Continued...

(By Richard Bush)
The opening cut on Gone To Texas kicks off with his first surprise by employing the button accordian lead notes of Joel Guzman to give "(I Gotta) Mexican Blackbird" the south of the border flavor that is called for, but also pumps in some mighty blues chording much like an organ. A few well chosen Spanish exclamations help put the Tex-Mex spin on the tune. It is also a good example of the humor that leaps from the lyrical pen of McVey throughout the ten originals (out of twelve). It also foreshadows what to expect from McVey's string slinging. He starts a solo that is reverb-laden and traditional, but then he gets down right psychedelic and provides the first proof that he can pull such a stunt off in a blues context and get away with it.

McVey's licks throughout the disc combine his inspirations from Magic Sam, Earl Hooker, Larry Davis and Albert King to forge his own identity. Just when it seems he's headed for a Westside Chicago thing, he pulls something different from his Stetson and changes direction and then comes back again. His guitar effects on "Shadows In My Room" provide the eerieness of the nightmared dreams that he writes about. The title cut, even though it's about going to Texas, is pure Chicago very much in the vein of Otis Rush's "Double Trouble" with doomy, gloomy reverb holding court on the vibe. His work on "House On Fire" is closer to Albert King's style than his cover of King's "Don't Throw Your Love On Me So Strong" which contains his most restrained, down-the-river blues runs.

He mixes up straight slow blues with a Latin flavored rhythm ("Cruisin' For A Bruisin"-replete with his slide skills showing), a Billy Boy Arnold beat ("I Don't Stutter"-with Kim Wilson providing lowdown, low toned harp), a Chuck Berry type rocker ("Sweet Little Upsetter"-containing the Johnny Johnson style ivory tickling of Riley Osbourn) and a driving Texas shuffle ("Whuppit"-where the duo harmonizing of Erin James and Eve Monsees help vocalize his message). All this and more with his guitar changing tonal stripes along the way.

Still don't know why I enjoy John McVey so much, though. Maybe its his lyrical wit or the fact that he employs guitar effects much in the same way his aforementioned inspirers did (with passion) and has found a way to throw them all into the mix and still come out smelling like the blues. Maybe its his seasoning from playing in Austin or touring with Larry Davis, Paul Orta or Lavelle White. Maybe it's just because he can flat out play a guitar. Don't know. But I do know that I'll listen to Gone To Texas again, if nothing else just to figure it out.