit the Bottom,” by Rick Estrin, with a pounding backbeat, driving bass, and Welch’s gritty vocal tone. “I Just Don’t Understand,” originally released in 1962 by Ann-Margret and performed on the BBC by The Beatles in 1963, is a nice change-up for Welch and his bandmates. Likewise, another early Sixties’ song, “Some Other Guy” by Britian’s The Big Three, is a lively fast-paced classic pop tune from that era.
Keep Living Til I Die is another strong album for veteran bluesman Monster Mike Welch—a mix of personal, soulful originals, gritty driving rockers, and a few tunes that are just fun to tap your toes and shake your hips.
