Ian Siegal – Stone By Stone

20-05-2022

Ian Siegal (born 1971) is a British blues singer and guitarist. Ian Siegal is a singer, songwriter, guitarist, bandleader and recording artist whose music encompasses Blues and Americana. Born near Portsmouth in England, he dropped out of art college in the late 1980s and went busking in Germany. He has toured in the UK and Europe. Ian Siegal is one of the best musicians in the UK, perhaps even the best in his genre. The stubborn Brit has also won many hearts in the Netherlands and Belgium with his music, voice and stage performance, but also certainly to continue to sail his own course. He makes no concessions in what he wants to put down and has never succumbed to the ideas of others who might have made him more known to the wider public. He now has about 20 albums to his name, some with various fellow musicians and a number of albums with Siegal as a guest. I'll name just a few; the youngest is "Lockdown Loaded" with Birdmens made during the lockdown, "Bluesorama" with Eric Starczan which unfortunately can only be heard digitally, the very surprising "Ergo Sum" with Mike Sponza where the men translated Latin poems and set them to music and of course "Real Live Brains" featuring the Braindogs a live album celebrating the music of Tom Waits. This album "Stone By Stone" was produced at the Grow Vision Studio by Greta Valenti (Well Hung Heart and Beaux Gris Gris) and Robin Davey (Well Hung Heart, Beaux Gris Gris and ex Hoax) in California. In addition to Siegal and the excellent accompanists, the album also features a number of guests. For example, an appearance is made by Imperial Crowns Jimmie Wood and J.J. Holiday but we also hear friend Jimbo Mathus with whom he made 'Wayward Sons' and 'The Picnic Sessions'. Surprise is Shemekia Copeland who met Siegal several times at the Mustique Festival and with whom he recorded 'Hand In Hand'. I am delighted with the sound of the album, we hear his voice as it can be heard during live performances. Nice 'in your face' with that delicious raw edge, but also modest and sincere acoustic blues. The producers have taken a good look at how the man is experienced live by his audience when they made music together and have managed to solve this in their studio in California. The first track is called "Working On A Building" with Jimmie Wood on blues harp and vocals and J.J. Holiday on guitar by The Imperial Crowns, who are also not unknown and unloved in the Low Countries. The song has a gospel-like feel, but it's rock 'n roll-ish at the same time. A wonderful entrance for those who like to dance around the room clapping along. For track number two a guest is again put in the spotlight. The genuine traditional 'Hand In Hand' was recorded together with Johnny Copeland's daughter Shemekia Copeland. Now I'm not a big fan of her voice myself, but the song does breathe emotion and soul and because of that it touches me deeply. Ian Siegal's brand new studio album "Stone By Stone" is a celebration of collaboration with the muscle of Ian Siegal's voice standing front and centre. Recorded in Southern California's Grow Vision Studios with production team Greta Valenti and Robin Davey (Beaux Gris Gris & The Apocalypse, The Hoax) the songs are raw, intimate and assured. Greta explains, 'We wanted to really capture the essence of who Ian Siegal is. His voice, his soul, and his years as an artist and touring musician all leading up to this point in his life and career.' 'The album was an unexpected result of various planets aligning and happy coincidences. The pull of it was irresistible. I dug deep for some personal insights but was also extremely lucky to be surrounded by creative inspiration and the support of great friends to help me get this all down', says Mr. Siegal. Siegal's long list of past achievements includes 13 British Blues Awards, 3 Mojo Blues Albums of the Year, 4 European Blues Music Awards and 3 US Blues Awards nominations. While the blues certainly provides a bedrock for the records, "Stone By Stone" is not a blues album. It's a collection of songs steeped in the traditions of classic songwriting, offering hope, reflection, sadness and joy. The album further cements Ian's reputation as not only a fierce live performer but also an essential British recording artist. It's no wonder Record Collector hails Siegal as a 'National Treasure.' 'I'm The Shit' is a song that can only come from the pen of Siegal, good lyrics interspersed with a large dose of socially critical content. All respects go to the production team Valenti/Davey for the extremely good clip that puts the song on the map, Chapeau ! "Psycho" was actually written as a country song by Leon Payne and was recorded by Eddie Noack in 1968; Personally, I'm impressed with what Siegal managed to do with the song. He once played it during one of his first Chesterfield Sessions in his Amsterdam apartment, which Siegal streamed via FB every Sunday afternoon during the lockdown. The interpretation with backing vocals by Greta Valenti of this rather eerie and lurid song became such a success that it was frequently requested to play again during the following weeks. Now finally on an album. I hope to hear the story behind 'K.K.'s Blues' again during a live rendition of the song, but in this too Siegal and Mathus show that they are both songsmiths of a very high level because this song is also like that' A story that you want to hear over and over again. Waits and Dylan would be proud of Messrs Siegal and Mathus after listening to them. Also listen carefully to the outro which is a telephone recording of Jimbo's setup. 