Campbell, RonPure Blues Guy2001Independent

Campbell, Ron - Pure Blues Guy - 2001 - Independent

Written by Warren Dallin

Way out in Western Canada there is a blues man named Ron Campbell, a British Columbian multi-instrumentalist and songwriter that enjoys playing the Delta blues. He plays a Dobro guitar, a 12 string guitar and some good blues harp, all while keeping a drum beat. He also plays some piano blues and is usually backed up by Gord Jolie on string bass.

When you first listen to the CD you are sure to notice his vocals. His voice is a little too upfront and polished on most tracks. Each word is pronounced to its fullest and it sounds more like Johnny Cash talking on each track than singing.

However when you focus on the music playing, the recording is a solid selection of songs offering some real Delta playing, some fun rocking blues parodies and some storytelling songs.

Certain songs stand out above others due to their unique appeals. For instance, the storytelling song about Snake Eyes Sam has some great Delta slide guitar playing and includes some good old time moaning. He does a cover of Who Do You Love that features some blues harp playing that takes the song off into an extended bridge. It turns into a nice melodic piece with his 12 string guitar playing. It even features the requisite "awww" moan as it comes back to the standard version of the song.

His piano playing on I Love the Lord is dark and moody, which plays almost as a sad drama theme song.

The catchy song on the disc is (Don't Want No) Chick Flick, which sounds like a new country rock song. It is a humorous song about a Friday night movie choice that has some good lyrical rhyming in it. The line about rather being "pepper sprayed by a Mountie" made me chuckle. It is an instant classic and has some strong marketing potential. It also features some short bursts of the electric guitar by Sam Hurrie.

The instrumental Canadian Tune is authentic blues guitar playing, where you can hear the squeaking of the slide on the strings. However God Watches Over You and Me is the truest Delta song on the CD. You would swear it is a remake of an original as it features some inspiring slide guitar, moanin' and the required religious subject matter.

The piano-harp boogie on Delivery Man is another tongue in cheek fun song that is instantly likeable. Ron wants to bring his babe what she needs in short order, outdoing all the big delivery companies in the process.

The cover of Robert Johnson's Travelling Riverside Blues benefits from some nice harp playing. Listen closely as he updates some of the locations mentioned in the song to more local B.C. settings.

The disc ends with a parody blues song called Self-Delusion Blues which is based on the classic 12 bar blues I'm A Man. It features three guest musicians and is amplified up. In the song, Ron leaves his current woman to go strut around town. He admits he is a legend in his own mind. There is a section (vocals performed by Laura Ellis), where his woman states how pathetic he is and how he can go try all he wants.

In summary, the recording is a masterpiece of creative song writing and features some fertile Delta blues playing.

Copyright 2002. Review by Warren Dallin.

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