The Russ Tippins Electric Band

The Russ Tippins Electric Band - Electrickery - 2010 - Arty Music

The Russ Tippins Electric Band is a newly formed Blues-Rock trio from Newcastle, England. The trio play blues drenched guitar rock built around Russ' smoky Strat licks and soaring vocals. In six short months of gigging they have managed to create an enviable following and reputation around the North East's bar/club circuit, and to rapturous reviews

Here’s a rocking release that will appeal to all lovers of the ‘power trio’ . . . The Russ Tippins Electric Band, hailing from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, who, on “Electrickery” deliver ten tracks, all original, bar one Jimi Hendrix cover, of ‘foot to the boards’ blues rock, that has already gained the band a most favourable review in “Classic Rock” magazine . . . no mean feat! Actually make that 11 tracks, with a hidden gem at the end! The band comprises of Russ Tippins himself on guitar and vocals, and the rock steady rhythm section of John Dawson (bass) and Ian Halford (drums), who have played together for five years in two different outfits. This looks like a well-organised outfit, from fine production of the music (recorded on home turf at Cluny Studios in Newcastle), nice cd packaging and press kit . . . the band have yet to strike out from their native North East, finding gigs outside of their area hard to come by despite the album having national distribution. Things get off to a blazing start with the sole cover, Jimi Hendrix’s “Freedom”, admirably very well done here. The rest of the songs are all written by Russ Tippins, starting with the SRV-influenced driving blues rocker “Little Josephine”, fired by his expressive voice, blistering soloing and the top rhythm section. “Comeuppance” has a deceptively gentle intro before this slide-driven rocker kicks into life, with the pace genuinely taken down on the lovely “She’s Gone” with some very tasteful licks from Tippins on this ballad. “Number Thirteen” rocks hard and would sit easily in the British classic rock field; the following “This Building’s On Fire” is a breakneck boogie with some delicious guitar playing, and I would imagine absolutely belting live! “Chuck It” is a mid-tempo rocker, which is followed by the title cut, “Electrickery”, a pure showcase for Russ Tippins guitar work, which rides along on a nice groove, with that sort of fluid Ernie Isley meets Hendrix guitar tone, very nice indeed! The listed closing “Indy Boogie”, with what sounds like a snatch of AC/DC thrown in for good measure, is a fitting rocking closer to a most enjoyable release, with a ‘hidden’ bonus track, a rousing cover of Led Zeppelin’s “The Lemon Song”. Hopefully this band will be enjoyed nationwide and not just in their home area in 2011! © GRAHAME RHODES © 2010 - bluesinthenorthwest.com http://www.bluesinthenorthwest.com/index.php/2011/01/12/review-the-russ-tippins-electric-band-electrickery/

The promotional material that accompanied this release touts guitarist Russ Tippins as a popular performer in the North East section of England, due in large part to his well regarded solo acoustic set. For this release, Tippins favors the blues/rock power trio format that was the rage in England during the 1960s when bands like the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Cream ruled the airwaves along with the Who and Led Zeppelin, also power trios that featured a singer as the front man. Tippins pays respect to the past on the opening track, a straightforward cover of the Hendrix tune “Freedom” with John Dawson contributing a pounding bass line and drummer Ian Halford matching him with a strong beat. Things pick up on the next song, “Little Josephine”, with a potent vocal from the leader over a guitar line that harks back to the Peter Gunn theme. Tippins delivers another stellar vocal on “Comeuppance” that is matched by his furious slide guitar playing. While the pace slows on the ballad “She’s Gone”, the band maintains the intensity level as Tippins alternates blues licks with power chords and some rapid-fire picking. Tippins injects little twists and variations into each song that hold your interest even when his lyrics fail to match the quality of his arrangements. “Number Thirteen” is one cut where the band’s enthusiasm and soaring voice carry the day. “This Building’s on Fire” is a high octane rockabilly romp that gives Tippins a chance to demonstrate his dexterity with the guitar, firing off notes so fast that at times your ears will struggle to keep up with what he is playing. Even at the frantic pace, Tippins manages to play creative lines that make this track a highlight. The rhythm section lays down a nice shuffle beat on “Chuck It” that the leader uses as a springboard for more tasty guitar work as he belts out his tale of the downward spiral of his life. The guitar intro to the title track reaffirms Tippins debt to the Hendrix legacy before the tune shifts to a hard, funky groove that Tippins rides with clean, fluid lines that also echo the Carlos Santana guitar style. “Lawrence” is a stadium rock anthem with Tippins delivering a masterful vocal performance. At times on this track, the band sounds like a hard rocking version of Journey (a comparison meant only in the most positive sense) with Tippins’ voice soaring over the music. “Indy Boogie” is just that – a hard rockin’ tribute to the band’s experience at a festival in the Indiana city that featured a storm, power outage and plenty of great people. Tippins throws an AC/DC lick into his solo and once again sings with lots of energy. The disc closes with an listed bonus track – a tribute to Led Zeppelin as the band covers “The Lemon Song”. Again, Tippins doesn’t stray to far from the original version but he shows that his impressive vocal range comes close to matching a youthful Robert Plant. This one is not for the blues purists. Tippins is an outstanding singer and songwriter with a style that is definitely more rock than blues. But if you enjoy some variety in your musical playlist – and especially if you are a member of the original Woodstock generation – Russ Tippins offers a look back to the days when rock music really did rock. This disc held up through repeated listens and is worth checking out. © Mark Thompson Blues Blast Magazine 2010 http://www.thebluesblast.com/bluesartists/russtippins.htm

"screamingly good! the ballsiest British blues rock we've heard for a while!" BLUES ALBUM OF THE MONTH December 2010 - CLASSIC ROCK

"a heady cocktail of blues & 70,s rock! will be right up your street" (CD review) - BLUES MATTERS"

"they've got rollicking tunes to burn and burn they do, ignited by some true songwriting talent and the kind of exemplary playing that'll have rock fans positively frothing" (CD review september 2010) - THE CRACK MAGAZINE

"Electrickery" will leave you spellbound and wondering why such a bunch of talented musicians aren't better known. This album will go a long way towards rectifying that." (9 out of 10 review sept 2010) - KOMODO ROCK
[All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 116 Mb]

TRACKS

1 Freedom 3:26
2 Little Jospehine 3:33
3 Comeuppance 5:17
4 She's Gone 6:30
5 Number Thirteen 3:37
6 This Building's On Fire 3:04
7 Chuck It 4:06
8 Electrickery 5:56
9 Lawrence 6:15
10 Indy Boogie 4:08

All songs composed by Russ Tippins except "Freedom" by Jimi Hendrix. Some import issues of this album contain a hidden bonus track "The Lemon Song" (Led Zeppelin)

BAND

Russ Tippins - Guitar, Vocals
John Dawson - Bass
Ian Halford - Drums