Stephen Dale Petit
The follow up to the highly acclaimed 2008 album ‘Guitararama’, ‘The Crave’ is Stephen Dale Petit’s latest attempt to bring blues to the masses. It’s a mixture of many styles and includes a variety of covers by such artists as Robert Johnson, Fleetwood Mac, Little Willie John and Albert King. American SDP has relocated himself to London and has financed his previous releases through funding from his busking activities. His aim is to bring the blues up to date and make it more widely appreciated.
Sticking to his traditional blues roots with tracks like 'Crossroad Blues’ and '3 Gunslingers’, Petit shows that he can deliver quality tunes whilst grinding out some memorable and high impact riff-driven pieces. His mission to bring his music to a wider audience couldn’t be more to the fore with the inclusion of his take on the 2 Pac/Dr Dre classic ‘California Love’. Here, he heavies up the riff and chorus with some meaty rhythm. Even though the album is predominantly blues, this seems to fit nicely; not blues, but a rock take on a cross-genre classic.
Self penned tunes are inter-dispersed with some classics such as SDP’s very personal interpretation of Robert Johnson’s ‘Cross Road Blues’. The selection of songs was confusing me; I’d get accustomed to a quiet bluesy track then a gospel infused song would interrupt the moment.
There’s a nice take on Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Need Your Love So Bad’. Here Petit doesn’t follow note for note like so many have done so in the past, he loosely sticks to the mood and winds his way around producing a distinct and individual interpretation of this classic.
Is SDP trying too hard by putting out this 17 track monster covering so many styles and genres or is he just trying to find his niche? The jury is out on this one. I found the album enjoyable in parts and other parts just made me wonder ‘why?’ I was expecting a blues album and got a compilation. There is no doubting the skills and artistry of SDP but I think his best efforts are those when he sticks rigidly to the previously tried and test blues formula. As far as bringing blues up to date, he has achieved this to a certain extent but for ‘up to date blues’ you can’t go far wrong by listening to the innovative Little Axe.