Album Info
| Artist: | Chicken Shack |
| Album: | Forty Blue Fingers, Freshly Packed And Ready To Serve |
| Released: | Europe, 24 Jun 2010 |
Tracklist:
| A1 | The Letter | 4:31 |
| A2 | Lonesome Whistle Blues | 3:06 |
| A3 | When The Train Comes Back | 3:36 |
| A4 | San-Ho-Zay | 3:08 |
| A5 | King Of The World | 5:03 |
| B1 | See See Baby | 2:28 |
| B2 | First Time I Met The Blues | 6:30 |
| B3 | Webbed Feet | 2:57 |
| B4 | You Ain't No Good | 3:40 |
| B5 | What You Did Last Night | 4:39 |
Info About Buying Vinyl From Our Record Store
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Description
"Forty Blue Fingers, Freshly Packed and Ready to Serve," released in 1968, is the debut album by British blues band Chicken Shack. Led by guitarist and vocalist Stan Webb, the album showcases the band's raw energy and passion for the blues, drawing heavily from the American blues tradition while infusing it with their distinctive British flair. The album's blend of traditional blues covers and original compositions highlights the band's musical prowess and sets the stage for their contribution to the British blues movement of the late 1960s.
The album opens with "The Letter," a track that immediately establishes the band's energetic style, featuring Webb's powerful guitar work and Christine Perfect's (later known as Christine McVie of Fleetwood Mac) soulful vocals and piano playing. Perfect's presence on the album is significant, as her vocal and instrumental contributions add depth and texture to the band's sound, showcasing her talent in the early stages of her career.
One of the standout tracks, "When the Train Comes Back," features Perfect on lead vocals, delivering a heartfelt performance that highlights her ability to convey deep emotion through her singing. Her voice, combined with the band's tight instrumentation, makes this track a highlight and showcases the band's versatility beyond their hard-driving blues numbers.
Webb's guitar playing is a focal point throughout the album, with his skillful blend of slide guitar and traditional blues licks creating a dynamic and expressive sound. His ability to move between aggressive, high-energy playing and more subtle, emotive passages demonstrates his deep understanding of the blues genre and his technical prowess as a guitarist.
The album also features several blues standards, including "I Wanna See My Baby" and "Lonesome Whistle Blues," which the band infuses with their distinctive style. Their interpretations of these classics pay homage to the blues tradition while showcasing their ability to make these songs their own, with energetic performances and fresh arrangements.
The production of the album, while reflective of the era, captures the raw intensity of the band's live sound, allowing the energy and passion of their performances to shine through. The mix balances Webb's guitar and Perfect's piano and vocals, ensuring that the interplay between the instruments and vocals is a central feature of the album's sound.
"Forty Blue Fingers, Freshly Packed and Ready to Serve" is notable not only for its musical content but also for its contribution to the British blues scene. Chicken Shack, along with contemporaries like Fleetwood Mac and John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, played a significant role in popularizing the blues in the UK and introducing the genre to a wider audience. The album's blend of authentic blues sensibilities and British musical influences helped to define the sound of British blues and influenced subsequent generations of musicians.
In conclusion, "Forty Blue Fingers, Freshly Packed and Ready to Serve" stands as a testament to Chicken Shack's talent and passion for the blues. The album's combination of compelling original compositions and dynamic interpretations of blues standards showcases the band's musical range and their contribution to the evolution of the blues genre. It remains an important and influential work within the British blues movement, capturing a moment in time when a young band from the UK helped to revive and reinterpret the rich legacy of the blues.