'Gathering Deep' was also recorded with friend and inspirer Jimbo Mathus. Just like 'Phycho', 'This Heart' and 'The Fear' it is also a very bleak and somewhat dark song. Still, it's beautiful and I listen to this stripped-down Siegal over and over again. As the lyrics say "my love you want to keep" is bizarrely written when you consider that the Brit has stated about this album that "Stone By Stone" is the last copy in his discography and that he will also be released for the next year. last to be seen live. 'Monday Saw', 'This Heart' and 'The Fear' will recognize fans of the 2004 albums 'Standing In The Morning' and 'Candy Store Kid', respectively. The rendition of 'Monday Saw' has changed completely. , almost a traditional. 'This Heart' is a bit more melodic, it seems as if it is less of an indictment, less angry as in the previous version, but the Brit is in a completely different period of his life. The a cappella outro of the song is the icing on the musical cake baked by master pastry chef Ian Siegal. 'The Fear' still stands rock solid in the swirling waves of the surf of songs that this songwriter managed to write over the past thirty years, the beautiful blues harp is played by Jimmie Wood. The only acoustic blues, played like several songs on 'Stone By Stone' on the 1929 National Resonator, on the album is called 'Holler' and the Ian Siegal disciples recognize as a song that was also played live in the church of Reverend Siegal during his solo shows. The timing and voice control are again 'outstanding' ! "Stone By Stone" closes with 'Onwards and Upwards', is it a message that life will always be okay or is it Siegal expressing the wish that all should be well with humanity and with the world ? Anyway, it's a song I listen to over and over and a very appropriate song these days. While 'swaggering', Mr. Siegal is whistling towards his future ! While he's previously released 13 other albums, I hope it's fair to say that Ian Siegal is probably better known for his brilliant and passionate live shows; from pub backrooms through the main stage of International Festivals; that have gone down in history over the last 20+ years. That said; the four albums I own ain't got nothing wrong with them at all; and each one has managed to entertain me in the car or office many times over the years and this one will too. "Stone By Stone" starts with the ramshackle, Gospel tinged 'Working On a Building' which sounds like it's 'Live Cut' and will certainly catch your attention; especially that razor sharp geetar in the background. Siegal's 'type of Blues' straddles many formulas and he brings a freshness to each and every song that you probably weren't expecting and I'm thinking especially of the Country-Blues infused 'The Fear' as well as his pained rendition of Psycho (that I first heard by Elvis Costello on Almost Blue) and especially This Heart which sounds like Ian had been listening to a lot of Robert Johnson on the build up to recording day. Fans like me fawn over Siegal's exquisite guitar picking; yet the 'experts' in the mainstream sort of ignore him, which is their loss and our gain; when you dissect the intimate and raw K.K's 'Blues and Holler' which are both very good songs made great by the inclusion of the the stupendous yet understated guitar in the background. As we would normally expect from an Ian Siegal; there's a lot of heartbreak in his songs; and he describes it in a manner multi-award winning songwriters and singers can only dream of on 'Gathering Deep' and 'Onwards and Upwards', which closes the record in a jaunty manner. Not for the first time and no doubt, not the last I'm torn between two fabulous and fabulously different songs for my selection of favourite Song. 'I'm The Shit', sounds like something Tom Waits could have written; but didn't and while slightly tongue in cheek; Ian Siegal digs deep and colours outside the edges on a song about living on the edge and in the shadows. Then there is 'Hand In Hand', which just may be one of the finest songs that Ian has ever recorded; not least because of the lyrics but the duet with the mighty Shemekia Copeland who takes on the guise of Aretha in her 'Gospel mode' and the result is absolutely stupendous and far too good to be ignored by national radio. It's not just Ian Siegal's distinctive voice and/or guitar playing that makes this album a winner; but the crisp production actually makes him sound 'as live' and it hasn't gone unnoticed that the sequencing is almost perfect; easing us through a gentle rollercoaster of adult emotions; the likes of which we rarely hear.

1 Working On A Building (Ft Jimmie Wood & J.J. Holiday) 5:59

2 Hand In Hand (Ft Shemekia Copeland) 4:28

3 The fear 4:39

4 I'm the shit 4:19

5 Psycho 4:05

6 K.K.'s blues 3:41

7 Gathering deep (Ft Jimbo Mathus) 3:57

8 This heart 3:11

9 Monday saw 3:02

10 Holler 4:33

11 Onwards and upwards 3:29