HOWARD GLAZER'S back, and he's up to the same old stuff - the same good old stuff that is, as he was just about this time two years ago.  His new CD, titled "LIQUOR STORE LEGEND", is full of thirteen new originals performed the only way HOWARD knows how to perform them - hot, hard, rough and rockin'.

 

    Joining HOWARD GLAZER on vocals, electric, acoustic (Howard? on acoustic guitar?), resonator and lap steel guitars are the EL 34's: BOB GODWIN on electric and acoustic bass and background vocals; CHARLES STUART on drums, hand drums and percussion; and extra guests LARRY MAREK on the Hammond organ, THE GREENFIELD STREET SINGERS (SEAN BONDAREFF, MIKE BLASZKIEWICZ, STEPHANIE JOHNSON, BOB GODWIN and MAGGIE MCCABE) on background vocals.

 

    The opening, and title track, "LIQUOR STORE LEGEND", pretty much sets the tone for what you can expect to hear on most of the tracks - lots of blazing guitar leads and good old gruffly sung blues vocals.  Hopefully, this track derived from fiction and not real life experiences.  It seems that being this liquor store legend means being known in every liquor store from Detroit to NYC.  This one's got lots of great background organ work by LARRY.

 

    Being the hard driving, rockin' song that it is, "LET'S GO FOR A RIDE" is appropriately named.  I'm just hoping that the ride's not being taken after partaking in some of the merchandise purchased above.  HOWARD tears it up ala Chuck Berry on this one.

 

    Some of HOWARD'S best stuff can be heard on "BROKEN DOWN HOTEL BLUES".  For some reason this track reminded me of an old T-REX song called "BANG A GONG".  Let's hope it's as successful.  MAGGIE and STEPHANIE add some nice backup vocals to this one.

 

    Being the real low down blues track that it is, also makes "WONDER WHY" my particular favorite track.  Man, when HOWARD gets the blues, watch out.  This is pretty much seven minutes of him tearing up some blues riffs.  This is the kind of stuff I'd love to see more of on HOWARD'S future projects.  More good organ work by LARRY.

 

    The rhythm section OF BOB and CHARLES are on fire on "BAR FLY BOOGIE".  On this one they set a frantic pace which HOWARD just takes and runs with.  They each get a very impressive bass and drum solo toward the middle of the track. 

 

    Other tracks on "LIQUOR STORE LEGEND" include:  "HANGING BY A THREAD", "BURNING AIN'T NO FUN". "GOT TO GET GOING", "TAKE ME BABAY", "POWER" "GAS PUMP BLUES", "WALKING IN THE RAIN" and "NEXT TRAIN OUT".

 

    Those of you who like your blues packed with high energy need to add some HOWARD GLAZER to your collection.  You can do that by going to www.howardglazer.com and picking up a copy of "LIQUOR STORE LEGEND".  Of course, you'll tell him the Blewzzman sent ya.