Power, Soul, Rock’N’Roll was recorded when Lee Aaron‘s band toured their outstandingly good “comeback” album Fire & Gasoline, in 2016. Encouraged by the further success of the mix’n’match hard rock follow up, Diamond Baby Blues, it’s now been released in CD & DVD form by enterprising German label, Metallville.
It’s one of the better live rock albums of the last few years, a blissful, passionate, emotional, uplifting ride through Aaron’s well thumbed back pages as well as hitting Fire & Gasoline‘s highpoints.
Rightly believing that Deep Purple’s ‘Mistreated’ was the perfect fit for her beautifully controlled bluesy wail, the track does all the upfront work on this recording, then generously cedes ground to guitarist Sean Kelly. His phrasing, tone and technique steals the show on this pretty cool cover … working in tandem they exalt an already great song.
The classic blues scale lick of ‘I’m A Woman’ could be the intro to a million songs, and likely is. Aaron’s unrefined, full on vocal – even more powerful and raw in the live setting – pays respectful homage to the Koko Taylor version, reinforcing its position as a genuine original, despite the familiarity of that lick.
Glimpses of the past pepper the gig, giving us a couple of tracks each from best selling albums, Body Rock (1989) and Some Girls Do (1991), showing us just how much Aaron’s raucous roar has matured into a thing of rock’n’roll beauty. And obviously, that’s why they’re here. Her holding back on ‘Some Girls Do’, the track, hinting at reserved vocal power, underlines a confidence and maturity that only come with time and experience. On the other hand, her full bodied vocal on ‘Watcha Do To My Body’ bites like an electrostatic charge, showing the range she now has at her disposal.
It’s easy to overlook the fact that the concert has been captured in clarity by the sound and vision recording team. There’s a depth to this you don’t often get unless its a headline band. In addition to the 13 track CD, A multi angle, 3 track DVD points at just what a great gig this was to see and hear. Maybe a full length one soon. That would be good. And deserved.
- Reviewed by Brian McGowan
- Released by Metalville Records, 20 September 2019
- Artist website
Tracklist:
CD:
- Mistreated
- Tomboy
- Rock Candy
- Metal Queen
- Fire And Gasoline
- Powerline
- I’m A Woman
- Some Girls Do
- Sex With Love
- Barely Holding On
- Whatcha Do To My Body
- Diamond Baby
- Hot To Be Rocked
DVD:
- American High
- Diamond Baby
- I’m A Woman
