The Sidemen

The Sidemen - Dig In - 1999 - Kingnote

Unbridled enthusiasm seems to be in short supply these days. Oh, there's plenty of confidence and skill, and lots of "positive thinking." But straight up, do-what-I-gotta-do-because-I-can't-stop enthusiasm is a delight to be savored, and it's what makes talking to the Sidemen's Paul Reddick such a good time. For seven years Reddick has been singing and playing the harp for Toronto's Sidemen, who pump out hardcore roots blues with stunning fervor for a bunch of white boys. And despite the fact that they're currently hyping their third CD, Dig In (Kingnote/Festival), Reddick doesn't mince his words when he's talking about the band's raison d'être -- playing live. "We make the CD in order to play," says Reddick. "There's no question that it's about hit singles, because they don't play blues on the radio, except for college radio or the CBC. It's like, 'OK, let's make a record. Let's do something interesting that will be different from our live show -- and then let's play.' "Anyone who's seen the band's live show can attest to their energy. The foursome -- Kyle Ferguson on guitars, Vince Maccarone on drums, Reddick on vox and harmonica and new member Fergus Marsh on Chapman stick and bass -- whip it up with abandon. Traditionally, their approach on record has been to capture the energy and do some exploring. The independently produced Dig In doesn't stray too far from its rootsy home. Still, tape loops and funk grooves add a fresh dimension that's not always found in a genre that seems more than most to be stuck in the past. "Our approach has always been pretty aggressive," says Reddick. "There certainly seems to be a movement in blues to be traditionalist -- trying to sound like someone who's already done something, to take all your references from Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters and those guys." Unlike the Sidemen's first two records, recorded in two days and five days, respectively, Dig In unfolded over the course of an entire year. It gave the band a chance to savor a compendium of source material. The sound is fresh, like folks who are going to do something instead of folks who already have. "We put down lots of different sounds, and tried to have a lot of different source materials," says Reddick. "And then we improvised." The record features guest performances by violinist Hugh Marsh (the equally virtuosic brother of the band's Fergus Marsh, who's also Bruce Cockburn's longtime bassist), guitarist Michael Occhipinti and members of the horn section of NOJO. Reddick laughs and asks where to begin when asked about the skills and energy Fergus, who joined the Sidemen a year ago, brings to the band. "Well, he is a virtuoso. In the past, most of the fancy playing fell to Kyle and me. And now there's Fergus. What can I say? He's very heavy and he's very great. Kyle and I just look at each other and laugh when we watch him. It's ridiculous." Reddick contributes to a lot of the songs on Dig In, and he doesn't say whether he sweats over the songwriting process. But for at least one song, he almost bled. It seems he was caught without the tape recorder he usually carries to record riffs and songs as they come to him. Inspiration struck suddenly on the 401, and Reddick pulled over to a smalltown gas station, planning to hum the riff over the phone to his answering machine. But local bruisers had another idea. "These guys in an old Chevy started revving the engine really loud. So I got out and said, 'Can't you guys be quiet?' We almost got into a fight, but I had to keep humming so I wouldn't forget it. It was a good groove. I guess I should have been more polite. They wanted to kill me." With a new baby at home, Reddick might be a little old for fistfights. But then there's the beauty of never being too old to sing the blues. "Yeah, I feel like the older I get, the better I get," Reddick says. "Plus it's the type of music where you don't always make a living at it. We just do it because we love doing it." The Sidemen celebrate the release of Dig In at the Silver Dollar Thursday, Friday and Saturday (April 15-17). - from The Sidemen give it up live - BY & © CINDY MCGLYNN © 1991-2007 Toronto Star Newspapers Limited http://contests.eyeweekly.com/eye/issue/issue_04.15.99/music/indieeye.php

This is an exceptional effort, recalling British blues at its most inventive — skin-tight rhythm, blistering guitar, haunting harp and explosive keyboards built around a central figure with enough swagger to pull it all off. Surely one spin of "Bye Bye, So Long" captures a funked-up rock spirit that refuses to quit. Paul Reddick is a man of a hundred voices: Fred Neil ("You Will Know"), John Mayall ("Night Came Down"), Stevie Winwood ("Seven Angels") to name a few. Yet this album is such a collective of styles and influences, it’s a truly esoteric outing. There are some stiff moments, such as "That Train" and "When You Call" where Reddick sounds like David Clayton-Thomas wallowing on the lounge circuit. The band's version of Son Seals' "Bad Axe" falls flat in the middle of a dated-sounding electric violin solo. Yet, the still-experimental sounds of Fergus Marsh's Chapman Stick, and the unique horn arrangements take the band off into exciting new turf. The Sidemen's rhythm is king throughout this album and special attention must be given to the guitar muscle of Kyle Ferguson, who can't play enough. The pure blues feel of Homesick James' "Driving Dog" and Muddy Waters' "You Gonna Need My Help" reveals the Sidemen's untapped well and greatest potential, but Dig In suggests there's lots of room to move in what we've come to expect from this talented local band. By & © Eric Thom © http://exclaim.ca/Reviews/FolkAndCountry/sidemen-dig_in

A good roots blues and soul rock album with some great funky grooves throughout. Listen to The Sidemen's great "Rattlebag" album [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 112 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1. Seven Angels - Ferguson, Marsh, Reddick
2. Inside Information - Ferguson, Marsh, Reddick
3. You will Know - Reddick
4. Bye Bye, So Long - Ferguson, Marshak, Reddick
5. Night Came Down - Ferguson, Reddick
6. That Train - Marsh, Reddick
7. Bad Axe (Part II) - Son Seals
8. Goin' Downtown - Reddick
9. When You Call - Marsh, Reddick
10. It's Alright - The Sidemen, Marshak
11. Drivin' Dog - Homesick James
12. You Gonna Need My Help - McKinley Morganfield (Muddy Waters)

BAND

Kyle Ferguson - Guitars
Michael Occhipinti - Guitar
Fergus Marsh - Bass, Chapman Stick
Vince Maccarone - Drums, Percussion
Paul Reddick - Harmonica, Vocals
Hugh Marsh - Violin
Members of the horn section of NOJO