Music Review: Brad Wilson

Brad Wilson is a Southern California guitar slinger of the traditional variety, which for him is both a strength and a weakness. From listening to this CD, it's clear that he's spent much time dissecting the riffs of major string benders like Duane Allman, Robin Trower, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Brian Setzer, even Jimmie Page at times, and all this wood sheddin' makes Wilson a strong player.

But there is much more to Wilson's playing than merely borrowing favorite licks. What he does with these songs is reminiscent of the song-writing mechanics of the early Beatles and the early Stones, each band performing the songs of their idols while applying their own interpretations to them, a creative experience which strengthened them enough as songwriters to later launch their own inspirations into musical greatness. Wilson experiments with his favorites, putting them into new arrangements and then developing them further, which is a good sign for an up-and-coming performer with a good chance at greater stardom.

Wilson also incorporates characteristics of his West Coast home state in his songs, especially noticeable on this compilation through the numerous references to beloved automobiles. Traveling is a staple in rock music, and Wilson's songs don't stint on the mileage. Each of Wilson's songs involve some kind of movement, whether for seeking fun (the theme of several of these songs), or searching for fulfillment, as in "Sundown and the Cowboy" [WMA, as are all other samples], a moody tale of a loner riding in from the trail and finding love from an unexpected source.

These are the strengths of Brad Wilson's music, each song solid enough to stand on its own merits. For example, the opening track of this eponymous CD, "Black Coffee At Sunrise", could have been written and performed by the Stray Cats' Brian Setzer as it is full of Setzer's style and influence. And yet, one can tell that Setzer isn't the performer, much as Terry Stafford proved to be an excellent Elvis on his hit "Suspicion" even though it was clear that the King wasn't the one to sing it.

This close impressionism is, in my opinion, the weakness of this CD. For example, "Got The Feeling" is a song that would have been at home in the repertoire of the Allman Brothers Band. You can almost hear Duane Allman whispering ideas into Wilson's fingers, and yet this tune should be a good live Wilson performance. It just doesn't stand up as well as if the Brothers had done it, for Wilson's backing band is much more wooden than the Brothers could ever be on their worst stoned hangover day.

Article Author: Realist

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