Artist: James House
Album: James House & The Blues Cowboys
Label: Victor House Records
Release Date: 8.3.18
I got my first James House album (on cassette) about 30 years ago, and at that time he was in the rapidly expanding class of Nashville “hat acts.” Although he certainly had the voice and the songs, he didn’t wear a hat, and found himself in the company of far too many worthy talents on the wrong side of a top 20 “country” chart. He probably didn’t have “The Under Assistant West Coast Promo Man “ in his corner either. Undaunted, he kept on and enjoyed some real success as a writer of country hits for the likes of Dwight Yoakum (“Ain’t That Lonely Yet”), Martina McBride (“Broken Wing”), Diamond Rio (“In A Week Or Two”) as well as a variety of artists like Tina Turner, Rod Stewart, Kylie Minogue, etc.
Harkening back to his “country” era, I always thought that James had a blues bent, and it appears here that his cowboy saddle pals have the blues too. They ride the range through a trail of well-worn blues themes and musical riffs, anchored by a very heavy kick drum and thundering bass.
Some of the cuts that jumped out for me were “The Well Ran Dry” with a “ The Beat Goes On” bass groove and catchy lines like I ain’t no saint, ‘cause I should of sinned / Guess that explains the shape I’m In and the musical emptiness conveyed in “Gone Again.” If I have one thistle in my saddle, it would be his eq choice on his vocals. Still strong as a cup of cowboy java that you can float a horseshoe in, James has a much fuller voice than I got to hear on this recording. I even went back to my old cassette to A-B it. That said, he must have liked it, ‘cause he certainly knows what he is doing as writer and recording artist
—Ken Spooner
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