Roy Rogers Split Decision

Roy Rogers has been knocking around for over 25 years. He is notable as a part of John Lee Hooker's Coast To Coast band in the 80's in which he played guitar, his specialty being his signature of being a slide guitar sideman. He also produced the excellent Hooker early 90's albums The Healer and Mr. Lucky (which won a Grammy), both being classic modern blues albums. So Roy's street cred is impeccable.

This Blind Pig Records offering, Split Decision is a good but not great blues album. Although some say Roy has not succumbed to the over produced heavy handedness of modern blues (which is essentially overproduced vaguely bluesy late 60's rock & roll), I would beg to differ. Modern blues, unfortunately, is nothing short of its continuing devolving of borrowed styles. In the case of acts such as Roy Rogers or say Walter Trout, these non-innovators borrowed the blues mined by Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones in the 60's and have regurgitated it in the 21st century as blues music. Yes, he's a stone great guitar player, yes the album rocks, yes there is competent R & B here, but it is pretty sterile and borderline soulless. It's all right and it may be a good introduction to modern blues, but then I just say pick up a couple old Led Zeppelin albums and you're probably good to go.